1 Year Konmari Update & My Personal Rules!

Hi Friends! Last year I decluttered my home (and most notably my over stuffed art studio/craft room) using the book The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo as a guide. I ended up with a tidy home but there were other unexpected benefits to and that is what I am going to talk about today.

What I appreciate the most about going through this process was the mental clarity, reduction of anxiety and increased self-confidence it gave me. I now have more time because I have less stuff to manage. I have more creativity because the supplies I kept fueled my creativity where as before the excess dampened it. I learned to let go of “fantasy Lindsay” and just be me. I got to admit that just because I wished I liked something didn’t mean I had to like it and just because someone else likes something it doesn’t mean I will. The fact that we are all different is what makes life fun!

The decluttering of my stuff (and my schedule) helped me clarify personal rules which guide how I live my daily life. There is nothing profound here but often it is the small things you do everyday (and not the big things you do once in a while) that have the most impact on your life. As they say how you do anything is how you do everything.
Lindsay’s Rules:
1. Wear shoes (this rule comes from my dad who would often tell his lazy child to “get your feet dressed!” LOL I never feel ready for the day without proper shoes on. The FlyLady echos this rule)

2. Put first things first (This is credited to Stephen Covey from his book the 7 habits of highly effective people. You need to set your priority and focus on it before you get bogged down or distracted by non important tasks)

3. If it’s not a “heck yes!” it’s a no. (I have said yes to projects out of obligation or fear that I would miss out on opportunities if I declined anything but now I say “no” unless I am super excited about another person’s project.)

4. Don’t leave a room empty-handed. (Whenever I leave a room or an area I scan the room to see if anything there belongs where I am going…there is always something LOL!)

5. If it takes less than 5 minutes do it now. (Reply to that email, write that check, mail a birthday card, return a quick phone call. If it needs to be done and takes less than 5 minutes I just do it. This is for actually important things, not for checking Pinterest real quick:)

6. Begin with the end in mind. (Another Stephen Covey gem, before beginning any project visualise the outcome to stay focused and also to determine if the juice is worth the squeeze.)

7. Do something creative each day. (Nuff said.)

8.Get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. (Lack of sleep will leave anyone irritable, sad and not at their best plus people who get more sleep live longer.)

9. Sharpen the saw. (S. Covey again here:) Spend some time each week challenging yourself to improve a skill)

1o. Be Lindsay. (This advice come from Gretchen Rubin. Don’t compare yourself to others, you don’t have to like what other people do, you don’t have to do what other people do and you don’t have to want what other people want.)

Here are the books I referenced in the video. I really found value in them and they are popular enough you can probably check them out from your library. In case you want to purchase them I have included amazon affiliate links.

• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R Covey
• The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
• The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
• 8 weeks to Optimum Health by Andrew Weil

Thanks for spending some time with me today and til next time happy crafting!