Why the KonMari Method Really Is Life-Changing

Two weeks ago I talked about this book, "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" by Marie Kondo. Last week I finished the book and began my own "tidying festival", or as I like to call it, "sparking joy." Kondo claims in her book that people who use her method never go back to living a cluttered lifestyle, and after trying it out for a week, I can totally understand why.

 My joyful dresser. I could not even see the top of it when I started this process.

First, you only keep those items that spark joy. This is what makes this process so much fun. Rather than trying to figure out what you need to get rid of, you're focusing on what makes you happy (either because you love it or it serves a necessary purpose in your life) and what you are choosing to keep. This means that decluttering feels a lot like a treasure hunt, and it makes it very easy to toss a LOT of things, because once you start focusing on that feeling of joy, it is obvious what doesn't bring that feeling, and you immediately lose any sense of attachment to those joy-less items. If it's not bringing you joy, it's not fulfilling its purpose in your life and you are doing it (and yourself) a favor by letting it move on.

You are in a relationship with everything you own, and like any relationship, if that relationship isn't fulfilling you and making you happy, you need to let it go.

A relationship, you say? Yes. Which brings me to my next point.

You begin to see your possessions as sentient beings. Okay, this one sounds weird. I get that you think I'm strolling into the land of crazy here, but bear with me. Kondo encourages you to talk to your items and consider their feelings (I KNOW just bear with me!) and it's amazing how much that changes how you treat them, and how easy it is to discard those items that don't bring you joy.

I was helping my son spark some joy in his room and he has a huge collection of stuffed animals. We decided to go through those first, and when I told him we were going to, he started to panic. "But I love ALL of them!" I wasn't sure how far we would get. But as he took each one and held it in his hands, I could clearly see on his face which really sparked joy and which didn't, and he could tell too. Once he picked one up and said, "Well...I kind of like this one. And I paid a dollar for it. I don't want my dollar to be wasted." I said, "Did it make you happy to buy it and bring it home?" He said, "Yes." I said, "Then it wasn't a wasted dollar at all. That dollar brought you several moments of happiness. Now this toy doesn't bring you happiness anymore, so it's time to let it go." He hugged and kissed each one and told it he hoped it would find someone else who would love it more than he did.

There were other times when he was on the fence and I reminded him that it's not fair for a stuffed animal to be in a home where it's not played with and not loved. That realization made it easier for him to let those toys go.

By the time we were done, we had filled an entire garbage bag with stuffed animals that were ready for new homes.

For another example, this week I went grocery shopping. Usually when I shop, I bring the groceries inside and I put the bags down and I'll put away the frozen and refrigerated stuff and then take a break. By the end of the day everything is usually put away. I'll stuff my reusable shopping bags into one bag and go toss it in my coat closet in the foyer. This week, however, I brought the groceries in and as I emptied bags, I thanked them for helping me carry everything. I couldn't very well stuff them into a bag after expressing such gratitude to them, could I? I found myself carefully folding them and placing them into one bag in an organized fashion.

Then I saw all the food I had unloaded. I welcomed it into my home, and you know, when you have guests (even if it is a can of peaches) it's not very polite to just make them sit around until you get around to showing them where they'll be staying, right? It seemed wrong to just have stuff sitting in limbo on my kitchen table, so I immediately put the groceries onto the shelves where they would be until I used them. If the shelves were crowded, rather than just stuff things in, I cleared things out and made some room. Who wants to be shoved in a tight, cramped space?

One more example: I was doing the laundry the other day and pouring the laundry detergent into the machine. As I did, I noticed an empty bottle of detergent sitting out that I'd never thrown away. I glanced down at the mostly full bottle I was using and I felt a pang of guilt about that empty bottle. I mean, he's just sitting there, completely useless, while this other bottle is happily being used right in front of him. That's almost cruel! I knew I had to throw him away, so I went to put him in the trash can- but that was stuffed full. Well, that can't be comfortable for that trash can, I thought. So I quickly emptied it, putting the empty detergent bottle in as well (I could feel his relief at being put out of his misery) and took it out to the curb.

So you can see, I'm not thinking of cleaning up as a chore anymore- it's just happening naturally (okay, it's a little unnatural, I know) with this mindset. When you give human feelings to objects you start to want to give them the space and respect that comes with being organized and tidy.

Happy drawers!

