WEEK 9. DROWNING IN PAPER

According to the book, I should now be working on books, but I love books and it's going to be hard for me to discard any, so I'm postponing that and instead will do “papers”. I'm a writer and in my office I am surrounded by six file drawers for clippings, documents, articles, bank statements, and health records. I also have some of the shelves in my seven tall bookcases stacked with pages of typed manuscripts. Same with a 'working' table that has no space for work. And there are several drawers in the family room stuffed with various kinds of papers, such as maps and recipes. So I decided I had papers, not books, that urgently needed discarding.  But how was I going to pile all of them in the middle of the room.

Impossible. For most of the discarding, I would have to do it, drawer by drawer, surface by surface. Sorry Marie. I hope this isn't a fatal flaw in successfully completing your plan. But when you discover how much I discard you might understand. Several months ago, before I read the book, I had already gone through and discarded two garbage sacks of papers. And I still have tons left.

I don't know if holding the papers and feeling a spark of joy will work in this category either. The papers I keep will be 'necessary'. What I discard will be either not necessary or not joyful.

If you still believe I couldn't be worse than you, I have all my bank books which lists deposits and checks since I graduated from college. Yes, years of them. If I ever write a memoir of my epic trip to Europe I can check exactly what I paid for a steamship crossing.

I started working on this category with all papers on top of surfaces. First off, I realized this category also includes book marks, business cards, and folder tabs for new folders. These I kept on two shelves and did reduce them to one shelf. But I'm keeping notebooks and diaries that I probably should just throw out, but I can't. Maybe later. I know the Kondo method would say 'later' means 'never'.

I am failing miserably in this category. I have folders for airline and hotel memberships and they are full of junk mail, but I'm afraid I might throw away something important for claiming miles or perks. I did clean them out a bit, but instead of throwing the whole file away I just moved it to a more hidden place. Arrgh.

This is much worse than working on my clothes. Three hours and not even halfway through.

Some files, map,
still messy board, 

I've completed three large book cases on the north side of my office. I still have two two-drawer file cabinets on that side to go through later. Now I've moved on to the first bookcase (of four) on the south side. There are envelopes, stationery, including from foreign hotels, and a large box of cards (birthday and thank you) from friends for more than ten years. I'll only save those congratulating me on my first book to encourage me to keep writing. And then there's a box of cards from my children and other family members. I must keep those. I organized new, unused Xmas cards received from charitable organizations into a usable stack. I did throw away some unsuitable ones. Most I kept for this coming Christmas and then will discard any still left. (Do I really trust myself to throw them away later? It's probably not in the Kondo spirit to keep putting off discards).

I went through years of medical records that were stacked on a bookshelf next to my books about health. It took me almost two hours to go through and throw most away. How many years of negative mammogram reports does anyone need? I did keep some records, mainly those about major incidents, broken knee, surgery, rotator cuff. I'm really very healthy so it's amazing that I have so many papers relating to health issues. But I hate to throw anything out.

This habit may have been inherited. Whenever my mother would ask my father if she should throw something away, he'd say, “We've got the room, so might as well keep it.” This created a terrible problem when it came to clean out the house they had lived in for more than fifty years. That is one of the reasons I'd like to reduce the items in my life.

Well, enough about the agony of deciding which papers are necessary and which discardable. None really give me a spark of joy. Well, yes, reading over cards from friends is pleasant, so I'm not going to throw them away. Earlier I said I'd discard those but I changed my mind.

OK, moving on. Maps also come under papers. I have a drawer stuffed with maps. Marie would say throw them away.  They are out of date, and current maps are easily accessed on the internet. But I like maps. I've always liked maps and was pleased to know that Ken Jennings, the 'Jeopardy' TV champ wrote a book about liking maps, Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks. I also have a crazy idea that all the state maps I'm saving may some day be worth a lot of money, when nobody prints them anymore. So I will keep them for my great grandchildren to get rich. More likely my children will throw them out after I'm gone.

What's hiding under the quilt?

The paper category is not going to be done in one attempt. I forgot all the paper I have under a quilt covered work table in my office. The quilt was made by my grandmother and mother when I graduated from grade school (no middle school in my town). It has a yellow background with pieced appliques of sixteen sun bonnet Sues made out of my cotton school dresses. Each square is embroidered with the name of an eighth grade friend. It's a special treasure to me, but I had forgotten what it hides. Kondoing what's under the quilt will be covered in my next blog.

