From an early age, I loved organizing. I fancied myself quite adept at it until I moved from a relatively spacious apartment in Los Angeles to my studio apartment in New York and my stuff-to-storage-space ratio went off the charts.
It turns out what I'd been good at was putting stuff away. In my new place there was no "away." As the movers filed out, it looked as if Christo had done an installation using to-the-ceiling stacks of boxes.
My memory gets a bit hazy at this point. But I am pretty sure that as I sat among the cardboard towers, on the remaining patch of floor -- head in hands, overwhelmed by STUFF -- my attention was drawn to the window. The clouds slid apart and a Terry-Gilliam-animated deity boomed, "Arthur!"
"It's Karen."
"Whatever. This is your quest: Fit into one room!"
The clouds slammed shut, and suddenly my life had meaning and purpose.
In the dark days following, I wound my way through the labyrinth of websites, books and mega-stores devoted to home organization, seizing upon each tip that might lead out of the morass. Unfortunately, most were not helpful.
"Eliminate half your belongings," one small space guru advised.
Good idea, Solomon -- which half of the baby do I keep? Sure, at times I craved an ascetic lifestyle unshackled from worldly possessions, but, on the other hand, I liked my stuff.
"Pack one third of your clothes away. If, after a year, you don't miss them, give them away."
Of course I won't miss them, Mr. Magazine Article on Organizing, because I'll FORGET about them, but when I do come across them, I'll be all, "Purple shirt! I love you!" Thanks for nothing!
Then there were the closet-system ads -- photos of beautifully laid-out storage in closets the size of my apartment. Look at all that space, I'd sigh wistfully, the clothes are so... uncrowded. Then I'd look closer. Wait a minute! Why does that closet owner have only three shirts and two pairs of pants? I could fit that into MY closet!
Then, at last, the organizing deity smiled upon me and, and I chanced upon a copy of Organizing From The Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern.
Morgenstern eschews any particular "technical" tip regarding an arbitrary weeding-out process or one specific storage system over another. Instead, she asserts that organizing is "a remarkably simple skill that anyone can learn."
And she gives you permission to keep your stuff.
Organizing can be overwhelming at best, and downright unsuccessful at worst, because we assume -- or are told -- it will require painful decision-making about what to keep and what to discard. We want to avoid wrenching evaluations such as:
Wait. That sounds familiar -- Siri, has that already been done?
Follow Karen Shepard on Twitter: www.twitter.com/KarenNeeShepard
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I know when I want something new, something old needs to go. It really helps me know what is important in my life. And, without saying, the dog and the cats are here to stay!
I've been simplifying for quite a while, to the point where even owning a car has become superfluous.
I'm not still where I'd like to be, but I'm getting there.
Good article, good reminder to all of us, what is important in life is not stuff, it's the people.
i discovered that there is an art to small scale packrat...i still marvel at the mountains of items i parted with. it seemed like more than i thought i owned;/
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When you return to your core values, it isn't difficult to figure out what to keep and what to let go of. The muddle begins or returns when your values fade from view or get lost. Far fewer people regret the absence of an old magazine than they do a missed opportunity to participate in their lives and the lives of those they love. Stuff may be a distraction, but it's seldom the most interesting or compelling part of anyone's life.
Thanks for sharing your experience and wisdom...Welcome to NY! A great place to live...even in our smaller spaces!
Warmly,
Julie
Yes, it is counterintuitive. Your judgment-free method enabled me to pare down more dramatically than any harsher approach would have. And instead of losing pieces of myself in the process, I felt I was becoming more myself.
I have your book on time management and look forward to making my schedule as organized as my home is (thanks to you).
With appreciation,
Karen
Best, Karen