I discarded 4 full kitchen-sized garbage bags full of my clothes last week, and my other clothes are happily residing in my drawers and closet, very neatly folded and organized. I know that the clothes in there are the ones I chose, and they are important to me, so I'm going to treat them that way. I'm thinking of my stuff differently, which brings me to my next point:

Expressing gratitude makes you a happier person. This is just a proven fact. Grateful people are happier people. When you spend all day thanking everything around you for the job it does in your life, you just get happier, and you feel lighter (not to mention the fact that now you have way less stuff and that feels awesome too). You can walk around your home and see nothing but things that make you happy, and you fully appreciate those things for their roles in your everyday life. When you come home you say, "Hello, house! I'm home!" Then you hang up your jacket and thank it for keeping you warm and dry. You put your purse away and thank it for helping you carry your stuff around all day. You empty your dishwasher and thank it for doing its job for you, washing all those dishes. Yes, it sounds a little crazy. But doesn't it also sound just so happy?

Well, that's how this book is changing my life. If you see me talking to my purse, now you'll know why.

P.S. Thank you, computer, for helping me to write and publish this post! You're awesome! xoxo

Fever Pitch

By Lacey Gunter

I have been on vacation for the past seven days and it has been lovely. I  have been doing tons of reading, a fair amount of relaxation and bucket loads of family bonding. But, sadly, it all ends today and I have to step back into the reality of everyday life. 

As I think about the week ahead of me, my stomach does a 360 flip. In one week from today I will be doing my very first live pitch with an editor. I only found out about the opportunity the day before I left on my vacation and I am totally not prepared. I have no idea which book to pitch or how exactly to do it. A few days after that I will be participating in my first twitter pitch session. Ahhh, I need help! I need inspiration!

I have done a little bit of reading up on how best to do both, but I am feeling completely overwhelmed.  I know I need to dig up everything I can about the editor's likes and dislikes, but I haven't been able to find much concrete information on her in my genre so far.

Once I finally decide on the best manuscript, I need to come up with a great pitch and learn it well enough to be able to discuss it with ease, which should involve a fair amount of practice on other people.

So, assuming I am able to pull that all off in one week, what else do you all recommend?  I know some of you have done this before, so what is your best piece of advice? What do you wish you had known or prepared for beforehand?  What do you wish you hadn't done? Any and all feedback will be much appreciated. I promise to add my two cents to the discussion afterward for anyone else who is trying to prepare.


So please, HELP ME!

What If...

By Nikki Wilson

What if...I believed in myself a little more?
What if...I believed in rejection a little less?
What if...I didn't let excuses get in my way?
What if...I went after my dreams with all my might?

Do you ever let yourself wallow in "what if's"? I turned 40 this year. I remember when that number seemed so far away and I remember how I imagined my life would be at that age. I would be a perfect wife and mother, with perfect children, and I would be a successful writer. Well I got it part right, I'm a wife and a mother with children and I am a writer. Isn't that good enough? I've been telling myself it's good enough for several years now. But...

What if...I didn't settle for good enough?
What if...I pushed myself past my comfort zones?
What if...I tried a little harder to be a little bit better?
What if...I invested more time into my dreams?

I'm not saying I'm not happy with my life right now. Because I am very happy with my family and with my pursuit of my dreams. But maybe that is the problem. Maybe I'm afraid that if I actually ever achieve my dreams my life will change.

What if...I wasn't afraid of change?
What if...I didn't let fear control me?
What if...I did achieve my dreams?
What if...achieving my dreams isn't as wonderful as dreaming about them?

Does anyone else feel this way? By finally writing these thoughts out I feel like I am right on the cusp of something. Like my mind is trying to prepare me for something. Like I might be ready to actually overcome my fears and really try to achieve my dreams. Up until now I feel like I've been going through the motions of someone reaching for a dream without actually putting all my effort into it. But what if I did?

What if...I fail?

I feel like I've been living my life by that what if. Afraid of failure. But I'm sick of being afraid. I want to find out what I'm actually capable of. I want to finally see what I can do with the talents God has given me. I want to be the person He sees. I want to be who He wants me to be. The person I know I can be.

What if...I succeed?

Another Writer to Join MMW

 

Please welcome our newest blogger Patricia Cates

--Nikki

 

Thank you for the introduction Nikki. I am very excited to become a part of this wonderful community of writers and friends.