Halloween will be the perfect time also to face the horrors of a lifetime of clipped, saved, and unused recipes.   

WEEK 8. AM I A CLOTHES HORSE?

Unfortunately, I really 'fell off the Kondo wagon.' Last night I took a discarded skirt out of my give a way pile which was still waiting to be given away. I wanted to wear it to a special restaurant and thought it would look good. I'm sooo bad. Decided not to wear it after all, but now I don't know whether to keep it, just in case, or truly discard it. I'm taking discarded clothes to Salvation Army in two days, so have to make final decision by then.I also slept in as I always do when I have important plans for the morning, and this was the day to get to the big item clothes—dresses and suits. But I did get through the next step in my project.

I piled all my dresses and suits (from three closets!) on the two beds in our guest room.
There were thirty-one items and I discarded only seven—about 23%.

A pile of dresses that no longer bring
me joy or don't fit.

I kept five of seven floor length dresses. When I first moved to the desert, women wore long dresses to house parties, lots of fun and we felt so glamorous. Now we don't do that much, but I kept some because I love them and I do feel special when I wear them. One is a dress I wore to two of my children's weddings and it still fits! But I don't have room in my regular closet for these long items. I guess I should work on getting all my clothes in one closet but that's going to take some time. So now they are in the guest closet.

The other five dresses and suits I'm discarding because they no longer give me joy or frankly, they don't fit anymore and it's time to admit that ship has sailed as far as achieving a smaller waist. One is a beautiful peach suit that I wore to special work related occasions. But it doesn't fit and I no longer have special work events. Others are two deep purple suits—does anyone really need two of them. I also discarded a beige linen shirt and pants suit that I love but it's linen and I don't iron. Finally, I discarded an old, and much loved black silk 'funeral' dress which no longer fits and I had already replaced with another black silk dress I had made in Thailand. Young people may think it's amusing to have a dress for going to somber occasions, but unfortunately the older I get the more of these I attend. And of course, you can never go wrong with a little black dress wherever you go.

Dresses I kept, note
LBD

All the suits and dresses I kept really do bring me joy when I wear them and they fit well. Whenever I read how French women stay chic, the importance of good fit and using a tailor, if necessary, to alter clothes for a better fit is stressed. I haven't used a tailor yet, but perhaps that's the next step after my tidying-up project.

Now that I've finished Marie's first category: clothes, I need to store them. In her book, she discusses why it's best to keep all in a category in the same place. But one closet isn't big enough for all my clothes. I'm not really a clothes horse, but I need more than one location. Most of my clothes are in my closet. I have two six-feet rods for short items (blouses, skirts) and a two-foot rod for long items (pants and dresses). I also have two thirty-inch shelves where I keep my boxes filled with tee shirts and tank tops. In my bedroom I use four drawers: socks, shorts/yoga pants, scarves/belts, and sweaters. I guess I have to admit that I also keep wool cardigan sweaters in a cedar chest during the summer.

But wait, there's more. In the bathroom I have a drawer with underwear and sleepwear. And that's it, except for the long dresses still in the guest closet, and a few jackets in the hall closet.

Now that I'm done with tidying-up my clothes, can I look forward to what Ms. Kondo foresees?

“Tidying brings visible results... When people revert to clutter no matter how much they tidy, it is not their room or their belongings but their way of thinking that is at fault. Even if they are initially inspired, they can’t stay motivated and their efforts peter out. The root cause lies in the fact that they can’t see the results or feel the effects. This is precisely why success depends on experiencing tangible results immediately. If you use the right method and concentrate your efforts on eliminating clutter thoroughly and completely within a short span of time, you’ll see instant results that will empower you to keep your space in order ever after. Anyone who experiences this process, no matter who they are, will vow never clutter again” pp.16-17, The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up.  

A well organized closet leads
to a well organized mind.

It really is pleasant and inspiring to see only clothes that fit and I enjoy in a tidy order. In fact, I have carried over some of her precepts into traveling. I recently stayed in a motel for three weeks and actually put my clothes in the available dresser drawers—usually I just live out of a suitcase. Not only did I put my tee shirts in a drawer but they were all neatly folded and stacked vertically ala the Kondo method. And they stayed neat the whole time, including through two wash days. Her method seems to be working for me. But the next category is going to be even harder.

