This mom KonMari-ed her life and here's what happened next
One woman had a unique approach to the organizing method.
Millions have converted -- or attempted to convert -- to Marie Kondo's KonMari method of discarding and organizing in the hopes of tidying up.
But one woman decided that instead of KonMari-ing her belongings, she would KonMari her life. Beth Loster wrote about her experience on the website Romper, in a piece called “I KonMari'd My Life Instead Of My House.”
“Instead of clothes: I KonMari'd my everyday routines, and the things that 'outfit' my time,” she wrote. “Instead of books/paper: I KonMari'd the ways in which I take in information -- social media, news, conversations, texting.”
Referencing “komono,” or the miscellaneous category within the KonMari method, Loster wrote, “Under komono: I considered everything else, all other elements that populate my life, especially since, speaking in the abstract, the miscellaneous stuff of life often is sentimental in nature.”
Loster gave "Good Morning America" examples of what these three steps looked like for her.
When it came to routines, she "ditched the routine of constantly, obsessively cleaning the house; it's literally never going to be entirely clean and definitely won't stay clean, and letting that vision go has been a relief," she said.
As for organizing the books/paper category, Loster instead changed her relationship with social media. "I quit social media and began intentionally setting aside my phone for portions of the day,” she told “GMA.” I had become so inundated with the world around me that I began to feel frantic and separate from it, instead of more connected."
Loster said attempting to KonMari the komono was "much more esoteric. In essence, it is mindfulness at work, which for me became mostly about being aware of how I talked about both myself and others, specifically being very mindful about choosing appropriate language in talking about myself -- especially in modeling something positive for my daughter -- and similarly speaking kindly and constructively about others."
Since KonMari-ing her life, Loster said she feels "much calmer." And while she said she's no "zen master" -- yet – she thinks “even the intention of being more deliberate in both my actions and reactions has made me feel more in control of my own life."
What was once a morning rush out the door has turned far more peaceful for Loster and her family.
"This morning I woke up with my daughter," she said, "and, while I'd usually scroll through social media and then rush to make breakfast, and then rush to clean up and then rush to get ready for the gym, we just sat in the living room listening to Billie Holiday, sipping tea together."
Loster said that what changed was the feeling that she had to be doing something more.
"I didn't have to being doing anything per se, because I was, in fact, already doing exactly what I wanted. My daughter seemed totally at peace, too. We still ate; we still exercised; it just felt less chaotic."
Here are Loster's top three tips for anyone who wants to KonMari their life:
1. Make it specific to yourself. "For anyone who wants to KonMari their own life, I think the most salient point is that, even though there's a formula of sorts, the experience is personal," she told "GMA." "It's not about tailoring your life to look like someone else's that you think is ideal, but rather it's about actually checking in with yourself about what works for you and your family."
2. Writing things down helps. "I would start with each area, and just like Marie Kondo suggests putting every article of clothing on the bed, write down every single thing you can think of that consumes your time/energy/attention/ mind space. Get it all out."
3. Be realistic. "Getting rid of clothes is easy, relatively speaking," Loster said. "Changing a habit or restructuring your life is not. Rather than thinking of it as something that's done once, that ends, be willing to start again and again. Even noticing that you haven't changed is a kind of mindfulness and another opportunity to continue your work."
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