Tag: organizing

The Art of Folding

I can’t talk about clothing and not address the KonMari folding method.  It is unlike anything you’ve probably ever seen, yet it makes perfect sense (for most items, anyway…) Kondo says, “The key is to store things standing up rather than laid flat”.  If you are like most people, you are thinking, “Um…what???”  But I promise you, it is the best decision you will make.  Your clothes fit better in the drawers and you can get more in them – which is one of the reasons I no longer need to store seasonal clothing elsewhere.  You can actually see all of your items at one time – no more digging to the bottom of the drawer to pull out that one shirt while you mess up all the rest.  And your clothes won’t wrinkle as badly because they are not stacked on top of each other.  Think of your drawers being file cabinets and your clothes as files – you’ll get the idea.  Here are some of my drawers:

As you can see, folding and stacking make a huge difference!  Both my socks and tank tops were able to be condensed down to one drawer each.  But the best part, for me, is that I can see everything at one time.  Now all of my drawers look like this – underwear, t-shirts, athletic wear, bathing suits.

So excited was I by this that I dragged my friends into my room and started opening drawers to show them!  I even gave them a folding lesson.  I’m not sure they shared my enthusiasm, but that’s okay because I found some folks who do.  I was having a hard time visualizing how to actually make the folds, so I Googled it.  During my search for how to fold KonMari style, I found something else – a Facebook group full of other like-minded folks.  I joined immediately and found myself among other women looking to simplify and declutter and keep the joy in their lives.  I posted my drawer photos and got immediate feedback and encouragement.  There are times when this feels like an impossible task, trying to discard and sort an entire house.  But it helps to be able to turn to the group to ask for ideas or support and to give that in return as well.

If you’re more of a visual learner, you might want Kondo’s second book, Spark Joy, also. There are illustrations on how to fold – I sure could have used that the first time around! And I will admit – I don’t fold everything this way.  My jeans hang in the closet, many sweaters have proven too bulky, and my scarves actually fit better rolled (my Navy dad would be proud). But the end result is the same; the clothes are stored in the best way for them and me.  It makes me feel good just to open a drawer and see them all lined up nice and neat.

 

The Book

978-1-60774-730-7The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. As soon as I got home I began reading.   Now, organizing is pretty much second nature for me, so I’ve never spent a lot of time learning how to do it. Sure, I’ve read magazine articles and watched morning and talk television, but there really hadn’t been anything new there.   Sort your items – keep, sell, toss/donate.  Get rid of clothing you haven’t worn in a year.  Turn your hangers a different direction to show what’s been worn.  Go room by room.  Buy cute bins, baskets, and tubs to neatly store all your clutter.  Pretty standard fare.  But what I discovered in Kondo’s book was completely different from anything I had ever read before.  For Kondo, it’s not just about organizing your items, but about decluttering and tidying every physical aspect of your home and work space so that it never has to be done again.  In so doing, you may notice transformations in the rest of your life as well.

I finished the book the next day.  I’m a fast reader anyway, but I was anxious to get started. I was energized and excited because Kondo’s method, the KonMari Method, was going to be exactly what I needed to tackle this whole house decluttering project – and make it stick.  There are some key differences between KonMari and traditional methods of decluttering and organizing.  First, she does not advocate going room-by-room; rather, you work by category (clothing, books, papers, etc.), and only one category at a time.  Next you discard.  Finally, you store things in their proper place.  Obviously I am simplifying here because if you are really interested in the how-to of this, you need to read the book. But I do believe that her approach is probably the best way to declutter, organize, and take control of your home and your life.

So excited was I by the changes and progress I was making, that I was dragging my friends into my bedroom to show them my dresser drawers!  They smiled and nodded as I showed them the proper way to fold (also covered in the book).  But they really don’t share my level of enthusiasm.  Fortunately, there are other folks out there like me, and I found a great group on Facebook to join.  It’s a place to ask questions, find encouragement, and share successes.  Kondo recently published a companion book, Spark Joy, an illustrated guide book, with more detail and answers to questions that arose from the first book.  I own it as well.  So just know that if you start this journey, you will have no shortage of support.

I hope you’ll join me as I recount for you my KonMari journey.  There is a line in The Life-Changing Magic…”The moment you start you reset your life”.  She is absolutely right.