Living for now became my new goal: living in the house we have, in the city where we are, and in the moment when we’re alive.
                          – Dana K. White

 

 

I didn’t think I had a problem with stuff.  My house is not a complete mess all of the time, I can see my (very dirty) floor, and my bed usually is made.

Then I saw the very colorful and alluring cover of Dana K. White’s book.  I thought, why not?  It looked interesting, Mom was raving about it, and it was the first week of January.  I grabbed it.

And promptly gulped it down in three days.

Remember Marie Kondo?

A lady develops a “new” tidying method and the world explodes.  That’s what I remember and that’s all that happened for me.  The KonMari method was a sensational flash in history that quickly disappeared and I immediately forgot.  Didn’t read the book, didn’t try the method.

Why?

Because as much as she claimed to be changing your lifestyle and your mindset, she’s asking the wrong questions and using the wrong terms.

Can you “tidy” a house where the dishes have piled by the sink for five days?  Can you “tidy” a house where every spare piece of furniture in every room is covered by laundry that you don’t know whether it’s clean or dirty?  Can you “tidy” a house that has zero shelf space left and no room for more organization bins?

No, you can’t.

But luckily for you, Dana asks the right questions.

Dana’s book starts by outlining the problem – some of us who don’t have life put together perfectly (oh wait, does that woman exist?!) are stuff-shifters, well-meaning hoarders, addicts to feeling like a completely capable provider (for absolutely anything that someone might need at any given time.)

I’ll admit, it was a little painful to read the beginning and realize, “Yes, this is me.  I may have a stuff problem.”  But once I acknowledged that and survived the first portion of the book, I was ready for the amazing practicality that followed.

Decluttering – what it is and what it isn’t

I never truly considered the term decluttering before reading Dana’s book.  But in my head, what it probably meant was a few more cute organizing baskets, tackling that stupid miscellaneous drawer in the kitchen, and controlling all my stuff very very carefully so no one noticed that my shelves really are a little too full.

My reading friends, that is not what decluttering is.  Praise the Lord it isn’t.

Here’s what decluttering really is:

• Throwing away trash
• Putting things away where they belong (where you would actually look for it on any given day)
• Keeping your favorite shirts, books, pots and sheets
• Donating those shoes from your aunt that you never wear
• Giving away the tub of clothes that’s been hiding in the dark abyss underneath your bed that you forgot existed

Does it sound overwhelming?  Maybe it does at this point.  I was overwhelmed at first too, but then I kept reading the book.

One room at a time . . .

The beauty of Dana’s book is that she tackles one space a time.  Chapters are devoted to closets, bedrooms, children’s rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, etc.  It gives you the opportunity declutter at the speed of life.  No one has the time (or the energy) to deal with the entire house in one day.  I don’t think that is actually possible, I don’t care who you are!

As difficult as it is to find time for things, find the time to read this book.  Take it slow if you need to.  Read a chapter and take whatever time you need to do that chapter.  Read the chapter about your closet and start there.  If you read enough of the book, you’ll find the point: better and less.

Better and less is achievable.  And you know what else it is?  It’s freeing!  Perfection truly is not attainable, and this book allows you to let go of whatever it is that holds you back from starting.  Because even if you only throw one box of trash away and only donate one bag of clothes you made PROGRESS.

Are you convinced?

Have I convinced you to read the book yet?  Go find a copy right now, because your 2022 needs Decluttering at the Speed of Life.  And I’m sure Dana K. White doesn’t mind if you buy a copy of her book.  🙂

Have a happy, cozy, warm Wednesday and go read a book!