Tidy Magic

Tidy Magic… that could work as a Tiny Bubbles parody… next post! For now, let’s talk about what everyone in the decluttering/simplifying/minimizing world has already talked about: The LifeChanging Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.

Tidy Magic came into my life via Audible circa March 2015. The minimalist bug was in my ear due to a close friend and I had a LOT of stress in my life. It seemed to make sense that, though the “stuff” wasn’t the source of my stress, less “stuff” could still equal less stress.

I love stuff. I had (still have) lots of stuff. Children’s books, stuffed animals, and clothes I hadn’t worn in a decade. I also had an emotional attachment to all of this stuff. I’m talking psychological issue attachment. This is where tidy magic came in.

I admit the book was odd at times. The idea of thanking “stuff” I should have gotten rid of LONG ago seemed bizarre, at best. But I was determined to listen with an open mind. I listened as I decluttered:

-          size 0 (insert hysterical laughter here) jeans,

-          clothes with tags I knew I would never wear,

-          hard-earned trophies (from over a decade ago),

-          gifts I no longer wished to keep.

While I didn’t go so far as to thank every item I let go of I did learn to appreciate the purpose things served in a given time and space, realizing they didn’t have to fit into the current time and space. I could be grateful for a gift, and still let it go. I could be proud of an achievement, and still let it go. I could accept the lesson of a bad purchase, and still let it go.

Another thing that stuck with me as I listened to Tidy Magic were the cultural differences and how steeped my culture is in consumerism. This is something obvious yet it hit home to me more after listening to Kondo. Not only did Tidy Magic change my relationship with the stuff I own, but it also changed my purchasing decisions. It changed how I give gifts, how I decorate my home, and how extensive my wardrobe is. I still desire and purchase nice things but I am much more discerning of what is a want versus what is a need, and far less prone to impulse purchases that will end in a decluttering heap!

I’ll be sharing more in the future on how decluttering and simplifying has improved my quality of life, thanks in part to Tidy Magic. I’ll also share some of the things I did NOT declutter. J Until next time… travel lightly.