from the Gospel according to Julie Morgenstern

[saffronhare]

FlyLady sure provides the day-to-day action plan that helps me keep my home (relatively) clean, but Julie Morgenstern really puts words to my drive to organize and stay de-cluttered as a general principle. Sure, part of it is my neurotic preparation to relocate my household within 72 hours. You know, just because. But a big part of it is a desire to focus on what's important and jettison the rest. Why should I dust it if I don't love it? Why should I keep it if it doesn't give me joy? Why should I pack and move it if I don't use it?

In a very odd way, this approach also supports my latent environmental tendencies. When I acquire less, then I decrease (or at least don't increase) my carbon footprint. And, when I possess less stuff, then I require less literal square footage for the footprint of my home in order to keep it.

It will surprise nobody that my Franklin Planner pages for this year come from the collection designed around JM's books and methodology. Today's excerpt is kind of nifty (emphasis hers):

"I promise that organizing from the inside out focuses not on getting rid of things but on identifying what is important to you and finding homes for those items. This is a much more gentle, practical approach."
~ Julie Morgenstern, Organizing from the Inside Out, p. 53

Comments

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

Well, yeah. It's kind of an internal conversation about value and volume and emotional weight allowances and such. Sometimes, that conversation shifts due to space available; sometimes, it doesn't.

This isn't to say that there's no room for sentimentality in the possessions we have. Just...you know...prioritize. Use it, display it, love it. Consider whether every little "dragon tear" from every single ritual is really important to keep. You get the idea.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

You get the idea.

And how. =D