a person possessed. Then two very busy months went by and over Christmas we needed a ‘refresh’ –jewellery drawers got messy after about a month. To complete the final 5% of the process, I’m planning to take a couple of days off work. I want a totally clear mind to focus on it.
What benefits have we experienced?
TIDYING IS EASIER, almost enjoyable! It feels more purposeful restoring things to their chosen home. GETTING DRESSED IS EASIER: you can actually see the clothes you’ve chosen to keep! TIME AND MONEY ARE SAVED: looking for things such contact lens subscriptions by realising I have too many spare ones. IMPORTANT STUFF is now cherished. I would get rid of this one as it sort of duplicates the one below. Maybe combine into: CHERISHED ITEMS ARE NOW VISIBLE: these needn’t take up much space, such as the digital photo frame and all those Gbs of photos MY DAUGHTER IS LEARNING about and involved in tidying. BEST OF ALL: MY HEAD IS CLEARER. This process affects everything – the decisions about how to spend my time, what to read, what needs attention, what sparks joy. As Kondo said, ‘let’s imagine this clutter as your mind’. As you get on top of your stuff, you get on top of your life.
How does Kondo’s approach apply to busy family households?
TOP TIPS
Kondo has been criticised for not mentioning how this works for those of us with young families. It struck me that the earlier in your life you do this, the better, for sure. It’s a mindset yielding life-long returns. That’s not to say it’s ever too late! I do feel excited that my daughter will grow up with this philosophy. We asked Marie how her baby has affected her approach and her response was that it hasn’t. I want to ask her the same question in
Making it work
WAIT: Don’t start before you’ve read the book as it’s designed to support you throughout the process. I was itching to get started but I’m glad I waited. MAKE TIME:Give yourself a day or two to really get stuck in, otherwise you won’t break the back of it and you won’t start seeing the benefits. Take time off or use a weekend – it’s worth the investment. SHARE: If you can lure your partner in, it will really help, especially when you’re flagging and need to cleanse the freezer! Gentle encouragement is necessary because you have to be mentally and
a year’s time! I’ve taken a Montessori approach getting accessible drawers for my daughter’s toys and she herself has embraced it, as 2-yearolds have high sensitivity for order. It has transformed our downstairs. Having kids is another reason for regular refreshes as they grow and change.
Decluttering
THE ‘MAGICAL ART OF TIDYING’ RECOGNISES IT NEEDS BOTH HEART AND MIND TO CREATE A SPACE YOU LOVE
What about digital clutter?
Kondo doesn’t really mention digital clutter. And yet for most of us this is an exponentially growing area of stuff. Once I was into the process I felt I was cheating if I ignored these Gigabytes. Marie does say it’s best to save physical photos till last as they are the most sentimental. I spent hours tackling my bursting digital photo files, reducing their volume from 100GB to 5GB, investing in a cloud-based digital photo frame so that they are actually seen, and moving all my other files to the cloud. It has been enlightening. And now I can access all my files and photos from any device.
Our expert emotionally ready to embark on this journey. With both of you on board, it’s also easier to maintain. We now say things like, ‘what’s the best home for the thermometer?’ MAINTAIN: I asked Marie about how to maintain this long term. She said she spends very little time tidying on a daily basis but twice a year she makes sure she removes anything that doesn’t spark joy. For those of us who aren’t professional tidiers, I think that means at least a seasonal refresh here in the UK!
MAYA GUDKA IS A LEADERSHIP & STRATEGY PROGRAMME DIRECTOR AT LONDON BUSINESS SCHOOL (LBS), AN EXECUTIVE COACH AND HAPPINESS CLUB FOUNDER. SHE WRITES ABOUT HER EXPERIENCES FOR LBS’S BUSINESS STRATEGY REVIEW AND PSYCHOLOGIES MAGAZINE. FIND OUT MORE AT MAYAGUDKA. COM , ON LINKEDIN, AND @ MAYAGUDKA ON TWITTER.
SUMMER 2016 I ASIAN HOUSE & HOME
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