I would love to tell you that the reason I haven’t posted recently is that I have been diligently KMing for the last month, have finished, and have lots of news to share with you. Unfortunately, that is not the case.  I was so ready to get back into it and get it all done before the school year ended but we had an unexpected house repair that needed to get done, so that took up a fair amount of time.  I also started a part-time job online, and I have discovered that I embraced my retirement so whole-heartedly, that getting back into a work routine of any kind is not as easy as I thought it would be.  So there’s that. And there’s also this – I share my home with my husband and you can’t KonMari other people’s stuff. So while there are spaces I really, really, really want to work on, I can’t because they are filled with items that he needs to address.  And he will – eventually.

There is some good news – I haven’t rebounded.  My dresser drawers are still as tidy as the day I learned how to fold the KonMari way, as are the kitchen cabinets and my desk. I’ve stayed on top of the paper clutter and we got all of my daughter’s tubs put away so that we can actually see the floor of her room.  So it’s not all bleak…it’s just that what lies ahead are the hard categories – sentimental items and photos.  Keep in mind, we held on to 400+ T-shirts for sentimental reasons…

So, how do you get back on track if you’ve fallen off the KonMari wagon? (Pardon the mixed metaphor…)  Here are my suggestions:

• Revisit the Book – I don’t think it’s necessary to reread the entire thing, but skim through it, or just go over the Table of Contents even, to help remind you of things you might have forgotten
• Have a Plan  – I’ve got the hard stuff ahead of me, so I know that I am going to have to schedule time and create space in order to be productive.  Make yourself a check-list, put tasks on a calendar, hang a “do not disturb sign” on your door – use whatever strategy you know works best when you have a big job ahead of you. Make a plan, set a deadline, and get busy.
• Remember Why You Started This – What inspired you to KonMari your home in the first place?  The vision you have for your space – did you draw a picture or write a description of what that was?  If so, find it and hang it someplace prominent – the fridge, a bathroom mirror, above the coffee pot – wherever it will be a constant reminder of what you are striving for.  Sometimes all it takes to get going again is to remind yourself why you wanted it.

And here’s something else that might help. If you’ve got seven days to devote to a refresh or you haven’t started and want to dip your toes in the KonMari way, check out the 7-Day Kon-Mari Organizing Challenge.  I think it probably moves too quickly for a beginner, but I do think that it’s a good start and, it might actually be beneficial for those who’ve completed the process, but are feeling like clutter is creeping back in.

I promise it won’t be another month before you hear from me again, but I will tell you this – pictures are next for me and I’ve got 60 photo albums…