Konmari Part 1: Planning

It's the middle of 2020 and I've been stuck in my apartment for months, so naturally it's been forcing me to confront my living space more than usual 
Actually I feel pretty okay about my apartment, which is new for me. Growing up I was an extremely messy and disorganized kid and my room routinely piled up with clutter. When I was living at home I'd always let my room pile up to an extreme point, and then spend an all day or all weekend effort putting things away until my room seemed sparkly clean! ...which would only last for a couple of days at most. Moving away for college I became gradually more organized, and I found a blog called Unfuck Your Habitat. The basic idea being, if you clean only in small bursts then eventually your brain will learn that cleaning isn't scary. Once cleaning up a little bit every day becomes part of your routine, you'll rarely get to a point where marathon cleaning is necessary. This technique has served me well, and it transformed the way I thought about cleaning or even approaching big scary tasks in general. Over time through practicing 20/10s, I was able to get into the habit of putting things away or tidying as soon as I see clutter forming. Between that and having purged my items casually while moving a couple of times, I have landed in a cute apartment surrounded by mostly cute objects that I love. Almost everything I own has a home, a spot where it lives in my house, and most things are reasonably organized.

That being said, I've been stuck indoors for a while and I'm starting to notice the small corners and crevices where the random items coalesce. I'm also dwelling on the shelves and drawers, nothing out of place, but barely able to contain its contents, and if I really wanted that one thing on the bottom I'd probably have to take absolutely everything out first. I really did think that my apartment was cute, back when I woke up in the morning, went to work, and stayed out until it was time to go to sleep, but now that my apartment is the only background for my instagram photos I'm nitpicking all the unphotogenic zones that no corner of my apartment is free from 
Not to mention, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about when I say that quarantine has forced everyone into introspection. There's a lot I wish 2020 could take back, but my therapy sessions have never been so productive.  (By the way, if you're reading this, especially in 2020 but it's always been true anyway, go to therapy! It's good for your brain!) So, what better time to upend my entire apartment and re-evaluate the lifestyle I want my apartment to support!

Of course the process I'm describing is laid out in The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. The first step before you even start cleaning involves daydreaming about your ideal lifestyle. For me, that's a cute lifestyle of comfort and convenience. Waking up in cute pj's in a cute comfortable bed, I'd already feel energized for the day. I'd spend the morning journaling with a cup of tea, and then wash up and change into a cute and comfy outfit that I picked out the night before. During the day I'd have a focused and inspiring space to work in, and since there's snacks and lunches prepared ahead of the week I don't have to worry about getting hungry. Since my apartment is organized and well decorated, snapping pictures of my clothes or my daily life doesn't take much time or effort. I could spend the extra energy enjoying my hobbies and spending time with my boyfriend. I think that living in such a cute and casual environment could build more confidence in myself, too, knowing that I'm living a lifestyle that I chose intentionally. My living space would be an inspiration for the kind of person I want to become.




Maybe that's all putting too much value on the importance of having a tidy home. It's definitely possible to live a full and happy life even while living in total chaos! And I'm sure that simply cleaning won't suddenly mean my life is perfected. But, I have a hermit crab heart. I love being at home and spending time on my solitary hobbies, so I'm looking forward to making a nest that will support my lifestyle even through quarantine.



P.S. : This is part 1 in my Konmari series! Click the links below to read the rest.
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