I Tried Marie Kondo’s Stuff, And Here’s What Really Happened
Look, I’m gonna be honest with you. I’m a mess. Not like, ‘oh I left my socks on the floor’ mess. I’m talking ‘you can’t see the floor’ mess. ‘I have three unopened Amazon boxes from 2018’ mess. So when my friend Lisa dragged me to that Marie Kondo conference in Austin last year, I was skeptical. Like, really skeptical.
You know what she told me? ‘Just try it, Sarah. What’s the worst that could happen?’ (Which, honestly, is a really annoying thing to say when you’re standing in your own personal junkyard.)
So I did. And it was… complicated. Let me tell you about it.
First, The Good
Okay, fine. There were some good things. Like, really good things. The first time I held up a shirt and asked myself, ‘Does this spark joy?’ I laughed so hard I cried. I mean, honestly, who talks like that? But then I tried it again. And again. And you know what? It worked.
I found this old sweater from college. It was faded, had a hole in the elbow, and smelled kinda like wet dog. But when I held it, I remembered this guy, let’s call him Marcus, who I had a huge crush on. He wore something similar. And suddenly, it wasn’t just a sweater. It was a memory. A good one.
So I kept it. And that was the point, right? It’s not about getting rid of everything. It’s about keeping what matters.
Then, The Bad
But oh boy, the bad. I spent 36 hours—yes, you read that right—36 hours sorting through my junk drawer. And by the end of it, I had a pile of takeout menus, 14 loose batteries, and a single earring. No joke. I still don’t know where the other one is.
And don’t even get me started on the sentimental stuff. I found this old love letter from high school. I mean, who even am I? Why did I keep this? I haven’t seen this guy since, like, 2005. But still, there it was, taking up space in my drawer and in my head.
I showed it to my colleague named Dave over coffee at the place on 5th. He read it and said, ‘Sarah, this is ridiculous. You’re not keeping this.’ And he was right. But it still hurt to throw it away. Which, frankly, is the worst part about decluttering. It’s not the physical stuff you’re getting rid of. It’s the memories. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
And The Ugly
Now, let’s talk about the ugly. Because yes, there was ugly. Like, really ugly. I found a half-eaten bag of gummy bears in my desk drawer. From 2017. I’m not even kidding. I showed it to Lisa, and she looked at me like I was insane. ‘Sarah, why do you have this?’ she asked. And I said, ‘I don’t know. I was probably gonna finish it later.’
Which, by the way, is a lie. I was never gonna finish it. But still, there it was. A physical representation of my commitment issues. (Which, honestly, nobody asked for but here we are.)
But here’s the thing about decluttering. It’s not just about your physical space. It’s about your mental space too. And sometimes, that means facing some hard truths. Like the fact that you have a physicaly impossible amount of commitment issues. Or that you’ve been holding onto a half-eaten bag of gummy bears for three years.
So, What’s The Point?
I’m not sure. I mean, I guess the point is that decluttering is hard. It’s messy. It’s emotional. But it’s also kinda freeing. Like, really freeing.
I don’t know if I’m gonna keep doing it. I mean, I still have three unopened Amazon boxes from 2018. But maybe, just maybe, I’ll open one of them. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll find something that sparks joy. Or at least something that doesn’t make me want to cry.
And if not, well, there’s always sağlık haberleri güncel gelişmeler. Because sometimes, you just need to know that you’re not alone in your mess.
Anyway, that’s my story. Take from it what you will. Or don’t. I’m not your mom.
About the Author: Sarah Johnson is a senior magazine editor with 20+ years of experience. She’s a mess, but she’s working on it. One day at a time.
