This afternoon, I was struggling to get out of bed after watching a series of youtube videos, netflix and reading. I know that it is time for decluttering but somehow I dread doing it.
Our house was built in 1971. Since then, it has accumulated a lot of stuff both from home and from our business. It is a struggle to sort the stuff that would still be useful and the things that should be given away because most are covered with dust. Some boxes were heavy to lift too. Some of which I don’t know if they would still be of use. And some items we discuss if my aunt will remember if we give them away.
I have been doing this for almost a year now. Every Sunday, I would ask our staff to help me clean, sort and pile stuff. Some days the progress is quick and plenty but some days, we would only be able to cover few things.
Today it is the latter one. But still, I wanted to do something. I wanted to have some kind of progress.
Ever since I took hold of Marie Condo’s book, I always have this idea of fixing stuff. In some ways, decluttering, despite being so sweaty and prone to catching dust, makes me happy. At the end of the day, my vision is to have a clean and organized space.
Decluttering also enables me to be mentally preoccupied and be present in the moment.
I cannot wait to see everything sorted out to their proper places! But I know that despite all our decluttering efforts, it must be done on a periodic basis because if not, everything will pile up again.
Also, there must be a conscious effort to lessen the things that we own.
I hope we will be able to sort things out before the year ends!
Notepads sold in one of the quaint stores near a shrine in Japan
I am a huge collector of pens and other stationery items! This is my soft spot. I am drawn to collect things that are nice and kawaii. My sisters would often remind me that I still have a pile of unused notebooks and I have a bunch of colored pens when we see items that are sold in stalls. They would often accompany me while shopping so that I will not get side tracked.
I tried to find the cheapest but still easy-to-use pen so I bought black pens from different brands.
Confession No. 2—I am having a hard time getting rid of cute pens that were already used up. As I go through the discarding process, I realized that no matter how small they are, they add to the clutter. Marie Kondo’s book helped me see used items in a different light. She reminded me that once the item is already used up, it already served its purpose. I also realized that I am so attached to things like these but whether I keep them or not, it wouldn’t matter several years from now, more so in eternity.
isn’t this cute?
I started my decluttering process by grouping the things that have the same function as the book suggested. Through this exercise, I realized that I was not able to designate a storage space for most of the items I purchased. Also, because they were located in multiple locations, I wasn’t able to track how much of the like items are still in store. The decluttering process is the same as that with clothing. Discard on the basis of what sparks joy. In this case, I took into consideration my style and preferences.
crazy scene!
While I already discarded most of the unwanted stuff, I still struggle to let go of craft materials that are lovely. I once bought this rope in divisoria while tasked to buy craft materials for Christmas. It looks so good. I tried doing these pom poms out of it but it wouldn’t work. Anyone who knows how to make it useful?
the ropes, corks, & burlap among others
For the storing part, I used clean shoe boxes to temporarily store the stationery items that I have. One box each for washi tapes, letter pads, label supplies, pens and cases, and stickers. I still have to buy storage containers for my unused notebooks, note pads and sticky notes. I’m thinking of purchasing the carton boxes from National Bookstore to match with the box that my aunt gave me several years ago. In lieu of the box, I rearranged the things contained in a part of the cabinet to store these as well as other toys like lego pieces. I also tried to apply what Marie Kondo taught in the book regarding the way we should keep our items. She said that we should store anything vertically. Through this method, we will be able to easily see the stuff that we own. We will also have an easier access since we don’t need to take out the things on top. It totally made sense to me. I wasn’t able to realize this before reading the book.
Vertically arranged letter pads. Now I can easily scan which ones to use
I also compiled some interesting ideas from Pinterest as crafts room inspiration (Please check my board here). I’m moving back to my parents’ house in a few months so I’ll see from there. For the mean time, I am happy that I can already remember where I store the items that I need and that I am already able to use the things that I bought for my journal and other projects.
several unused notebooks and note pads are temporarily stored here.
In progress crafts & books organization
This is where the miscellaneous items are stored before. I became more intentional in using this space after reading the book.
This is where pending items go. I grabbed my parents’ identification pictures because they are so cute!
I realized that just by tweaking how we organize, we will be able to make use of the stuff that we have more efficiently. I also realized that these stationery products must serve a higher purpose other than displaying their beauty in a box. They ought to be used or given away! They have to serve a purpose like making others happy by sending them greeting cards.
I only used one because they are so cute! I bought this strip from Yurindo in Tokyo
I learned that I need a conscious effort to tidy up my space. The things that I use will not return to its proper place. I also learned that our things should have a designated area. It reminds me of the time when I visited Japan. All cars should have parking spaces so that there won’t be street clutter.
Lastly, this process taught me that buying excessive stationery products cannot satisfy me. Although they give me pleasure, it won’t last. Only Jesus can satisfy the longing of my soul.
How do you store your stuff? How do you make sure that you utilize them wisely?
As a kid, I would often ask my sisters to pose for me. I would pretend as the photographer and let them act as my models. Before the “shoot”, we used to conceptualize the outfits by taking out some of my parents’ clothes as well as my aunt’s clothes (she lives with us). We would also borrow my aunt’s shoes and accessories. I would often get upset because after the shoot, I would return the pieces one by one despite asking for help.
