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The simple act of folding my socks and organized them the Marie Kondo way is changing my life.  At first I was not convinced that they would stay neat and tidy and that it would be worth the effort.  I didn’t believe her statement that it would make a difference in my life. I was wrong.  Each time I open the drawer to grab a pair of socks I feel satisfied at how nice it looks and how easy it is for me to pick the ones I want.  The chaos of rolled up balls that I pushed around until I found the one I was looking for has been replaced by a feeling of calm as my hand hovers over the color coordinated rows.  Until then I had thought that my way of folding my underwear and storing it flat was the only way to do it.  I was wrong too.  Her way of folding and laying them on their sides is much more elegant and accessible to hurried fingers.  I have become a convert of her way which at first I thought bizarre.  My tank tops and t-shirts followed suit. Going into my closet, figuring out a better way of organizing it has become a fun game.  

I had already given away clothes that I was not wearing anymore before I found her audiobook in the library then a couple of weeks later her show “Tidying Up” appeared on Netflix, I binged watched it.  I thought her way of folding items were odd, her neatness excessive but now that I can feel how much more relaxed and satisfied my body feels around my socks and underwear, I can vouch for her method.  I have always kept my bedroom neat and free of clutter, it is my sleep sanctuary, I never thought that my messy drawers or cupboards emitted the type of energy that could create low level stress.  If you feel overwhelmed by the thought of tackling the mess that is your closet that is why you need to do it.  The freedom you will feel from getting rid of clothes you have not worn for a long time or socks that you do not like to wear will blow your mind. Only keeping what makes you happy will truly change the way you feel in your home and about yourself too, you will love the new vibes that surround you.  The same motto goes for books, pictures, souvenirs that clutter your house because they also clutter your mind.  There is such a sense of joy as you look at the items or wear the clothes you have chosen that you do not need to worry that you will go back to the old ways of folding or hording certain items. One other important rule is that you can only discard your own things, for me that means until the girls come home this summer their items will just have to wait.  

Unlike her clients on the show I do not have the giant messes they had to tackle.   Because we moved several times I learned to pass on, recycle or throw away what we didn’t use anymore.  When the girls were growing up, at each of their birthday and at Christmas time, I asked them to donate toys they didn’t play with anymore as they they would be getting new ones.  They are used to part with items they are not attached to. However there is still a garage, an office, a game room and several boxes of photos I need to go through.  I have been putting off getting pictures in scrapbooks and getting digital pictures printed into books because it is time consuming.  As I organize my surroundings, I feel that I will have no problem tackling the pictures.  Marie Kondo’s system of where to start and end makes sense: start with your clothes end with the photos, by then your mind has gotten used to letting go.  It becomes easier to keep one photo instead of 10 of the same person or place.  

Happy tidying up!