Over the last few years I have three clients who have separately spoken to me about Marie Kondo and her book 'The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up' - this Christmas I treated myself to a copy and have been dipping into it and being inspired by it during January and February...
Bit by bit it is also starting to have its effect... I am starting to realise how there are certain things in my house that bring me real joy to look at and other drawers and cupboards (and cellars and attics) that are filled with things I never wear and never use...
Starting to let go feels great.... A lot of paper from my office is out to the recycling, old books taken to the bookshop or the library for someone else to use, selection of clothes still needs some work but now that I am storing them differently I can see what I have and what I like...
Bit by bit, slowly, I am going through the house ;-)
Yesterday evening I got my partner on board with the music! We had two boxes of CDs in the cellar that we had not opened in 9 years since we moved into and started to renovate our house. All the CDs came out and we had a chance to go through them and rediscover some old favourites and to laugh at and let go of some others!
The new challenge is now how to store what we choose to keep.... if anyone has innovative CD storage ideas I would love to hear them ;-)
But I guess the biggest benefit I am getting from this is to simplify things... What I am noticing is that when I have less and store them well, I am less likely to go out and buy things that I don't really need. I will think more carefully about where they will go, how they will be used, what joy they will bring....
I have friends who have always been this way - I recognise it now. When I came back from India with enough material to open up a shop, a very dear friend of mine had a few carefully selected things which are truly treasured and used...
I can smile at that, I know that this is in interesting journey for me and one which (while balancing kids and work and study) will take me some time...
But that's ok... SLOW is my motto this year and I am enjoying the journey...
Thanks to my clients for teaching and helping me along my journey too... I am so lucky to have the chance in my work to exchange ideas with such amazing people...