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In the Beginning: Or How This Minimalism Kick Got Started

Here’s the thing; I used to be an absolute sucker for free stuff. It’s I hear the word “FREE” and my head immediate spins around fast enough to start a tornado. If hear about a free book, that’s like adding a hit of speed to my reflexes. I’m there so fast, it’s magic.

So when there’s a free audible deal for Marie Kondo’s The Life Changing of Tidying Up, of course I got in on that. Come on, is that even a question? It was my first audiobook since I stopped listening to the Berenstain Bears cassette tapes my mom borrowed for me from the library, and the lady who read it had a particularly soothing, almost hypnotic voice, so it really made an impact on me.


Loved it! I was all over the book; I recommended it to everyone around me, and bought the physical copy. Later on, I even read the manga version. (Don’t remind Desmond that I still have his copy!)

So what is the KonMari method? The whole philosophy behind the KonMari method rests on two pillars.
  1. Only keep what “sparks” joy. Everything else is just excess that you don’t need.
  2. Declutter everything at once and you won’t relapse.

So I went through with it. One day, I’ll write up an actual blog post about the whole process of it, but what I really want to talk about is the lasting impact of it. I never realized how much stuff I had and how much it was adding to my mental stress and anxiety. I don’t think I was a particularly anxious person to begin with, but once I cleared my attic (Yes, I lived in an attic. No, I don’t recommend it.) and opened up my space, my mind just became so peaceful. It was quiet and beautiful and I loved being there. It wasn’t like I was unhappy there before, but I never before experienced the serenity that surrounded me when I made my way to my little sanctuary after work. It was still a little unfinished and had things I couldn’t get rid of, but just having that one very clean and bare nook to call my own really helped my mental state. If for nothing else, that peace is a reason to try it.

So that’s how it all started. Stay tuned for the next post! I’m going to talk about my February Shopping Ban!

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