Reflection

As the quarter comes to an end, I reflected upon my progress in organization. How have my organizational habits changed? Well, I went from my parents demanding that I clean my room every weekend to begging my parents to let me help them organize something. I have essentially become addicted to cleaning!


With my first project, cleaning my bathroom, I realized just how many items didn't bring my joy; items that I hadn't used for months or even years. Cleaning my bathroom also proved to me how easy it was to get rid of items, and how much stuff I just didn't need.


Cleaning my bedroom was definitely the most time-consuming project, but without a doubt the most satisfying. The energy of my room has totally transformed- it went from stressful and overwhelming to peaceful and calm. I appreciate the space and what I own much more than I did before.


The organization of the linen closet proved to be difficult in a different way. I had to cater to the needs of myself and my family, adding time to the project. I could make decisions much more quickly when organizing for myself rather than taking others and their belongings into account.


Organizing the pantry was a reminder of how accessibility is essential because it can quickly demonstrate what you have and what you may need. The efficiency this change has provided to my family and what we eat for dinner or buy at the store has been immense.


Overall, this process and lifestyle change has proved to be extremely beneficial to me and my family. I had no idea something as simple as organization could have such a significant impact on my life. I would also like to thank Marie Kondo, the author of this book and creator of this method. Even though organization isn't truly necessary, its definitely beneficial. (Kondo 203). This book has revolutionized the way I live my life!

Kondo

Pantry

Organizing my pantry was a difficult task, because it is a space used every day and it is a space used by multiple people. I began, as I have with all organizing projects I have completed so far, by removing all items from the pantry. In this process, I found a few items that had gone past their expiration date. I decided that the method I used needed to keep only what we needed, because the items that had gone past their expiration date hadn't even been opened. I aimed to find a permanent place for every type of item stored in the pantry for ultimate effectiveness (Kondo 130).


My next task was to sort all of the items by category. On the top of the shelving unit, I placed all of our cereal boxes. I also opened all of the boxes of instant oatmeal packets and condensed them into one box. Another thing I noticed was multiple packages/boxes of the same thing had been opened. I resolved to reduce the wastefulness that my family sometimes exhibits by opening a new container of something when there is already something open in that same category. This is done because the area was so messy; if the area was tidier, we likely wouldn't have opened so many unnecessary containers in search for a specific item.
On the shelf below, I set canned foods, grouped by category- soup, vegetables, or beans. For this, I used Kondo's tip to "store everything similar in the same place or close proximity" (Kondo 143). I also put sauces on the shelf.  I was amazed by the visual impact that I was already making on the space.
The third shelf, I decided, would be dedicated to grains. I put all of the rice, pasta, and popcorn. I also put the peanut butter on the third shelf. The improved access to these items made the "search time" for something reduced by a huge factor.
On the fourth shelf, I put jam and salsa that my mom had made. Personally, I determined that this arrangement would ultimately be the most helpful. She had made so much jam and salsa that it was being stored in the back of the pantry and in cabinets above the upstairs and downstairs refrigerators.
The final shelf, I determined, would be for miscellaneous items- dog treats, garbage bags, wood cleaner, and other such items without category.
An overwhelming factor of the pantry had been the collection of plastic bags. These bags had accumulated from trips to the grocery store, and had been saved. Why we had kept so many is a mystery to me. I estimate we recycled about 1000 plastic bags. I put the remaining bags in three larger bags and hung them on the wall rather than putting them on the floor, in order to create space.
The final change I made in the pantry was moving my dog's food container and dishes to the back of the pantry, rather than right next to the door. This made the space seem more open.
I did this organizational process about three weeks ago, and decided to write the blog post later to test how well it would hold up. It held up surprisingly well. I believe that if a simple system is put into place, people will follow it easily (namely, my family). I am proud of the work I did on the pantry and its shocking effectiveness.

The pantry before...

and after!

Linen Closet

How do you organize space shared by your whole family?


