© 2021 Kebba Buckley Button, MS, OM. World Rights Reserved.
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Do you need to declutter? How does this image of clutter make you feel? Don’t tell me it’s “casual”! I dare you to tell me the same couch without the clothes dropped on it wouldn’t look better. The people I know who have messy homes generally love being in a clean, clear, well-decorated home. For a visit. And then they go home and can’t seem to shift their own mess. So is there a great answer? There are different systems that work for different people, to declutter.
The Kon-Mari, or konmari, method, is probably the most famous method. Developed by a petite and feminine Japanese woman, Marie Kondo, this method was made famous as The Magic of Tidying Up. In this system, you sort for what you really love and discard everything else, by category. Vases or pants, for example, might be the next category of attack. Make a pile of vases or pants, look them over, and keep only the ones that make you feel good. Your favorite charity will be delighted to have what doesn’t work for you. A relative of mine did this with pants. She found two pairs out of 19 that were keepers. Her husband said kindly, “I think we need to go buy you more pants!”
Releasing Stuff feels great!
Ten Percent Decluttering was invented by me, and almost no one knows about it. This consists of walking into a room and asking yourself, “what can I take out?” Your goal is to remove at least one tenth of what is in the room, asking yourself if Tyou love it and it gives you joy and energy. For me, this method takes less time than konmari. And it can be repeated tomorrow or any other time. Just keep walking into the room and taking a fresh look. Then ask again, “What can I take out of this room?” Then immediately toss it, recycle it, or donate it! In either of these methods, be brave! Ask yourself, “Is this really something I want to carry forward with me in my life?” If not, you know what to do.
Are you having trouble deciding if you need to declutter? Here is a key:
If you can’t find a thing quickly, you don’t really own it!
When was the last time you looked for that dressy crystal-studded watch and actually found it? So if you can’t find it or use it, it isn’t in your sphere of influence, and you don’t really “own” it. Or how about that green leather-bound NRSV Bible you last referred to 5 years ago? Where is that, anyway? If you can’t find it now, you may as well launch a decluttering project. And when you find that dressy watch or that green leather-bound NRSV Bible, either give thema specific memorable location, or donate them.
The less you own, the quicker it is to clean your home. Also, the quicker it is to lay your hands on anything. Imagine how free you would feel with, say, a third less Stuff? Gasp! Imagine how much spare time you would have to relax with loved ones, rather than managing all that Stuff? Get on a clear-and-donate binge and notice your stress going down down down.
And that’s you, being more and more Healthy Happy and Loving Lifesm!
Kebba Buckley Button, MS, OM, is a stress solutions expert, holistic guide, and award-winning author who celebrates life. She has a longtime energy healing practice and is an ordained minister. Among her books are: Discover The Secret Energized You (http://tinyurl.com/b44v3br), Inspirations for Peace Within: Quotes and Images to Uplift and Inspire, and Sacred Meditation: Embracing the Divine. The books are available on Amazon and through Kebba’s office. To email us, kebba@kebba.com .
Books by Kebba Buckley Button
Healthy Happy Loving Life! 
I like your ten percent de-cluttering idea Kebba. I started a de-cluttering challenge in January and was amazed at how well I was able to let things go. Something about walking into the kitchen with clean countertops makes my brain happy.
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Martha, thank you! Yes, I remember you decluttering, room by room. And that drew you to shift how some spaces were used, as well as painting some areas (kitchen to pale gray?). So you got
a lot of fresh energy from your clearing. And your home feels great! And now you get to in/joy it. Win!
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I love your idea, Kebba. It’s incrementalism at its best. But, your sofa picture- that’s not clutter- that’s pure sloppiness. Too many folks equate clutter with sloppiness.
They are gravely different concepts.
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Roy, I have noticed also that some people are droppers. They come in the front door, take off the jacket, and simply drop it. Maybe onto a piece of furniture, maybe onto the floor. They are apparently focused on the next step they take, not how the jacket affects their surroundings. The droppers lay a trail- jacket, briefcase, Walgreens bag… would you call this sloppiness?
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Roy, yes, you are so right. I am guilty of choosing the image too quickly, for a flash illustration of my point. I will look for better images. 😃 Incrementalism– absolutely. Running a business and household, and caring for an elder, I need streamlined methods that I can use for 1 minute or 8 1/2 minutes, before needs call. I don’t have time to make a pile of pants and elegantly sort. Oo, new title for future: Decluttering for Insanely Busy People. 🤣
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Yes! I love your phrase: “if you can’t find a thing quickly, you don’t really own it.” That makes so much sense. Especially as the world begins opening up again, I think many of us will need to reassess what we have and if we still need it.
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Angie, you are so right. And looking at our Stuff again, with fresh eyes, is something we can do more often than most do!
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You were SO talking my language! I am not a huge fan of Kon Marie because often when I take things out it takes too long to put them back. Looking at a little section at a time and tackling that is so much easier 🙂
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Dr. Renee, thank you so much! Yes, let’s keep removing a little at a time– so much mor efficient!
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