Where are you from?
I am a native Californian from the Central Coast, and moved to Idaho in 2005. I have three cats, two dogs and five goldfish, all rescues. (The goldfish were feeder fish so they actually count.) I originally came to Idaho with my husband and three daughters. I say originally because my only sister died in 2005. I was fortunate enough to be able to adopt two of her three children. (More on that later.) I went through an absolutely devastating divorce in 2009, which left me the single mom of five kids. Lucky for me I met a terrific guy with four kids of his own, and now we are just a bunch of crazies trying to make it through this life together. My 83 year old mother, who is also my only living relative, now lives here as well. It was very tough for her to leave the temperate coastal weather but, "The people out here sure are friendly!" We also have four seasons which none of us ever dreamed we would experience. Right now it is mid-June and the verdant hills look like a postcard. We have been blessed with a tremendous amount of spring rainfall. We are even more thankful for a low water bill this month!



Zoe loves when we read on the grass!



What is you favorite genre?
An obvious quality I am sure I share with you is my love for all literature. I cannot pick a specific genre that is my favorite. Recently I find YA is capturing my attention more and more, as I like to preview books before my girls read them. I read The Uglies series and think Scott Westerfeld is genius and ahead of his time. Additionally, I enjoyed the book Pivot Point by Kasie West, and found its premise to be thought provoking. I recommend them for a quick summer read for teens and adults alike. I hope that you will indulge me by making recommendations as well.
 

Describe your personality?
You should probably be warned that I am a bit of a nut. So if there are any readers or writers out there with a silly sense of humor we will get along just fine. Now I'm not saying I'm actually funny. I just enjoy saying odd things. This often causes people to wonder about me having my mental faculties about me, but I can assure you it is all in jest. I simply use humor to counterbalance the utter seriousness of life.

What made you want to get involved with MMW?
Like many of you on here I am also a deeply spiritual person. My faith and my family come first and foremost. That being said...as a writer I've been looking for an online community to become involved with and share my writing talents, and this seemed like a good fit. Our trials and challenges are unique, and I hope that through this blog I can help anyone along who is having difficulties with their writing, or just plain struggling! I know I am always looking for inspiration, and maybe even a little commiseration. I feel we are all kindred spirits gathered here on MMW. I am looking forward to connecting with and getting to know all of you.


"Humour is also a way of saying something serious."
--T.S. Eliot
 

 

Go Away, Fear.

By Kathy Lipscomb—a new blogger. J

                       

I let my own thoughts get to me way too often. I’ll be at the computer, writing or about to submit my next chapter to my critique group, and the negativity comes at me like a fog. I suck. Why would anyone like this? It has horrible sentence structure, the description is unclear or not even there, and the characters are all flat. I can’t even think of a better simile than a FOG. I suck at writing. I suck at life. I suuuuuuck…

            And the spiral downward continues.

            The fear I feel when someone, anyone, is about to read something that I’ve written…oh the fear. It makes me sick. Not just in my mind, but my palms get sweaty, I start shaking, and I want to make a beeline for the bathroom because lunch is about to come out.

            I’m sure many of you know the exact fear I’m talking about.

            When this happens, I have to ask myself an important question (sometimes repeatedly just to be sure, heh heh). Let’s say I really do suck, that I’m the worst author in the whole entire world and existence. If that’s all true…would I stop writing?

            No.

Because I don’t write to be famous or popular. I don’t write to be loved.

            I write because I love it.

            And what happens if I don’t put my writing out there? I’ll never get any better. How can I improve my writing skills if I don’t let other experienced writers critique it? How would I be able to improve and grow? I couldn’t. Not on my own.

            So I push the send button, or I open my mouth to read it out loud. Do I want to suck? No. So I’ll face the fear and get better.

            Two years ago, I did the whole Boot Camp at LDStorymakers conference. There were five of us sitting at a table with a published author, and we had ten pages of our own story to read out loud to be critiqued. I almost threw up when it wasn’t even my turn. When it became my turn, I opened my mouth to start reading, but nothing came out for a good solid ten seconds. During those seconds, I seriously calculated how fast I could grab my bag and run far, far away. It wouldn’t take long. No one would stop me.

            Only that realization allowed me to stay in my seat and start to read—no one would stop me.

I needed to stop myself, take a breath, and learn what I could to be better.

They all said they loved it and wanted to read more. Were there things to fix? Yes. Was it the end of the world? No.

I learned a lot and used what I learned to make it even better.

I’m still terrified of sending my work to someone. What we do makes us vulnerable. We talk about how it’s like sharing a piece of our souls, our manuscripts are our babies, and all those other clichés.