Kondo references how difficult it was initially to organize the "common space" of her home- the living room, kitchen, dining room, etc. "A major cause of distress was the communal storage closet in the middle of the house... fully aware that I was an anomaly when it came to tidying, I was not going to let them defeat me... If no one noticed that they were missing, I disposed of them, one at a time, just as if I were thinning plants." (Kondo 49-50) She later faced a backlash when her family did, in fact, come looking for those items. Keeping this in mind, I began to approach tidying places my whole family shares.


The first such space was the "linen closet", a catch-all phrase for extra blankets, sheets, towels, and sleeping bags. I was sick of having to wrestle a warm winter blanket out of the back of the closet and having a sleeping bag fall on my head. I began taking out every single item, similar to the organization of my closet. This wasn't difficult, as there was no method to the organization of this closet, save for an extra set of sheets my mom folded and put in the closet, seemingly a soldier against an army. Now, on my bedroom floor, it was clear that there were specific categories and even sub-categories. There were extra blankets (no sub-categories), sleeping bags (no sub-categories) sheets (each family member had a sub-category), and towels (each family member had a sub-category).


Beginning with the most basic category- blankets- I simply folded them and placed them on the top shelf- they didn't need to be as accessible as other items. Then, I moved onto sheets. I started with my sheets, as that was where I felt most confident. It was much easier than I had anticipated- I simply folded the sheets and placed them inside the matching pillowcase. I did this with the rest of my sheets, as well as all of the rest of the sheets sets for my family. I then had an idea- there could be individual shelves for me, my brother, and a shared one for my parents (they had all the same sheets and towels). I put sheets and towels for my parents on the shelf below the blankets, my sheets and towels on the third shelf, and sheets and towels for my brother on the shelf below mine. I placed towels that weren't part of a set on the fifth shelf, the sleeping bags on the floor of the closet.
It has been about a month since I put this method into practice, and the closet still looks exactly the same as it did right after I finished organizing it. I underestimated the dedication of my family, as well as the effectiveness of the system.
How do you organize space shared by your whole family?


Kondo references how difficult it was initially to organize the "common space" of her home- the living room, kitchen, dining room, etc. "A major cause of distress was the communal storage closet in the middle of the house... fully aware that I was an anomaly when it came to tidying, I was not going to let them defeat me... If no one noticed that they were missing, I disposed of them, one at a time, just as if I were thinning plants." (Kondo 49-50) She later faced a backlash when her family did, in fact, come looking for those items. Keeping this in mind, I began to approach tidying places my whole family shares.


The first such space was the "linen closet", a catch-all phrase for extra blankets, sheets, towels, and sleeping bags. I was sick of having to wrestle a warm winter blanket out of the back of the closet and having a sleeping bag fall on my head. I began taking out every single item, similar to the organization of my closet. This wasn't difficult, as there was no method to the organization of this closet, save for an extra set of sheets my mom folded and put in the closet, seemingly a soldier against an army. Now, on my bedroom floor, it was clear that there were specific categories and even sub-categories. There were extra blankets (no sub-categories), sleeping bags (no sub-categories) sheets (each family member had a sub-category), and towels (each family member had a sub-category).


Beginning with the most basic category- blankets- I simply folded them and placed them on the top shelf- they didn't need to be as accessible as other items. Then, I moved onto sheets. I started with my sheets, as that was where I felt most confident. It was much easier than I had anticipated- I simply folded the sheets and placed them inside the matching pillowcase. I did this with the rest of my sheets, as well as all of the rest of the sheets sets for my family. I then had an idea- there could be individual shelves for me, my brother, and a shared one for my parents (they had all the same sheets and towels). I put sheets and towels for my parents on the shelf below the blankets, my sheets and towels on the third shelf, and sheets and towels for my brother on the shelf below mine. I placed towels that weren't part of a set on the fifth shelf, the sleeping bags on the floor of the closet.
It has been about a month since I put this method into practice, and the closet still looks exactly the same as it did right after I finished organizing it. I underestimated the dedication of my family, as well as the effectiveness of the system.

