Home Organization before Marie Kondo

Home Organization

Home organization is not something new.  Did you know that before Marie Kondo there was William Morris.  He was the first to say “Have nothing in your homes that you do not know to be useful and believe to be beautiful.” And he said it back in the 1880’s.  Imagine… this is not as new as we might have thought, but Marie Kondo certainly capitalized on this.  She hit just at the right time, just as Mr. William Morris did in his day.

William Morris was a poet, craftsman and designer who founded the Influential Arts & Crafts movement crusading against cheap shoddy furniture and mass produced decorative accessories in Victorian homes.

Mr. Morris urged Victorians to get rid of the ugly, the useless, and the uncomfortable in favor of simple and honest furnishings.  Marie Kondo urges people to get rid of what doesn't bring them joy.

Embrace Simplicity

Maybe you have already begun to take a look around your home and think about what you would like to keep and or get rid of.  If not, then take some time now to begin with a pad and a pen and really take a look at your surroundings.  Allow some time to think on paper and process before you act.  Think of the purpose of the room and what you do in it.  What do you need to make it work for you.  This is especially important if you are working from home.

Work on one room a month.  Commit to this by putting it on your calendar so you can take your time to decide what you really need and give the rest away to a local charity or to a friend.

My recent flood has allowed me to really think about what I want to put back into my house.  Currently I am staring at the bare walls and imagining what they will look like when they are covered in drywall and I can put my things back.

house empty with just framing and bare walls
Home organization needed here

You may want to begin with your junk drawers (come on, admit it, you have them too).  Do this in small installments – 1 drawer at a time.  Don’t overwhelm yourself and don’t just move things to another junk drawer.  I recommend you do this alone and throw out what hasn’t been seen or used by anyone in months (or even years….).  Give yourself a gold star on your calendar for each drawer you clean out!!

Spring Cleaning aka Home Organization 

Henry David Thoreau believed that “our life is frittered away by detail.”  Clearing things up helps us focus on other more important things.

Abigail Telford recommends spring cleaning as an opportunity to pause for introspection – to make a mid course correction in our stressful lives.

Spring cleaning can be a psychological lift to confront our emotional clutter as well.  Maybe it is time to shake out that mental closet and establish some emotional order in your life.

Why not take some time in the morning and in the evening to reflect on your day.  What can make it go smoothly?   What changes can you make in your mindset, your daily chores, your workday, that can bring you more peace and satisfaction?

Take time to nurture your soul.  Do something just for you.  Take 15 minutes to read something, listen to music, or just meditate.  Commit to this daily so that it becomes a habit and helps you improve your concentration.

To begin, find, or make, a comfortable place where you can do this.  It might be a cozy chair by the fireplace, or a comfy corner on the living room couch, or perhaps a sunny spot in the kitchen overlooking the garden.

Today, consider what you need to create your own personal nest that comforts both body and soul.  Then begin to create it.

Fran

P.S.  Tell me…What are you going to do first?

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