But it’s important to not let fear keep us from reaching our potential.

So, if you were the worst writer in the whole world (which you aren’t because that’s my spot), would it make you stop writing?

I hope not.

  

Introducing our newest writer Tiffany Williams- Nikki

My Muse Murdered Me

As the newest writer, I’m torn on what to write to make a good impression? I could take the, “My first talk in the new ward” approach, and use half my time to introduce myself. However, there is a bio page so I feel inclined to dive right in.

So here it goes, my writing, wait, what—I write? I used to write. Moving to Texas and leaving my awesome writing group behind has massacred my muse and not much writing is going on. She came back to me after I returned to AZ for ANWA’s annual conference, but alas, she was a zombie and once I opened the door for her, she consumed me, sucked me dry and left. Now, three months later, I have no brain and no new words on a page.

   

So how do I get myself to sit down and edit my awesome story so my beta reader can finish it and I can send it to the publisher who wants to see it? Yes, you read that last sentence correct. I have a beta reader, I have a publisher who wants to see the entire script and I have no brain. Do you have an extra brain? Or a muse for that matter?

Writing on your own is not easy and secretly I’m hoping, me being forced—I use this word lightly, MMW will not shoot me if I don’t—post every other Tuesday will be my shock therapy and get all the juices flowing. If that doesn’t work I will have to fall back on goals a pray for quiet time. Being a mom of three and babysitting three extra kids during the summer will not affect my goals, right?  

This is how I’m going to make time for my WIP. Round Robins with the kids. Four activities, 30 min. each. A timer goes off when it is time to rotate. As long as I get the twins (2 of the 3 I babysit, and only 3 months old) to take their nap at 1, I will have 2 hours of editing. Should we take a vote on who thinks this will work for me? I don’t want to see a show of hands.

Maybe it will help you, maybe you have no kids so it doesn’t apply to you—if you have no kids, my advice is: sit your butt down in your empty house, turn off the TV, silence your phone, disconnect your internet and go at it. You have no excuse. Then again, I know nothing about writing without children asking for snacks or tattling so you probably want to take advice from someone else.

The next thing that motivates me is having someone to report to. You will probably see me use you as my motivation. As I am about to right now. My goal is to edit 40 pages between this post and my next post (2 weeks). What is your goal? Hit me with it. We can help motivate each other, because it is hard to be on your own away from everyone who pats you on the back, bounce ideas around, and butchers your WIP so you can make it awesome. I have not given up on finding a new writers group, and nor should you.

I will leave you with my goal and your challenge. Have a great two weeks, good luck.

Changling

By Beckie Carlson

As women, we have grown up hearing about 'the change'. It is something ominous, far ahead in the future,that calls our name. Our grandmothers and even mothers have 'gone through the change' and have war stories to share about their experience. Ask any woman over 40 about the change and she will tell you how it is either upon her or lurking closely in the shadows. Except for me.
I refuse to go through the change .I don't believe it is necessary and I'll do what I want. (foot stamping). Nobody can tell me what my body is going to do. I'm the boss of me.
This attitude has awakened a sort of awareness in me. While others just smile and shake their head 'knowingly' at me when I say these things, I sometimes take a step back and try to figure out what exactly I'm talking about. Am I that much of a control freak? Do I think I can even control nature? You betcha.
Change is something that happens all the time. I used to say I hated change. I didn't like my routine interrupted. I didn't like unexpected things coming in and stirring the pot. Boy, has my pot been stirred over the last seven  years.
I believe in the words "we won't be given more than we can handle" and even like to acknowledge that after phrase of "with the Lords' help", but I've started looking at it in a different way. Instead of looking at things with a sort of mental scale of tolerance, I've started looking at things as classes. "Here comes ______, what do I need to learn from this?"
I tote Stephen Covey's 7 habits a lot with my kids and friends. He is a smart guy that really spelled it out well.  Be proactive, think win-win, begin with the end in mind, sharpen your saw, synergize, put first things first, and seek first to understand. My motto lately is Seek first to understand. That habit alone can wear a person out. It involves stopping, thinking, acting and NOT reacting. It also implies not taking things personally, something I struggle with.
When it comes to seeking first to understand and change, they go hand in hand. Life changes.Why? Life is like a big,silent, lurking shadow-friend that is always hanging around us. Sometimes silent friends are the hardest to understand because they don't say much, they just do stuff. The saying is 'actions speak louder than words', but with Life, sometimes I wish he/she would just take off the muzzle and tell me what to do.
I've come to embrace change. Somewhat. I think it is kind of like that alley dog that guards the old quilter's house. If you show him fear, he is going to bite you in the butt. If you go past with your head high and  your gaze fixed upon where you are going, he will probably bark a bit, but leave you alone. Every now and then, it might not hurt to take a treat to throw at him to show him you aren't all that bad and you accept him in his role.
Life is hard, it is change, and sometimes it really stinks. But in the long run, it is a high level college class that is a prerequisite for what we really want. Hang in there. Do the work, and embrace the opportunities to grow.
Cause I said so.