Room Organization

Is your room clean? If you think so, is it truly organized? If you don't think so, would you like it to be?




The most difficult organizational task I've taken on thus far would have to be cleaning my bedroom. Again, like cleaning my bathroom, I did not intend to clean my entire bedroom- I went into the process only intending to go through my clothes. However, I went into a cleaning frenzy, spending three hours on a Friday night and nine hours on a Saturday cleaning my bedroom, which I had thought previously was pretty well organized. I generated seven paper bags of clothing and other items to go to Goodwill (not a sponsor) as well as four Hefty garbage bags of trash (also not a sponsor). However, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let me backtrack and explain what happened...


On a Friday night, I was very bored. My parents suggested that I get a head start on going through my clothes, a fundamental step of organizing your closet ( the project I had set aside for myself that weekend).  I began the process by removing all clothes from my closet (and floor) and placing them in categorized piles in the middle of my room. "The first step is to check every closet and dresser in the house and gather all your clothes in one spot. Don't leave a single wardrobe or dresser drawer unopened." (Kondo 66)

 

This process took me about an hour. The piles you see above, starting from the upper right, are tops, pants, jackets, cardigans, accessories (scarves, belts, etc.) , tank tops, dresses, and shorts. Sorting through my clothes took about 15 minutes with Kondo's method, "does this spark joy?" (Kondo 66) made the process much easier. I compiled 3 paper grocery bags full of clothes to give away. I then began putting the clothing back into my drawers or on hangers.




While putting clothing away in drawers, such as pajamas or athletic wear, I folded them and arranged them in the way she recommends: "The key is to store things standing up rather than laid flat." (Kondo 75) I was amazed to see that this method truly maximized space, especially in the drawer in which I keep athletic wear- I now had much more room, and the space was generally more pleasing to the eye. While putting clothing away on hangers, I used another one of her methods, which I somewhat applied to the organization of my bathroom: "Arrange your clothes so that they rise to the right. Take a moment to draw an arrow rising toward the right and another descending to the right... Did you notice that when you draw an arrow rising to the right it makes you feel lighter? Lines that slope up to the right make people feel more comfortable." (Kondo 79) While I tried to adhere to her method as closely as I could, I also had to make the method work for me. Because I keep my dresser in my closet, I had to alter the process slightly. I hung my tops on the left-hand side of my closet, with heavy winter coats on the far left and tank tops on the far right of the left-hand side of my dresser. I did the opposite with pants, dresses, and skirts on the other side, hanging skirts closest to my closet and dresses furthest away. I learned that you must cater to your own needs to maximize results, rather than follow the rules exactly.




I discovered that getting rid of anything that didn't bring me joy definitely made the kind of clothes I liked more defined, creating a better sense of self-confidence already- in a way, this process was helping me find little parts of myself.




After going through all of my clothing, I found that I wanted to keep organizing. I moved on to the items I kept on the storage rack above my dresser. There was a mish-mash of old birthday present bags and Halloween costumes. I realized I truly needed to do something about the situation when a pile of shoeboxes, a lazy Susan, and a trick-or-treat bag in the shape of a jack-o-lantern filled with old soccer trophies fell on me. I started with throwing away the lazy Susan and the jack-o-lantern. I also threw away all of the costumes and birthday present bags- I realized that if I hadn't needed them in the 2 years they'd been up there, I likely wouldn't need them again. I replaced these items with test prep books, school notebooks from previous years I may need again, and other miscellaneous items that were useful, yet unnecessarily required for daily use and immediate access. I also went through my drawer of art supplies, throwing about 1/3 of the contents away. At this point it was eleven at night and I was exhausted, but I wanted to continue cleaning.




