Cleaning up stuff (Konmari and other things)

Recently, I had a breakthrough about stuff and a slight addiction to YouTube videos talking about getting rid of stuff, Konmari stuff, decluttering stuff, and just stuff.

So, here is the tale of my Konmari-esque decluttering.

Usually at work I listen to cafe music or watch self-help/learn new things YouTubers…and Grav3yardgirl and makeup hauls and skateboarding videos.  Not the point. One day, I guess, the magical Google decided that I would like to watch a makeup decluttering video.

I got hooked.

The videos I found were just ordinary, funny people on their journey to get rid of stuff. I really enjoyed TJ’sWays.  Her personality made the stark realization that we all have too much stuff to tossing out the extra a fun process.

I got inspired.

I got busy.

Now, over the course of the past 5+ years, I’ve moved a few times.  Moving helped me realize I didn’t need stuff.

When I would pack up to move, if I picked up something and thought to myself, “Do I really feel like taking the time to even pack this?” If the answer was no, into the Goodwill pile it went.

Eventually my boyfriend, now fiance, moved in together a few years ago.  The combining of our two spaces again made me think that I just have too much stuff.  But, I did my best to blend everything together, put things in storage in the spare closet, stow as much of my things as I could.

At first everything was good.  As stuff came in, I made sure stuff came went out—donated mainly but trashed occasionally.

Then, my stuff kept growing.

I hated it.

I hated cleaning my stuff and around my stuff.

Watching those YouTube videos made me finally realize that what I didn’t like wasn’t that I had stuff; rather, I had stuff I didn’t like.

Who wants to see stuff they don’t like, not most people.  Apparently, our place was littered with stuff I didn’t like.

Like an entire sedan full of stuff: front and back seats and trunk full.

When I say Konmari-esque, I didn’t read the book.  The cllifnotes in the YouTube videos were enough to get me going.  The pattern to which I tackled the growing mess was not in the Konmari order but was inspired by for sure.

Whenever I would just walk around my home and spot something that didn’t “fit” or never wore/used in so long, toss it in the monster pile of stuff by the front door. At times I would go Konmari and stick to one type: clothing, papers, makeup, etc. For me it was easier to play spot the not and toss it out.

It took probably 2-3 weeks of randomly spotting and setting aside items to donate to get through all of my stuff.  It was eye-opening to say the least.

After object mountain was hauled off to the donation station, I felt better.  Even my fiancé was inspired by my cleanup.  He didn’t have nearly as much as I did; though, he still had a garbage bag worth of clothes to donate and a bag of trash to toss.

Walking around our place now just feels good to me.  There is nothing I don’t like, and cleaning is so much easier and less daunting.

Sure, new stuff has come in since taking so much out.  Yet, there is a difference between then and now.  Now, I think do I really need this and want this, or do I just want this in the interim.

It’s nice to shop with purpose and what I want instead of other peoples’ wants, trends, and must-have’s.  It really does make my home something I want to look at and just love every bit of stuff that’s in it.

For me, the next part is going through a mental declutter.

I just checked out from the library The Life Changing Magic of not Giving a Fuck by Sarah Knight.  A few pages in and I am just loving her honesty, well…about stuff.