I got the new tidying book, Spark Joy, from the library. It’s what I took with me to the urgent-care center last week. I read about half of the introduction and got re-tidyized. I know I’m not doing it the official TIDY way, but I absolutely canNOT take every item of clothing out of my closet and drawers, pick up each individual item and hold it close to me to determine if it “sparks joy,” and then put it in my closet (if it gets a “yes”). Conversely, I do NOT have time to hold each reject, one at a time, close to me and thank it for being part of my wardrobe and wish a fond farewell as I put it lovingly into the Goodwill bag. I certainly can, however, identify the places in my home where, when the tidy bug bites (as opposed to those other kind that send you to urgent care), I need to treat it. And the tidy bug has noticed my office/miscellaneous storage/can’t-find-any-place-else-for-it closet.
Lest you think I staged this for dramatic effect, no, I just opened the door and snapped the photo.
I found important things in this closet.
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- These were the first thing in the Goodwill bag.
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- MONTHS ago, I pulled the wifi information out to get the password. When I went to put it back, I could NOT find the “Office” folder. For some reason, I had stuck the folder up on a shelf, instead of putting it back into the “INSTRUCTIONS” hanging folder where it belongs. For weeks, the wi-fi brochure was clipped to the hanging folder, waiting for the “Office” folder to show up. All are now back where they belong.
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- When I went to Office Depot a couple of days ago to buy printer ink (after discovering that I was out of Black), the clerk STRONGLY encouraged me to buy some paper, which was on sale. Cleaning out the closet, I had found THREE unopened reams, and was able to reassure her that I was set for paper for quite a while.
You can probably see that I couldn’t actually step into the closet, at least not without moving stuff out. That’s all changed.
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- I *can* step into the closet.
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- I can open the drawers in a chest to my left.
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- I can open the drawers, even the lowest ones, in the filing cabinet to my right.
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- I can find things on the shelves.
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- And, should I ever want to , I can get in the closet and completely shut the door.
As long as I was working in this room…
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- Bookshelves can be, well, book magnets. The old adage, “The more the merrier” doesn’t really apply, does it.
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- A new motto might be “The tidier the merrier.” The trick seems to be to always make a little empty space, when cleaning out and purging spaces. Then, when a new, let’s say, BOOK comes into the house, there’s a space for it, and nothing needs to be thrown away . . . at least for now.
And then there’s . . .
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- The daybed is a catch-all for bags when I’ve come home from shopping, mail that I intend to look at again (like magazines to read, bills to open, catalogs to peruse). No matter how orderly the closet (which no one sees) is, or the bookshelf (which no one notices), if the bed’s a-clutter, then the whole room’s a-clutter.
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- The new bed plan. We’ll see how it goes. (The book is Spark Joy. Maybe I’ll sit down today and read another whole chapter.)
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- One new habit might be to hang whatever bags I bring in on the arms of the treadmill. I know, people joke all the time about how, after the treadmill’s been in the house for a few weeks, instead of walking on it, people start hanging things on its arms. Well, I can tell you from daily personal experience, you can walk just *fine* on a treadmill when there’s stuff hanging on the arms. Okay, maybe it’s not the tidiest of arrangements. But to me, it looks less cluttered than those bags lying on the bed. Or floor.
For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people
1 Corinthians 14:33 (New International Version)
I do understand that this verse really pertains to how people treat others and behave in church. But I know that disorder in one part of my life affects the other parts. I think it’s all part of the whole.
It’s amazing how a little tidying up can make you feel! Great job!
I know! Sometimes I just go and open the closet door and look at the orderliness for a few moments. Very calming.
Spark Joy sounds like it is working! Good job.