Week 8 delayed

Week 8 has been delayed until Thursday morning.  Please come back to read how I deal with dresses and suits--a fascinating subject. ☺

WEEK 7. WHAT'S AN UNMENTIONABLE?

Today is the day I was going to do my last large category of clothes, dresses, suits, and pants outfits but it's just too hot to try on clothes. It's October and should be cool, but the blazing temperatures are not yet gone. And I have to try on these items because if it doesn't fit it doesn't matter how much joy it sparks.  I have to get rid of it.

So I did small things. It's funny, but I just remembered an old-fashioned term. Unmentionables. Would anybody under thirty know that was a term used to describe underwear? Anyway, whatever you call them, that was next on my schedule. 

 I first went through underpants and bras, discarding nothing because I had gone through them a few months before I started this tidying up project and they were in good shape.

Nightgowns/pajamas, ditto. I have one beautiful cotton lawn, heavily embroidered knee length night gown I bought in Thailand nine years ago. I love it but it's getting frayed under the arms and I should get rid of it, but I keep hoping I will find a magic tailor who can repair it. It only cost $25 (remember I said Thailand, nine years ago) and I bought it because I was mad at my husband who said I shouldn't buy anything at the 'night market', so I bought this in a very upscale store. Not a very rational reason but it does bring me joy.

Swim suits, I finally found one that fit and looked good a few weeks ago, so I could get rid of the two piece suit with its fluffy top draped to hide bellies that I have always hated. I did keep my 'back up' suit, which isn't perfect, but since we live in southern California I feel I need to keep a back up suit. It does not spark joy, but I think it's necessary right now. The more I wear the new suit, the more I like it.

Socks. This was a fruitful category. Again I was shocked to discover I had forty-one pairs!! Why do I need forty-one pairs of socks, white, black, brown, and several novelty pairs trimmed with Santa Claus or Winnie the Pooh, and several knee length 'nylons' for under trousers. I got rid of nine pairs, mainly some heavy black wool socks which I don't know why I've kept. They would only be useful at the North Pole. Giving away nine of forty-one is 22%.

So I didn't do much in this category. But to date I have emptied two dresser drawers, and I can actually see the tops and bottoms hanging in my closet. Also my seven shoe boxes of Kondo folded tee shirts look nice. Next week I finish up the clothing category.

WEEK 6. BOTTOMS UP

My camera is giving me trouble, so I won't be able to post pictures of what I've done with bottoms.  I'm also trying not to worry that I won't be successful at this project because I am not following the procedure exactly.

It's somewhat unnerving to read that the author believes “The ultimate secret of success is this: If you tidy up in one shot, rather than little by little, you can dramatically change your mind-set. A change so profound that it touches your emotions will irresistibly affect your way of thinking and your lifestyle habits. My clients do not develop the habit of tidying gradually. Every one of them has been clutter-free since they undertook their tidying marathon. This approach is the key to preventing rebound.” [Kondo, page 16]

I'm not sure exactly what her definition of 'one shot' is because elsewhere she mentions that it takes her clients an average of six months to do the entire process. There is no way I can do a whole house in one shot. I am doing each category, or sub category in one shot. Like in so many matters, I will just have to trust that doing the process to the best of my ability will eventually lead to success.

I have psyched myself up so I am now ready to face skirts, shorts, and pants. My lifestyle doesn't call for many skirts. Of twelve skirts, I kept nine, about 75%. Maybe I'm just better at choosing joyful skirts than other clothing categories.

One interesting outcome of this process is that I'm discovering how many articles of clothing I actually own. T-shirts were embarrassing and now I'm faced with thirty-one long pants. I kept twenty-two, 71%. Some are lightweight, cropped, some are jeans, some are patterned, and some are wool for cool weather. Most are black or khaki colored.

As usual I had to save something because I needed it. I kept my only pair of navy pants, not because they bring me joy. I just feel neutral about them but I have some tops that spark my joy and they need to go with navy pants so I will keep them until I find a navy pair that sparks my joy or until I've discarded the several navy tops I have kept.

Although it's very hot here, I only have six pairs of shorts. I don't like to wear them out in public, but when it's 115 degrees I can't worry about how I look. And I didn't discard any of them. I guess that's one category of clothes I buy very carefully.

Next week I hope to finish the clothes category.