Sparking Joy is not just a parameter to work with when deciding whether or not to get rid of an old pair of jeans or tennis sneakers. After reading her entire second book titled Spark Joy: An illustrated master class on the art of organizing and tidying up, I found myself asking myself before scheduling something, "Does this spark joy?" or before buying a new purse, "Will this spark joy, or am I just getting it because it's the first thing I found and I need something this size and color?" In actuality, sparking joy can be a question you ask yourself before any activity. You can ask yourself, "Does my job spark joy?" "Does how I eat spark joy and energize my life?", "Does my basement spark joy?" Because let's admit it, if we can be rigorous enough to make sure opening an undergarment drawer sparks joy we can look at how our next purchase will add value, spark joy, or elevate our wardrobe, disposition, life, etc...or if we will just likely declutter it in our next round!
In addition to asking myself frequently in many areas of life if something sparked joy, I found many invaluable tips, tricks and life hacks that were of the utmost importance in upgrading my home to its current state. (I have been reading and decluttering and organizing passionately for 4 years. I just started giving lessons 2018.) First of all, she mentioned two categories of items that I had previously ignored in my many decluttering passes. Under the bathroom category, she wrote about organizing cosmetics. I thought this was something that I had been less than sparkling about as all of my cosmetics had been organized, but in ziplock bags and mixed in a bin with hair stuff. It definitely didn't spark joy and in fact was so counterintuitive to use that I barely used it even for special events like weddings. So I purchased a makeup organizer on Amazon for around $35 and was thrilled when it arrived last night! I loved going through some (really) old makeup and throwing out old brushes that had seen better days at the turn of the millennium - gross right! - and putting my favorite eyeshadow palettes and blushes in a beautiful and clear plastic organizer. Scroll down for pictures! Another category of items which I had not given much thought to and had ignored previously from reading her book was the category of photographs under "Sentimental Items". My photograph situation was a nagging complaint in my mind as every time I saw that corner in my husband's closet I was hit with a wave of nausea-like numbness and grief over a situation that remained unresolved, undefined, and without any clear delineation for action or improvement. Now, I have to admit that I did a simplified version of what Marie Kondo recommends. For example, she recommends that you line every thing up in order on the floor in piles and rows and put them in corresponding albums in chronological order by event. While this is great advice and I would suggest it to anyone who really treasured their photographs, I didn't go this route myself. I believe that with decluttering and organization, you should maintain your own personal standards that are aligned with your values, goals, and vision for your home. For me, my old photos weren't that important to me. To be honest, I like the transition to digital photos and besides making the occasional scrapbook page, rarely print and organize new photos. I enjoy them digitally and let them rest in cyberspace. It makes me happy that I'm not creating more environment waste and I can enjoy them at any time! My method and goal was to get the photos decluttered and organized in less than 2 hours in one night. I didn't have that much so I could. Also, I'm on a shoestring budget so buying more photo albums was out of the "picture" for me (pun intended!) As far as discarding pictures, you may discard doubles or make piles to give to loved ones who may enjoy having a copy. I did this happily. There were two albums with pictures from a couple of nights out in my twenties with people I don't hang out with anymore, so I tossed the whole 2 albums! (I couldn't easily take the photos out of each slot in a timely fashion as they were very stuck in their plastic sleeve, so I couldn't save the albums for reuse.) This was so freeing as these memories didn't spark joy! This was one of the lightest, most freeing moments of the process and felt great. The remaining photos (mostly photos of my father's side of the family from my deceased grandfather) were carefully stored in the backs of remaining albums. However, to avoid confusion since they are not categorized necessarily by event or chronological order I labeled each album with its contents with a label-maker. This is one thing I try to instill an understanding of with my clients. It is not about being a neatnik with borderline OCD or have a minimalist home - it's about what you want for your home! So while I admire KonMari's methods, I had to forge my own path that night! I even photographed some great ones and shared with my family and friends on social media to breathe life into those precious treasure-troves of the moments of our lives! She also made some great suggestions under the "Kitchen" category. She suggested keeping the sponge, soap and related dishwashing items under the sink. So I am experimenting with this. I'm not sure if I will ultimately like it and my husband definitely has his doubts, but I definitely LOVE the way it looks! No water stains or dingy-looking sponges to clutter the space around the sink. In fact, I feel like it has definitely taken my kitchen to the next level. Also, KonMari recommends with high cabinets (such as under my sink) to use racks to make another shelf to maximize the storage space. I measured the space (be sure to measure first!) and ordered a great shelf from amazon and used it to store my dishwashing pods and sponges. Another advantage to decluttering? When decluttering and adding storage solutions to my cosmetics and cleaners I found 4 new mascaras (I thought I had one) and 3 dishwashing pod tubs (I thought I had one). This type of thing constantly amazes me. Sometimes these little corners can be like a tiny black hole, sucking up items and we keep buying out of habit, but what a waste! What a good reason to declutter - it saves money! So what were my take aways from Spark Joy by Marie Kondo? 1. Don't ignore any thing - photos, make-up, kitchen utensils, socks...it all must be tidied! 2. You can ask yourself, "Does this spark joy?" about anything! There is no limit! It is a maxim to live by! But as a yogini, I must caution you of sound advice from BKS Iyengar, "A pleasure seeker will eventually end up a pain finder." So exercise caution when using this inquiry. The occasional ice cream sundae and TV show might spark joy once a week or even once a month, but doing that every night would just lead to excess weight around your abdomen, lethargy, and low energy - and that DEFINITELY wouldn't spark joy! 3. Invest in storage solutions! It will maximize space and spark joy! I hope this helps aid you in your journey towards the home of your dreams! Make you have peace in letting go of what no longer serves you and energized by an expansive sense of hope. -Betty Lynn
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AuthorBetty Lynn is an writer, educator, artist, illustrator and yoga teacher living in the suburbs of New York City. Archives
October 2019
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