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You are here: Home / Fundamentals / Lessons Learned from Decluttering (KonMari)

by Stacy  6 Comments

Lessons Learned from Decluttering (KonMari)

what we learned from konmari

If you are a new follower of the blog, you might be wondering…what is KonMari? KonMari is another name for decluttering and it is actually not really a new thing. It originally became a trend when Marie Kondo published her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up in 2014. The idea of the KonMari style of decluttering has just resurfaced lately thanks mostly to the TV show on Netflix. But Barry and I started our journey with KonMari over 4 years ago and we owe a lot of thanks to Marie Kondo and her book. We really did experience some great lessons learned from decluttering.

When I first read this book, it struck a chord with me – instantly! So I made Barry read it. And I kept the book so I could re-read it. I am not a book collector, so whenever I keep a book and share it with Barry, it means I found it life-changing. Truly.

It Gave Me Permission…

One of the biggest lessons learned from decluttering is that I felt like I finally had permission to let things go. Especially silly things that I always felt like I could never part with for weird sentimental or nonsensical reasons! From clothes and books, to kid’s crafts and old birthday cards.

Let’s do a quick quiz! Do you know what the purpose of a birthday card is? The purpose of a birthday card is to wish you Happy Birthday! Once you’ve read a card, you’ve gained all the wonderful sentiment that the sender of the card intended. Y’all, that card has served its purpose! You can let it go.

I always felt like I had to keep all the things. For all the time. But like I said, this book officially gave Barry and me both permission to let things go. I held on to stuff for way too long because I had a sort of scarcity mindset. Almost like I was afraid that if I got rid of something, it wouldn’t be provided again. I lived in fear of what would happen if I got rid of something that I ended up needing. I don’t know why I worried God wouldn’t provide me what I needed when He provided it the first time.

But I believe that God loves me and will provide for my needs.

Both Barry and I were raised with a mindset – you should save everything because you never know if someday you might need it! So we had collections of stuff we didn’t use or want, but thought we might someday need. And as I’m sure y’all can guess, that can very quickly get out of control.

Keep in mind there are a few things that you cannot replace. There are those sentimental items that have been passed down from a parent, grandparent, etc. that cannot be replaced. But it’s worth thinking about…is it the thing or the memory that you love? This has been a huge deciding factor for me. I’ve learned that a lot of what I value and cherish are the memories – the things themselves aren’t not important to me.

Does something bring you joy? Does it have necessity? If not – you don’t need to keep it!

It’s sort of the opposite of the whole mantra: If you love something, set it free. When it comes to KonMari, if you love something…keep it! And I also learned along the way that I mistakenly got rid of some of the things that brought me joy, because I thought I had too many or too much.

A perfect example of this is earrings.

I had so many earrings that I thought I needed to declutter them. I had an “excessive amount” so I thought I need to get them out of home which is why I hired

I had so many earrings that I thought I needed to declutter them. I had an “excessive amount” so I thought I need to get them out of home. I’m sad I got rid of so many, because the truth is – they ALL brought me joy! Same goes for tea towels. They bring me intense joy and even though I have more than I need, I don’t want to get rid of them!

. I’m sad I got rid of so many, because the truth is – they ALL brought me joy! Same goes for tea towels. They bring me intense joy and even though I have more than I need, I don’t want to get rid of them!

If there is something that you really aren’t sure about keeping or getting rid of, try seeing if someone else wants to buy it. It’s amazing how getting money for something can make it seem worth it to get rid of it. We sold a lot of things online. I mean A LOT. At one point we had $1,800 in an envelope from things we sold on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. And we even had someone ask if we were getting a divorce because it looked like we were selling everything we own. #notkidding #nowthatisfunny

And to be honest, I don’t think I miss any of those things we sold.

I should mention that I haven’t actually watched Marie Kondo’s show, but we would encourage anyone who is interested in the idea of decluttering and KonMari to read the books she wrote. Watching a show is easy, but you can easily get sucked in to a show and just watch passively and never actually apply the techniques. Don’t just get interested – learn, and then ACT. Also realize it isn’t necessarily a quick process. It took us about a year to work through our house!

