Laura Chapman Writes

This post includes affiliate links however all opinions are mine.

 

I would love to have a magic wand magically turn my clutter into perfectly organized joy.

Decluttering can bring joy?  

Seriously?

Yes, I absolutely believe this.

The first time I read about the blockbuster book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, by Mari Kondo, I was hooked.

Looking for joy in unusual places was my thing. And I truly hated CLUTTER–BUT keeping things neat and organized for me was more of a chore than a joy and eventually clutter always seemed to find me again.

In a nutshell. Decluttering Genius, Mari Kondo, shares a SIMPLE way to remove stress through her books, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Spark Joy. The KonMari Method is said to be life-changing and based on the world-wide popularity of her books, it must be. 

Simply put, Kondo feels if something doesn’t bring joy, it needs to be tossed. She even makes a point to “thank” each item tossed for it’s service! She promises to end clutter forever with her methods. Plus, I’m a firm believer in the idea that clutter creates stress and stress is anti-joy.

Exactly what I needed.

Her method has two simple steps:

1. Keep only items that bring joy.
2. Toss everything else but not before thanking them first for their service.

So, I decided to start with one area in my home that was making me crazy.

I know you have one too.

You know, that drawer you fight with every time you open it because the pasta spoon always  gets stuck. The one that makes you go “ugh” every time you try to squeeze something back in.

And if you’re like me there are TWO of them in your kitchen!

ORGANIZING MY TOOL DRAWER

My seriously cluttered Tool Drawer held my knives, assorted cookie dough scoops, ladles, cheese grater, electric carving knife, and even extra catsup packets. I really had tried to keep it under control in the past.  Even put in some organizer containers to help corral everything. But nothing seemed to work beyond a few short weeks when the clutter somehow returned.

 

“BEFORE”

 

I started by taking everything out and wiping down the inside.  Then I returned my organizer containers along with a few more I picked up. In true “Kondo” fashion I held each item and asked myself if it brought me joy. If the answer was “no” I tossed it (but not before thanking it for it’s service).  This was easier for some things than others.

The pizza cutter I rarely used but had been a gift from the eccentric guy who always sat with us at Navy Football games when my children were babies was a definite keeper.  I”ll never forget the day he pulled it out of his coat pocket and gave it to my husband insisting it was the BEST of it’s kind ever. Definitely joy connected with that one.

But the handy-dandy plastic tomato cutting tool that I never used and can’t remember where or why I got it, had to go. I thanked and tossed it.

Some things weren’t as cut and dry.

Should I keep the two hundred catsup packets that I was too cheap to throw away but threatened to swallow up everything else?  Well, I definitely felt joy when I ran out of catsup and had them as a back up. So they stayed but I moved them into another container and out of the drawer.

One by one I asked each item if it gave me joy. Removing the non-joy-givers made for plenty of extra space and I loved the everything-in-its-place result when I was done.

AFTER:

 

I was so happy with the results I decided to tackle my other drawer nemesis. My JUNK DRAWER. The one holding all the miscellaneous items that had to go somewhere but NEVER stayed organized.  

I followed the same two step method:

1. Keep only items that bring joy.
2. Toss everything else but not before thanking them first for their service.

I decided “bringing me joy” could be broadly applied.  For example, crayons don’t directly bring me joy but I’m much happier when frequently used art supplies are easily accessible and returnable so I don’t have to search for them, or put them away.

 

JUNK DRAWER BEFORE:

 

JUNK DRAWER AFTER:

 

 

I knew the true test would be months later when the clutter either returned or remained under control.

I’m thrilled to report that we are now three months down and counting and BOTH drawers are still organized. A huge improvement for me.  

Did I reach Kondo’s nirvana of never having to clean them again?  

Time will tell.

 

Read about how to reclaim joy through redecorating HERE. Please leave me a comment!