life-changing magic
If I can do it - so can you! Let me share the beginnings of my journey with you and share some tips to get you started on yours as well.
The Unexpected Path to Clarity
Do I dare tell you how overwhelmed I felt? How the piles of stuff to be sorted and cared for seemed to never end? How my brain felt like a tangled web of electrical cords - who knows where each one belonged, and if they would ever be reconnected with their purpose?
MY BEGINNING
Yep! That was me. As a mom to five boys, my job as ‘management coordinator’ was endless.
I tried many different things and some worked for a while, but I always ended up back in the same exhausted and discouraged state.
One day, desperation overcame my skepticism of the book with the cheesy name that seemed too big of a promise, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.”
That purchase was the first step of a journey, that much to my surprise and great relief, has changed my life. It helped me greatly with managing our home.
However, the greatest gift was the way Marie’s method cleared my brain and helped me find direction in areas of life that went far beyond my clothes, books, papers, komono, and sentimentals.
One day, desperation overcame my skepticism.
There’s a secret wrapped up in her method. While working through the items that represent the sum of your life, there are questions you are asked to consider.
This process helps create a clearer vision of what you truly want to do with the remainder of your life.
Asking yourself, “does this Spark Joy,” may seem an oversimplified filter, but the question is a gateway to discovery of the life you truly want!
HOW TO BEGIN YOUR MAGIC
If you are ready to begin, here are a few suggestions:
Stand in front of a mirror, and look yourself in the eyes. Say to those eyes, “I am not a failure. I have some logistical frustrations, but I am working to find the tools to overcome them.”
Get a cup of coffee or tea. Sit down in a quiet place, spend 15 minutes asking yourself what you most want to do in life. Dream big!
For the next 24 hours keep a notebook handy. As you have thoughts and realizations of what you want to do, write them down.
On another page, write down the areas in your home that cause you frustration.
Find a favorite outfit you love. Notice how you feel when you pick it up - that little buzz, like a tiny spark of electric joy?! Now compare each item to that one - does it spark joy?
It’s possible your clothes spark joy individually, but your closet is overflowing and getting dressed is like trying to get downtown on student move-in weekend. That’s where ‘Functional Joy’ comes in. Count the number of items you have in a given category. If you have 50 tops, try living with your favorite 25 for a month! Pack the rest away in a different closet. Write a 30-day check-in date on your calendar. On that day, ask yourself how it feels and do you love the lightness of your closet? Or have you honestly missed the tops?
If you haven’t missed them, consider letting go with gratitude. There are some wonderful consignment shops in C’ville for your high-value items. Items you choose not to consign can be donated to a community-based thrift store. Those items will bless someone in need!
CONTINUING THE PROCESS
As you work through this process in your entire house, your ability to choose the physical items you want in your life, will spread into other areas of your life.
This will AMAZE you! The clarification of what you want, who you are now and who you want to grow into, is a priceless gift that is likely to change the trajectory of your life!
So friends - give it a try!
I invite you to trade in your chaos for calm, and your confusion for clarity!