As part of my Lenten disciplines, I’ve begun practicing the KonMari method on my small corner of the house. A little over a week in and I’ve emptied my bedside table, replaced it with the small set of shelves from under my window (to create a prayer nook), emptied and removed a larger bookcase, and moved an armchair from the middle of the room over into the freed-up corner. I suddenly have floorspace. It’s astonishing.
The key to the method’s success, I suspect, is the combination of ruthlessness and charity. You must go through every item, making judgement on each one, and you must be brutally honest about how each item makes you feel. No shirking, no softening the truth to play nice.
But at the same time, it’s a constant affirmation of each discarded item as a gift, as a servant that served as best it could, the recurring “thank you for your service”–a steady wash of gratitude even for these things that are now unneeded or unwanted.
Hard work, but it brings with it much joy.
(The other major discipline this year is to absolutely give up internet access in the mornings and attempt to minimize using it at home in general–so far my productivity and general sense of wellbeing have both gone through the roof, so I think it’s a practice that will need to persist even after Easter.)
8 replies on “Trying out a cultural phenomenon”
Most excellent technique, and I empathize with parting with items of sentimental value (especially the tools I earn a living with). Such little sacrifices for the greater honour and glory of God are greatly underappreciated forms of prayer.
About 12 years ago I adopted “Sabbatine Privilege” for that Lent that year. I liked it so much that I took the full privilege for life. No meat Wed, Fri, and Sat.
(Excluding 1st class HDO’s when observing for life).
…if you do for life, BVM will personally appear and take your soul to judgement. For those of us who believe such 😉
There is certainly something appealing about that–I think next year’s Lenten project will be rebalancing my relationship with food. Perhaps I’ll wind up following in your foodsteps!
ETA: I like that accidental pun so much I’m not going to fix it.
I assume this method doesn’t allow for me just raking stuff into a bin and wheeling it to the curb without the slightest consideration or regret. I have also experienced joy and gratitude in that over the years.
Well, there are definitely items I’m discarding that fall into that category. 😉 But it’s very helpful for the things you want to get rid of but feel guilty over.
Thanks, I need some of that desperately!
It’s a very handy method if you’re looking to regain control of your possessions.
Good for you. We do not partake of lent at my church, but I think it’s great that some people really benefit from doing it.
It seems to work better than New Year’s resolutions, at the very least…