New Year, New You, Right?
It’s nearly the end of January, how are you doing with your New Year’s goals? A constant goal of ours that never seems to be accomplished fully is decluttering and getting rid of things we don’t need any more that are just taking up space. It is also a goal shared by many others worldwide! So much so that there are several movements devoted to accomplishing this goal. On one hand, you have the minimalists (who range from total minimalism to those who use the principles to help them declutter) and on the other, you have the rest of us who have good intentions and may have little bursts of enthusiasm but ultimately seem to be losing the war.
No more! We are here to help. Inspired by the new Netflix show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo and drawing on minimalism principles here are a few questions you can ask yourself to boost your decluttering efforts:
1. Does it bring you joy; or as Marie Kondo puts it, does it “spark” joy?
Rather than looking at the mess and clutter negatively, this approach encourages us to appreciate what we have, focus on keeping those things that truly add value and joy to our lives and then letting all the rest go.
2. Does it have sentimental value?
There is a special place for these objects as they are strongly tied to precious memories. For that reason, some items are definitely worth holding onto, but you will need to be smart about it and limit their number.
3. Does it have a practical use?
Some items are not linked to joy or your heartstrings, but you need and use them on a daily basis. If you haven’t looked at or used these items in a few months, you might need to consider whether you really need them.
4. Do you have another item that fulfils the same purpose?
Do you have duplicates of the same item, for just “in-case”, which are perhaps hand-me-downs or the result of merging two homes? These can be major clutter-bugs and take up unnecessary space.
Asked the questions? Now what?
It’s easy to get overwhelmed with what seems like a mammoth task but the trick is to simply tackle one small space at a time. To test this these key questions we asked two ladies whose goal it is this year to be more organised and reduce the clutter in their homes. They both started in their cupboards and specifically with their shoes.
Leanne share about her decluttering dilema.
“I was given three pairs of high-quality shoes, almost brand new. They were beautiful, but every time I even thought of wearing them I’d want to cry because the pain they inflicted on my poor feet, when I did wear them, was just unbearable! I hung onto all three pairs for more than 2 years because I felt I couldn’t afford to buy new ones, that it was a waste to give away new shoes and that I might need them for an occasion one-day. But I NEVER wore them. With difficulty, I decided to let them go and to fill the gap by rewarding myself with a good quality pair of comfortable Shwezu Low Wedges. I wear them ALL the time and no longer cringe at the idea of putting them on because they are more comfortable than my slippers. Wearing slipper-like shoes all day … now that idea ‘sparks my joy.'”
Katelyn confesses that many of the shoes she has in her cupboard she keeps because they are still wearable (not worn out) but in truth, are not really her style anymore. Recently, she ordered a pair of Shwezu Low wedges – Diamond Circles and this is what she had to say after wearing them just a few times”
“I have a pair of low wedges and they are my favourite shoes for a whole variety of reasons. They match so many of my outfits, are super comfy and I tend to get a lot of compliments when wearing them. Even just seeing a picture of them on the website makes me smile at the memory of how they make me feel.”
Looking at our questions, these shoes clearly spark joy, are practical (as they match many outfits) and are comfortable. By choosing to keep the pair she really loves, Katelyn can now get rid of say, three pairs she feels aren’t really ‘her’.
So once you have cut down your shoe collection, take a look at our collections to fill any new gaps you might have. Visit www.shwezu.co.za to see more.