Photo credit: www.earthtimes.org

Odd Habits of Famous Writers- It's Okay To Be Odd On The Way To Greatness

I have often wondered about the little writing oddities inherent in many famous authors.  If there are some good ones that I’m not currently using, I might want to incorporate them into my writing habits.  Here are a few tips I’ve learned from some of the greats:

For instance, good ol’ Papa (Hemingway) used to write 500 words a day, mostly in the mornings to avoid the heat.  Lesson: Writing in the morning makes a person cooler.

Truman Capote used to write in pencil while lying on his couch.  Lesson:  Be comfortable and avoid technology.

Charles Dickens would wander around Europe trying to get lost in order to foster creativity.  Lesson: Lose yourself in your creativity.

Dear Agatha would munch on apples in the bathtub while pondering murder.  Lesson: It is important to murder apples while bathing.

Alexandre Dumas only wrote on blue paper.  He once ran out of blue paper and had to use some cream colored substitute.  He claimed his fiction suffered thereafter.  Lesson: Make sure your favorite color is blue.

Nobel Prize winner, Toni Morrison began every day of writing by looking in local dumpsters for the body of Amelia Earhart.  Hmmmm.  She claimed the lack of a body proved to her the need to keep writing and creating.  Lesson:  Always take out the garbage before breakfasting with women named Amelia.

 

In summary, writing in the morning is cool, be comfortable, get lost, eat apples, have favorites, and don’t forget to take out the trash.  Or something like that.

I know we all have our little writing quirks.  It’s fine.  If it makes you feel more creative, snap your fingers a dozen times, tap your lucky rabbit’s foot, or chant a little song over your laptop.  So long as it’s not illegal, harmful to yourself or others, or against the commandments, finding something to serve as a repetitious portal to begin your day of writing is, at a subconscious level, a healthy start to a day of literary brilliance.

Come on, Let’s Blitz Again

- a post by Jeanna Mason Stay

It’s that time again! Time to spend a few minutes reading some fun, interesting, thought-provoking, and beautiful short Mormon fiction and then vote on which you liked best. Yup, it’s Mormon Lit Blitz time.

For the past several years, the Mormon Lit Blitz has presented an array of short fiction (less than 1000 words) on a wide variety of Mormon topics. With the exception of the first year (in which I competed, so I’m not exactly unbiased), this year has been my favorite. There are some really wonderful pieces in this year’s competition.

Lacey talked last week about condensing your writing (even if you don’t write picture books). If you want to see this in action, the Blitz is a great place to witness how much meaning and power you can pack into a very few words.

For me, Adams’ “Faded Garden” was the most powerful for imagery and sheer visceral-ness (can we pretend that’s a word?). Plus, I think it perfectly captures an idea that is hard to put into words—and I have a soft spot for anything about Eve. Young’s “Best Wedding Advice Ever” was hilarious. And also, the best wedding advice ever. Jepson’s “Angry Sunbeam,” Cowley’s “Five Year Journal,” Young’s “Echo of Boy”—all of these captured moments and events that were both moving and very, very real.

In fact, I think perhaps that is what made this year so good, in my opinion. Just about every piece touched on a universal experience or feeling in a way that made it very real and very close. No, I’ve never hurt anyone as much as the character in Hales’ “Child Star,” and my husband has never turned into a giant rabbit like in Lemmon’s “Disability, Death, or Other Circumstances.” I’ve never made beaded lizards to “decorate someone else’s service” (Parker). But I have certainly made mistakes I regretted, struggled to find the blessings in a terrible situation, felt frustration at not making a difference.

So I encourage you, if you have just a minute or two and want to be touched by a feeling of connection to others, if you want to laugh or smile or just think, give those minutes to this year’s Mormon Lit Blitz. You won’t regret it.