I woke up the next morning and immediately began cleaning again- and I cleaned for about nine hours straight. Rather than stopping with my closet, I went through my desk, my books, my memory box, my bedside table... the list goes on and on. However, for each section of my room I cleaned, my principle stayed the same- does this spark joy? I also found how I preferred to decorate my room and how things I enjoyed displaying in my room sparked joy. Kondo puts this perfectly. "If you can say without a doubt, 'I really like this!' no matter what anyone else says, and you like yourself for having it, then ignore what other people think... I can think of no greater happiness in life than to be surrounded by things I love." (Kondo 202)




I believe that Kondo's method has truly revolutionized my cleaning methods and overall life outlook. Asking myself if something sparks joy has drastically changed the way I view and approach things. I cleaned my room two weeks ago, and it has stayed spotless, proving how truly effective Kondo's method is.

The Life-Changing Magic of Organization by Marie Kondo- Bathroom Organization

According to Marie Kondo, "There is no need to keep soaps and shampoos out when we are not using them, and the added exposure to heat and moisture when they aren't in use is bound to affect their quality. It is therefore my policy to keep everything out of the bath or shower" (Kondo 158). I thought of this while relaxing in my room, and noticed all the excess or empty conditioner bottles and shower gels I had in my shower. I threw them away, or moved them to different places. Then, I remembered another important tip Kondo used herself. "People often ask me what I recommend... the most common item I use is an empty shoebox" (Kondo 147). In what other simple ways could I both rid myself of unused items, or rearrange the items in my bathroom? I used Kondo's book, The Life-Changing Magic Of Organization, to be most exact in my method.


I took an old shoebox and filled it with Kleenex packages. I store  Kleenex in a drawer in my bathroom. The Kleenex drawer was filled with wrappers from the packages, as well as packages that had opened on their own. I tidied all of this up- I felt as if my bathroom looked better already. Even though I couldn't see the box of Kleenex packages, I knew that they were organized well. According to Kondo, your home feels more organized with simple tools of organization, even when the items are out of sight. "...if I divided my things into three levels according to frequency of use or according to season- I am sure that many more items would be left to rot in the darkness. Therefore, it makes sense to keep storage as simple as possible" (Kondo 137). This tip was vital in the organization of my bathroom. I have three drawers and 1/2 of the counter space, as does my brother. This somewhat limited area meant I had to maximize space as much as possible.


For the rest of my bathroom, I followed the same steps. However, I added one qualifier- "to take each item in one's hand and ask- "Does this spark joy?" If it does, keep it. If not, dispose of it" (Kondo 41). With this method, I reduced my headbands by about 60%, bracelets by about 75%,  hair ties by about 80%, earrings by 66%, and bows by 75%. The space created by the reduction of clutter made the room feel more open, even though the items took up very little space. The one category of items I struggled to part with, interestingly enough, was lip balms/ chapsticks- I had so many different and interesting flavors; it was hard to choose which to keep and which to throw away.


One surprise I encountered was that I unknowingly followed one of her tips for organizing things by size, but in a way that was different than her intention. Kondo says, "Arrange your clothes so that they rise to the right. Take a moment to draw an arrow rising toward the right and another descending to the right... Did you notice that when you draw an arrow rising to the right it makes you feel lighter? Lines that slope up to the right make you feel more comfortable... To do so, hang heavy items on the left side of the closet and light items on the right" (Kondo 79). After organizing the top drawer of my bathroom, I realized I had unconsciously followed this principle- the boxes in the drawer ascended from largest to smallest, as if an arrow rising to the right had been drawn in the drawer. I realized that Kondo probably drew many of her tips from human instinct and what was most aesthetically appealing.

