It's Book Club Monday and I can't find my book. Just so we're clear: I cannot find The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. I'd like to blame it on me being knee deep in decluttering. That would make it funny, not funny with a side of pathetic. If this doesn't speak volumes about the sorry state of my house right now, I don't know what does. It's enough to make a girl throw in the towel and go back to bed.
Between my chronic Christmas overdoing, dashing off to Arizona for the week between Christmas and New Year's, packing up my girls for their second semester of college, and racing to a Utah wedding, things have spiraled from my typical brand of chaos to a complete and utter shambles. Tracy can attest; she's seen the video footage. She sent me a video of her own room thinking there was no way I could top her post Christmas carnage, and top it I did. You've always got a dysfunctional friend in me, Tray.
My new Brené Brown-inspired inner voice is reminding me that it's okay, I have other strengths. If only I could find them in this mess. I'm at that point I get to every time I try to conquer my clutter—the I'm incapable of order, shove everything in the closet or garage, shut the door and read a good book point—and I haven't even started. But then I read this snippet from Kondo when I was searching for quotes online, because, again, I can't find my book:
Many people carry this type of negative self-image for years, but it is swept away the instant they experience their own perfectly clean space. This drastic change in self-perception, the belief that you can do anything if you set your mind to it, transforms behavior and lifestyles. This is precisely why my students never experience rebound. Once you have experienced the powerful impact of a perfectly ordered space, you, too, will never return to clutter.
That's a bold statement, Marie. I'll admit it does inspire me to put your system to the test. This article by the editor of One Kings Lane is also inspiring me to give it a go. I especially love this result she's noticed after one month in:
All sorts of decisions are falling into place. This might be the best payoff of all: Once you’ve looked at hundreds of things and asked yourself if they give you joy, decision-making gets a lot easier: which book to read, which projects to pursue, what to make for dinner, whether to say yes or no to the many optional obligations that come our way.
For a girl who's decided she's really bad at making decisions, this could indeed be life-changing. Time to pour myself a tall glass of Coke Zero, pull myself together, and get to work.
How about you? Any progress? Hopefully, you can at least find your book.