Marie Kondo seems to have had her 15-minutes of fame, but the ideas behind her home organization philosophy still lives on — even though no one watches her show anymore.
You may have been vaguely aware of Kondo’s techniques when she was at the height of her popularity, but you didn’t have time to follow through in your own home.
Well, Australia. You have time now.
Since all of us have been staying at home more, it is time to achieve that minimalist home that you have always desired.
We hate to tell you this. It’s going to be a painful process. So get a good night’s sleep before you begin your massive cleanout, prepare yourself a good hearty breakfast, and BEGIN!
Step 1: Get rid of all the broken crap in your home.
Theoretically, this step should be one of the easiest to complete, but it doesn’t seem to turn out that way.
Here is the inner dialog of someone looking at a broken item in their home: “This hasn’t worked in years. I should get rid of it. But, really all it needs is an XYZ part or someone to reattach the . . . “ Does this sound familiar?
If the item has been broken for more than three months, you probably aren’t going to fix it. Recycle the item as best as you can, and do it without any regrets.
Step 2: Get rid of duplicate items.
Older people are often guilty of having duplicate items in their homes. They have an extra coffee maker on the shelf in the basement from the 1970s in case their current coffee maker dies unexpectedly. They have multiple bicycles in their garage from when they had teenaged children living at home. And they have eight-track players, VCRs, CD players, and speakers of every model and vintage.
If this describes your house, get rid of all of those back-up items. When your current coffee maker dies, you won’t be happy using the one in your basement from the Carter era.
Step 3: Have a shredding party.
One of the ways to simplify your home is to get rid of all the paper that you don’t need. Consult the IRS’s website to determine how far back your financial records should go and shred everything else. Keep your most current electric bill and destroy all the previous ones. Shred old bank statements and the mortgage information for a home you sold in 1999.
Step 4: Take a close look at your furniture.
When it comes to furniture, more is not always better. And if you hate your living room furniture, maybe it’s time to get a sofa that matches your style.
If you have wanted new furniture for some time, but you just can’t bring yourself to spend the money, ruthlessly get rid of the pieces you hate. If you end up having only a folding chair in the middle of your living room floor, you will be inspired to put a little extra back each month to buy pieces that you actually like.
Step 5: Purge your media cabinets.
We know that you have spent thousands of dollars on movies, CDs, records, and video games over the years. We have too. But the reality is that you can find any song and film you would want to see or hear online.
This will hurt, but it is time to get rid of those dust collectors luring on the shelves near your TV. Your kids don’t want them. If you have Disney movies, you may be able to get some money for them if they are in pristine condition. Otherwise, donate them to your favorite local charity.
Step 6: Donate old books.
You may have danced on the way to the car with boxloads of old DVDs, but you may not be as excited to get rid of your old books. Even Marie Kondo wasn’t as cruel to suggest that you have empty bookshelves, but you know books are hiding there that you have no intention of ever reading. Start by getting rid of those. (Spoiler alert: Captain Ahab dies at the end of Moby Dick, so now you don’t have to read it.)
After you have loaded up the books you will not ever read, think about re-homing those books that you read, but you only gave three out of five stars to on Goodreads. Only keep those books that have given you so much joy that they have become a part of you.
Step 7: Take a look at your linens.
How many sets of sheets does one person need? Realistically, you may only need one or two. Linen closets are painful to maintain. They only stay neat and organized for twenty-two minutes after you organize it, and then all the items are in a tangled mess. Donate or trash all the extra sheets.
Step 8: Think about what pieces of memorabilia bring you joy.
If you are a sentimental person, hundreds of items in your house may hold special memories or bring you joy. While no one would suggest that you get rid of exceptional items, you need to ask yourself if that ugly, ceramic bird that was from your grandmother’s house really gives you joy. Or does it merely make you think of your grandma? Would you think about your grandma regardless if you had a ceramic bird sitting on your shelf?
Living a minimalistic lifestyle is simple once you get started, but taking those first few steps is a killer.
