Tidy Up, Change Your Life?

Now that I'm officially an empty nester, my last child having decided to live this summer at her college, I have this incredible urge to "tidy up." It's like I've just woken up after my long stint with mothering (25 years), and looking around and seeing my surroundings for the first time.

I'm cringing at what I see.

When a friend mentioned to me the book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo, I read the reviews and decided to get it right away (eBook and audio book). I knew her approach–change your mindset–is exactly what I need.

Marie Kondo says that she is absolutely convinced that everyone can keep his or her space in order, and that when you do that, your whole life will change dramatically.

I'm game! (Anyone want to join me?)

So the first thing she says is, you have to thoroughly reassess your habits and assumptions about tidying.

Uh-oh.

Immediately I think exactly what she mentions: "I'm disorganized by nature," "I can't do it," "I don't have time," and also: "Whatever I do will be undone by my not so tidy husband." But she says by the time I finish the book, I willl be ready and willing.

Tidying up has far more to do with the accumulation of mistaken notions about tidying. I can also see that it's pulling up all kinds of "heart issues" for me. Fear of throwing things away ("I might need it someday" which is really "not enough" programming). Guilt at having accumulated so much stuff; shame at not having done this long ago….

Well, I know what to do with those–Healing Codes!

If anyone would like to join me in this adventure, "Like" my Healing Codes Coaching Facebook page, where I can update you on the issues that come up for me and how I'm healing them and progressing. You can also share your adventure too if you like, there or as a comment here on this blog.

Let the tidying up begin!