What am I supposed to do with all of my kids’ cards and crafts?

I get asked this question a lot – but the amount of these that you get – sometimes daily – you simply cannot keep them all. You can take a picture of it, though! And all of us have a keeper box or a memory box in our closets. It’s basically a large shoebox. The kids can put anything they want inside their box.

KonMari doesn’t end after you declutter!

One of the most recent lessons learned from decluttering is that KonMari never really stops. It becomes ingrained in how you look at things and decide whether or not they have a place to live in your home or if they get to live somewhere else. It becomes a habit. You will find yourself in a constant state of evaluating. You will find yourself asking, “does this bring me joy?” I don’t see us ever deviating from the KonMari method.

Have you read Marie Kondo’s books or watched her show? Share below what impact KonMari has had on you and your home!

lessons learned from decluttering

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About Stacy

Stacy is a Homemaking and Business Mom Mentor, the author of two cookbooks, creator of multiple e-courses, seasoned life coach, and comedian extraordinaire. Her first priority is her husband and her children - family first. She presses on each day because her calling is to teach, train, and mentor other ladies to have their dreams. She believes if it’s not easy, you won’t do it – because she’s lived it. She’ll bring YOU the awesome so that you can get your home back into control and watch your business soar. For tips and easy strategies, you can follow her on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the content above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase an item, I may receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Comments

  1. Neisha says

    March 4, 2019 at 9:55 am

    I started watching Marie Kondos netflix programme in the New Year and as a self confessed hoarder i have decluttered so many drawers, cupboards, wardrobes and have now made a start on our loft !

    My family are amazed at the transformation in my attitude to de-clutter (it used to be the worse thing you could ask me to do;-0)

    I encourage everyone to watch it even those who think they are tidy !

    thanks for sharing your experience.

    Neisha

    Reply
    • Julie Chittock says

      March 13, 2019 at 7:31 am

      Thanks for sharing Neisha! I’m glad to hear that the show inspired you to declutter:)
      Julie, HH Team

      Reply
  2. Charline Darts says

    March 2, 2019 at 11:28 am

    Stacy: I read part of the book a few years ago and was also following you at the time you were going through this time of your life. A friend suggested the show and I watched a few episodes…it did spur me on to take care of a few items that I had let go. I am not a great housekeeper, do what is necessary but HOUSEKEEPING DOES NOT BRING ME JOY, lol. Regardless I completely cleaned out my linen closet and organized it…it now brings me joy when I open it and I discovered lots of pillowcases which seemed to be in short supply before I cleaned out that closet. Working on getting our drawers in order with the new folding method. I also organized my tea towel & dish cloth drawers, they are so much nicer now, lastly the Tupperware drawer, dh & I frequently take our lunches for work and now doing that is a breeze. We are now working on getting rid of “unneeded stuff” . We are older, no kids at home, and headed to retirement so this is an ideal time to think about all of this. Stacey, as always, I enjoy your blog so much and appreciate your perspective and humor.

    Reply
    • Julie Chittock says

      March 13, 2019 at 7:33 am

      “Housekeeping does not bring me joy” Hahahaha. Isn’t that the truth! I’m so glad to hear you were inspired to declutter and tidy your drawers. Opening an organized drawer DOES bring me joy:)
      Julie, HH Team

      Reply
  3. Laura says

    March 1, 2019 at 9:27 pm

    Hi Stacy, I’ve been reading your blog for ages but don’t know if I’ve ever actually commented. I wanted to affirm what you said about the show. I binge-watched it when I was sick on the couch, dozing off and on, so it was a particularly bad time to take action. But even after I had improved, I wasn’t motivated to do anything. But when I had read the book years ago, I took action right away. We’re all different so perhaps it won’t be that way for others. And the show brought it back to my mind. But the book is where it’s at for me! Happy KonMari-ing!

    Reply
    • Julie Chittock says

      March 13, 2019 at 7:35 am

      Thanks for the comment, Laura. It seems like the show has inspired some people (based on comments and feedback I’ve received) but I’m with you… the show just inspired me to go pick up the book again 🙂

      Julie, HH Team

      Reply


Hello! I’m Stacy!

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