I have begun packing again. As luck would have it Marie Kondo has started taking North America by storm. She has published several books and has a series on Netflix.
I was a little skeptical when I started but there is definitely a method to her madness. In her show she talks about holding each item and considering if it “sparks joy”. I found it very difficult to determine if I felt a spark of joy over a pair of socks. What I found very helpful however, was the concept of “does this thing have a place in my future.”
My future is in Japan. In a small town outside of Utsunomiya with my husband. With this thought in mind it was very easy to reduce the number of items I am hanging onto. I went though our clothes and ended up donating 15 or more kitchen garbage bags worth of clothing. Keep in mind, I just did this a year ago when we moved from Newmarket.
I was pleased to read this article on the CBC which noted the increase in donations as a result of the “Marie Kondo method” just like me. I couldn’t help but also note the method’s happy interlocking with the FIRE movement.
Although Ms. Kondo never judges anyone on her show; you never hear her ask, “why are you keeping THAT?” Her customers can often be seen asking it themselves. For example the guy that has 250 pairs of sneakers, most of which have never been worn. Instead, she simply asks her customers to decide what is and isn’t worth hanging onto. The underlying message is only buy those things that truly bring you joy. Otherwise, save your money.