(Also, vote! Voting closes at the end of the week.)

Here’s a handy list of the stories, essays, and poems in this year’s Blitz. You can also find voting instructions here.

Eric Jepson, “Angry Sunbeam”
Heather Young, “Best Wedding Advice Ever”
Tyler Chadwick, “Three Meditations on Fatherhood”
Scott Hales, “Child Star”
Emily Harris Adams, “Faded Garden”
Katherine Cowley, “The Five Year Journal”

Annaliese Lemmon, “Disability, Death, or Other Circumstance”
William Morris, “The Joys of Onsite Apartment Building Management”

Darlene Young, “Echo of Boy”
Lehua Parker, “Decorating Someone Else’s Service”
Julia Jeffrey, “Should Have Prayed for a Canoe”
Merrijane Rice, “Mother”

Enjoy!

My Tidying Festival

If getting your home in order always seems to be at the top of your to-do list, you may have already heard of this book: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.

I just started reading this book over the weekend (thanks for loaning it to me, Mom) but I can already tell it's going to be a game-changer. I was reading it last night just before bed and I actually went to sleep excited about getting up and getting to work this morning!

My house is not a total disaster, but we have some piles (but no paper piles). It seems like there's always stuff that needs to go up into the attic, always places that need a serious decluttering, and never a great deal of motivation to do any of it.

My living room this morning. Perfectly livable, but more cluttered than I'd like.

The upstairs hallway in its typical state: bins that need to go up to the attic, random scattered stuff on the floor from children going to their rooms, a random item hung over the railing that needs to go downstairs...

Today before I begin my "Tidying Festival" I just want to share two "aha" moments I've had so far reading this book.

First, Kondo talks about those times when we go on little cleaning binges, and she gives the example of when we are trying to study for tests. I remember as a student that I would feel a need to arrange and organize before I sat down to study. I always just assumed it was a procrastination technique- and a good one, because cleaning and organizing is productive, right? I can't very well watch TV when I'm supposed to be studying- that's just wrong, but cleaning? That's useful! Well, she acknowledges that but also clarifies that we feel that urge to clean because our minds crave order in order to concentrate- this is something I know to be true.

As I was reading this, however, I thought about the other time I clean a lot: when I'm angry. It's kind of a running joke in our house that if my husband wants a clean house all he has to do is really tick me off and I'm on a cleaning rampage. I always just assumed that was because it was a way for me to work off the physical energy that comes with anger (and it's more productive than bashing holes in walls or running away from home) but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that what I'm really doing when I'm on those cleaning rampages is trying to grasp a sense of control. Usually my dominant feeling when I'm in that state is one of vulnerability and defensiveness. When I clean, I am exerting control over my environment, and it starts to "bring me down" a little bit. Certainly, the physical exertion helps as well, but the reason I'm drawn to cleaning is because I feel like I'm getting my power back.

Interesting, right?

Okay, the second thing: Kondo says that before you begin the tidying (decluttering) process, you need to pinpoint the reason why you feel the need to declutter your space. Imagine your space in its ideal, tidy, uncluttered condition: what kind of life will you be living in that space? As you answer this question, she encourages you to be like a 3-year-old and keep asking yourself, "But WHY?"

So I set the book aside for a minute and here's how my little "But WHY?" session went:

Why do you want to live in an uncluttered, tidy space?

Because when there's stuff everywhere I always feel like I have something to do that I'm not doing, and I hate that feeling.

But why do you hate that feeling?

Because when there's always something else to do, I can't really focus fully on what's most important to me, like my family and my talents.

But why do you want to focus on your family and your talents?

Because they are the whole reason I'm here! God put me on earth to be a wife to my husband and a mother to my kids and a writer. With the clutter, I feel like I can't fully commit to my purpose in life.

And that's when it hit me. STUFF is keeping me from fulfilling my life's purpose?

STUFF??

Stupid, useless, inanimate clutter all over the place is keeping me from my kids? Is keeping me from being the mom God intends me to be? From being the wife my husband deserves? From being the author of a published novel, which has been my dream since I first read a book? 

And I came to this conclusion: Stuff is stupid.

I know, I know- Kondo may not consider that the most zen approach (she encourages you to thank your belongings for a job well done before you donate or discard them) but it's true. Stuff is just really, really stupid.

So anyway, today I'm on my way to a tidier life. I have a feeling that the process this time around will be easier than it has in the past.

So, how do you feel about your stuff?