The image is sideways, but as you can tell, items flow from largest to smallest, going from left to right

Another struggle I faced was  in my second drawer, figuring out where to place my hair dryer and curling iron. I spent a good ten minutes trying to rearrange my second drawer in such a way that would fit the two items. The drawer already had a makeup set, extra makeup, makeup brushes, a toiletries case, and perfumes/shower gels inside, all organized to perfection, according to Kondo's tip about vertical organization. "Stacking is very hard on the things on the bottom. When things are piled on top of one another, the things underneath get squished" (Kondo 145). Instead of stacking these items on top of each other, I arranged them so that they appeared like books on a shelf in a library rather than a stack of books on a nightstand. Despite my efforts to fit in the hair dryer and curling iron, I simply couldn't make them fit. However, I remembered that there was plenty of space under the sink. I put the two items under the sink, as well as the toiletries case.


As for the top of my bathroom counter, I simply placed items according to category. I placed all face washes in a box, all makeup brushes in a box, all hair ties in a jar, all bobby pins in a box, and makeup I used daily in a jar. This system of organization took up much less space than having all items randomly arranged on the counter.

Finished bathroom counter! The reduction of clutter makes getting ready much easier

Overall, this was a great first major organizational experience, from which I had two major takeaways. One, that if you must invent a purpose for an item or a time you may use it, it is likely you will never use the items again. With this in mind, I threw away all but three chapsticks of the original ten. Another takeaway was the sense of pride and happiness the clean, open space gave me. I was extremely proud of how much I had gotten rid of, and how much better it looked. I was also really happy with everything I had accomplished- I can be extremely sentimental, even with something as trivial as a chapstick. I had not expected to overcome such personal barriers in something as simple as organizing my bathroom. I knew I would use these takeaways in my next organizational project- my bedroom.

Liz Franklin- Organization

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo


My entire life, I've dealt with different ends of the spectrum of organization. My bedroom is my biggest issue, as it is the largest amount of space I am assigned to keeping clean. I have had my room completely organized for months at a time, while for up to a year I have had clothes all over the floor, everything in disarray. Different struggles with organization also include my bathroom, my backpack, and my binder. I have tried countless systems to keep everything in its place, but nothing seems to truly work. How can I employ a truly effective method of organization?






A higher level of organization is something I've been seeking for a while, but I have had virtually no idea where to start. I have formulated systems to keep my backpack and binder pretty well organized, but that has taken me 12 years of school to figure out. I can't imagine taking even longer for a bigger task of organization, such as my bedroom. This blog gives me the opportunity to reevaluate my organizational skills, and even my lifestyle. Upon recommendation, I bought the book "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up- the Japanese art of decluttering and organizing" by Marie Kondo.




Almost immediately after beginning to read the book, the author's message and stories of clients (yes, she does this for a living!) relieved me. Reportedly, "people who use the KonMari method never revert to clutter again." (Kondo pg. 4) This very vague statement made me curious- did everyone feel completely confident at all steps of completion of this method? I wasn't the only person to question her skills. One of her clients said to her, "You said that none of your clients have ever suffered rebound. But what if I'm the first?" (Kondo 64) Kondo later states that she is assured that every one of her clients will be successful if they use her method. This put my doubts to rest.




One of my initial reactions to reading this book was the mental/emotional and lifestyle changes this book will bring me. I had somewhat of an idea of how a lack of cleanliness can cause levels of anxiety, but I had no idea what an impact cleanliness and organization had on my life. I can relate to Kondo because she experienced levels of disorganization when she was a student. "I'd tackle the textbooks and papers littering the floor and begin arranging them in my bookcase. Finally, I'd open my desk drawer and start organizing my pens and pencils. Before I knew it, it would be two-thirty in the morning. Overcome by sleep, I'd jolt awake again at five and only by then, in a complete panic, would I open up my textbook and buckle down to study." (Kondo 20) This happens to me on occasion, especially before big tests or even finals. Kondo also writes, "Your goal is clearly in sight. The moment you have put everything in its place, you have crossed the finish line." (Kondo 31) I really enjoy completing tasks that have been difficult for me, and this will definitely be a difficult task. However, the challenges this task pose will only increase the sense of accomplishment I experience when I am truly organized. I can't wait to get started on this organizational journey!