If you haven't read her book, I'm sure you've heard of it. John and I started reading it last spring. Just in time for me to purge some a bunch of homeschooling items at a Homeschool Expo. I thought I had read the entire book. Turned out I was wrong. I finished it last week.
John and I watched her Netflix special in January. While we don't follow her exact approach, we did come away with a few things in our toolbox. First, don't try to purge other people's items. Just because you don't love something doesn't mean no one else does either. If it is your personal item, purge away! If it is a communal item, then (in our house) everyone has to agree to let it go. Sounds scary, but it works for us.
Mari Kondo wants you to pile all like items in one space to go through. I admit we did not gather ALL of one item together to see the big pile. I know we have a ton of books; we homeschool I think it is written in the by-laws, "thou must own a ton of books". We started with our homeschool books and I let go of a lot. The rest of the family had been ready for years. I was not ready to let go of my "little" girls. (Still not, but that is a different post.) I have not gone through my personal books yet. But I am going to take this piece of advice, "hold each item". Does it bring you joy? Books are my love. I have quite a few from my childhood that I personally will never part with (our girls will have to decide on those when I'm gone). I think holding each one will help me. I hope so anyway.
Clothes were another thing we did not make a huge pile to sift through. John still has not actually gone through his yet. I went through the closet first, just my things. I kept a few things I don't love, because I don't have many clothes that fit well. Those that do fit well got to stay. My dresser was different.
My dresser has six drawers. Honestly, I was using half of one daily and three others. Now, I am using five! I did take Mari Kondo's advice on putting all like items in one space. I had a jacket for exercising in the coat closet so I moved it to my new exercise clothes drawer. My sweaters moved from our closet to a drawer, folded nice and neat and on their sides so I can see each one easily.
Have we finished purging our home? No. Do I expect to be finished soon? No. At the end of this process I am hoping to be able to look around any room (or closet) in our home and feel peaceful. I get that feeling now with the few closets we've completed. I am getting there at my desk. (I had paperwork from 2006!) This is not a quick fix. Nor is it easy. But so far, it has been so worth it!
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