I got my clothes done per the KonMari method. Then, I broke a little with her her order of things. We (myself and my husband) got the backroom set up as a playroom/library. We cleared out a closet that I had been storing clothes and are now storing items with greater purpose.
Due to our limited space, in order to get the tiny kitchen done, I need to get the dining room--which actually isn't my space but belonging to the family member with whom we live--done. That means taking bins and boxes to Goodwill and the Friends of the Library Book Den. We need to hang up her pictures and get her trash and recycle that she has allowed to collect on surfaces taken care of. Also, she has things that belong in her room hanging out in the dining space. So those need to move. She has described how she wants the space set up, so that means we need to do it for her.
(She has been diagnosed with severe, long-term depression which has dramatically impacted her over the past 30 years. We have watched further deterioration of the last decade, at first from a distance and then more closely when circumstances drove us to room together.)
So it got really frustrating when my son got sick Thursday and I came down with it on Friday. I haven't been able continue cleaning and organizing this past weekend and definitely not this week. So I'll switch my focus slightly for this post.
Marie Kondo suggests that before you get started on decluttering, you should think of your ideal life. Now this is something I've cultivated for awhile, and I understand why this plays a part in making decisions of what you are keeping in your home. These are reasons I was attracted to her process; namely, the focus being on "what you want to keep," rather than on what you want to get rid of, as well as the question she asked, "is this something you want to take into your future?" Which is a positive switch of perspective that has let me make much better decisions with purging. Also, this is why I don't see her as quite inline with minimalism as the media purports. I've read a bunch on Minimalism and while I'm attracted to the idea, it really isn't for me. It's too restrictive. Keeping items that "spark joy," and then treating what you have with respect is fundamentally different than keeping only items that are "useful." Just my take.
Ideal Life:
In my ideal life I would wake up. make breakfast for myself and my family. Take my children for a walk (there will be two kiddos as of this June), and maybe Partner and Puppy will join, depending on his work load. when the weather is warmer, we might go to the park again. Then I will play with children in the playroom until 11:30, at which time we will have lunch. After lunch Nathan will go visit my parents and I will work on getting the baby down and writing. At 5 pm I'll make dinner, eat with my family and then have a wind-down routine for the kiddos. That will include an evening walk, baths, books, breast/bottle and snuggles. Hopefully I can return Nathan to 7pm bedtime, but I'll be okay with 8pm. After kiddos go to sleep, then I'll have two hours to relax with my guy, watch a show or movie, most likely. On nights that he chooses to game at this time, I will read. Or, sometimes, we might both end up reading! (I must confess he has read more books since our son's birth than I have). I am also looking forward to being able to have a glass of wine at this time of evening again.
Relationship to Clearing Clutter:
In order to have my ideal life I need to organize my space so that I can do all of this smoothly. What do I mean about smoothly? I mean floating from one scheduled activity to the next without searching for socks or stumbling over toys or spending three minutes hunting for a sweater appropriate to for the weather. It means being able to serve breakfast easily rather than catching up on dishes before cooking.
Organized spaces mean that it is easier to clean and put things away at designated times quickly and without fuss. The more fuss, the more stress, the less concentration on enjoying the life I have. I need to enjoy the life I have, because it is far from perfect and far from what I expected. So I need to be able to focus on the positive in it, to keep me going, and keep myself mentally healthy.
A Note: I understand that I will be working toward this schedule daily but see little progress until September at the earliest. So as my schedule remains hectic, keep with me!
Due to our limited space, in order to get the tiny kitchen done, I need to get the dining room--which actually isn't my space but belonging to the family member with whom we live--done. That means taking bins and boxes to Goodwill and the Friends of the Library Book Den. We need to hang up her pictures and get her trash and recycle that she has allowed to collect on surfaces taken care of. Also, she has things that belong in her room hanging out in the dining space. So those need to move. She has described how she wants the space set up, so that means we need to do it for her.
(She has been diagnosed with severe, long-term depression which has dramatically impacted her over the past 30 years. We have watched further deterioration of the last decade, at first from a distance and then more closely when circumstances drove us to room together.)
So it got really frustrating when my son got sick Thursday and I came down with it on Friday. I haven't been able continue cleaning and organizing this past weekend and definitely not this week. So I'll switch my focus slightly for this post.
Marie Kondo suggests that before you get started on decluttering, you should think of your ideal life. Now this is something I've cultivated for awhile, and I understand why this plays a part in making decisions of what you are keeping in your home. These are reasons I was attracted to her process; namely, the focus being on "what you want to keep," rather than on what you want to get rid of, as well as the question she asked, "is this something you want to take into your future?" Which is a positive switch of perspective that has let me make much better decisions with purging. Also, this is why I don't see her as quite inline with minimalism as the media purports. I've read a bunch on Minimalism and while I'm attracted to the idea, it really isn't for me. It's too restrictive. Keeping items that "spark joy," and then treating what you have with respect is fundamentally different than keeping only items that are "useful." Just my take.
Ideal Life:
In my ideal life I would wake up. make breakfast for myself and my family. Take my children for a walk (there will be two kiddos as of this June), and maybe Partner and Puppy will join, depending on his work load. when the weather is warmer, we might go to the park again. Then I will play with children in the playroom until 11:30, at which time we will have lunch. After lunch Nathan will go visit my parents and I will work on getting the baby down and writing. At 5 pm I'll make dinner, eat with my family and then have a wind-down routine for the kiddos. That will include an evening walk, baths, books, breast/bottle and snuggles. Hopefully I can return Nathan to 7pm bedtime, but I'll be okay with 8pm. After kiddos go to sleep, then I'll have two hours to relax with my guy, watch a show or movie, most likely. On nights that he chooses to game at this time, I will read. Or, sometimes, we might both end up reading! (I must confess he has read more books since our son's birth than I have). I am also looking forward to being able to have a glass of wine at this time of evening again.
Relationship to Clearing Clutter:
In order to have my ideal life I need to organize my space so that I can do all of this smoothly. What do I mean about smoothly? I mean floating from one scheduled activity to the next without searching for socks or stumbling over toys or spending three minutes hunting for a sweater appropriate to for the weather. It means being able to serve breakfast easily rather than catching up on dishes before cooking.
Organized spaces mean that it is easier to clean and put things away at designated times quickly and without fuss. The more fuss, the more stress, the less concentration on enjoying the life I have. I need to enjoy the life I have, because it is far from perfect and far from what I expected. So I need to be able to focus on the positive in it, to keep me going, and keep myself mentally healthy.
A Note: I understand that I will be working toward this schedule daily but see little progress until September at the earliest. So as my schedule remains hectic, keep with me!
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