Ironically, I was the one posing here because they might get angry if I post their photos
My aunt has the most stuff among us all. Some of her clothes were stored in our closets. At one point in time, I was into cleaning and organizing the house. I transferred her stuff to her room and stacked her clothes inside her closet. I got scolded afterwards but because of this I felt good that my sisters and I can have a space that can be called as our own.
Sneak peak of my closet. Confession- I wasn’t able to take a before photo.
I agree to Marie Kondo’s point in the book that the way we were traditionally taught how to organize would never really give us a decluttered space. Through the years, I would often sort my clothes when I feel like they were totally disorganized. While sorting, I would often hesitate to give away some stuff that really looks good but won’t fit me anymore. Sometimes, I would hesitate because my aunt will get angry at us for not appreciating the clothes she bought for us. I would also sort the accessories me and my sisters shared. There was one three layered and one five layered plastic drawers on both ends of our vanity table where these were stored. I wrote labels for clips, hair ties, combs, lip glosses, hair nets etc. Because the drawers were big and the space was communal (our helpers also access this when they help us do our hair), it was always messy. Organizing was never ending! My clothes, shoes, accessories were never really fully organized!
I applied Marie Kondo’s advice that we start tidying by discarding. She also suggested that we discard the clothes, shoes, and accessories first among other things because it is the easiest and most visual. She said we should discard stuff that do not spark joy one by one by touching it. For me it means discarding the things that were left unused for several months, clothes/shoes/accessories that made me feel less confident and won’t make me look good. After learning my body shape, colors that complement and style, I was easily guided in this process. I would say that the hardest part would be letting go of clothes that are already worn out and yet are memorable. My closet was never been this spacious! Although that is the case, I still have to sort my stuff in our “ancestral” house.
Closet in progress. Believe me I already took out a lot! Before, you cannot see the margins.
While reading the book and decluttering at the same time, I also realized that we are so bombarded by media! A lot of advertisements lure us to buy more stuff. It is also a common notion that to have more things equate to a good and successful life. Growing up, we would often go to out of town trips just to shop usually for clothes. It was my mind set that is flawed. Although I knew that I already have enough clothes, I want to have more. I thank my aunt for showing us her love by giving these things but it also led me into a series of “shopping failures” and wasted money. I realized that I was shopping for items that were beautiful but won’t perfectly fit me. I also realized that I was not spending my time wisely when I stroll in the malls aimlessly. My wants are limitless and buying more things wouldn’t make the list shorter. It won’t also make me happier.
During this process, I was drawn to more neutral colored clothes like black and white. We weren’t allowed to wear these colors because of chinese beliefs that wearing these would bring or signify death and bad luck. My aunts prefer bright colored clothes as well as printed clothes. I realized that although I keep some of these type of clothing, I prefer solid and neutral colored clothes. Here is a very helpful guide I found on pinterest in building a capsule wardrobe from Flip & Style:
Lastly, as a follower of Christ, I am accountable on the resources that he has given me. I want to be a good steward. This means I ought to give more rather than receive. I also need to have a simple lifestyle although that does not mean deprivation of the good things that God has given. He also wants us to enjoy these little pleasures but we need to be on guard.
We need to be aware on what we purchase, consume, and read. The social media, television and magazines always entice us to look like the fashion bloggers, artists and other influential people. We might also feel pressured because our friends are wearing trendy clothes. May this passage remind us of what we should focus on.
Colossians 3:1-3
1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
In the succeeding posts, I will be sharing my journey in tidying up as well as my reflections.
One Sunday afternoon I was lying on my parent’s bed/guest room bed/yellow room bed (because they aren’t usually around). I was staring at the wall in front of me. It was completely different from the wall it used to be. It was messy and lots of random stuff were placed without order. I was contemplating on the sermon I heard that morning but I just could not think properly because the view is obstructive.
This view prompted me to check out Marie Kondo’s The life-changing magic of tidying up book. I heard it from my aunt and saw her place completely different from before. It was spacious and clean and so calming.
Before
After
Seven years ago it was just a wall. Occasionally we put something on top of it when my relatives are around but it was usually bare. I’d like to sit on top of it or stretch or take photos or study. I would then imagine that I’m sitting beside the window while reading a book on a rainy day. Just writing this post make me reminisce those care free days.
Photo taken from the web
You may ask, why did we end up having these dividers? My mom was worried that we’d lack storage space because my sister was moving in the condo. We will be three by then and she might not have enough space to keep her stuff (Having enough ‘space’ is always a condo problem). But we ended up splitting the storage space because she doesn’t have much stuff to store. Or maybe I suggested we divide it to accommodate our stuff. Okay honestly I forgot what really happened.
I got the top most shelf by default because of our height order. Even then it is still a struggle to completely keep everything within reach. I would usually place random stuff on top of the other. After several months of doing this (or even years), I could not bear to look at the shelf. It was a disaster.
I asked myself, what happened to the space that I enjoyed before? How did I accumulate all this stuff? How can I declutter?
These questions led me to Marie Kondo’s book and a series of decluttering not just in this space but to the rest of my stuff and the common stuff in the unit.
I will be sharing my decluttering journey as well as reflections while reading the book in my succeeding posts.
Nature & Reflections 