Surely you’ve heard of Marie Kondo, the queen of tidying up. Not only has the KonMari method improved the lives of many, it has taken over almost every form of media. First the book, then the Netflix series…

And now? My blog.

I’ve always been a fairly neat and organized person. A cluttered room adds unnecessary anxiety to my life that I would much prefer to avoid if at all possible. Therefore, I believe in the importance of taking a few minutes at the end of your day to tidy up.

That said, I just got back from my sophomore year of college and I’m surrounded by … things. So many things. Some are things that really ~spark joy~ and I use often (e.g., favorite clothes, everyday beauty essentials). The other stuff, I’m not so sure.

Since I got back home less than a week ago, I have only really unpacked my clothes and the essentials. Other than that, I have left my belongings in their respective duffel bags — too afraid to venture inside.

However, I’m not home for much longer before I need to pack up again and move into my Summer dorm. I have exactly two more weeks before I head back to W&M for psychology classes and research. Therein lies…

The Challenge

• How does a college student — still exhausted from final exams and moving out of her dorm — sort through all of her belongings and decide which few she wants to keep?
• How does she do it all by herself in less than two weeks?
• How does she make it somewhat enjoyable — after all, it is still Summer?

The Goals

• Scrutinize every object in my room and decide if it brings me ~joy~ or not.
• Organize the objects I decide to keep. Divide things into my Arlington home and my W&M dorm.
• Sell or donate unwanted items. If I can make some money off of this, all the better!
• Do all of this before I move into my Summer dorm on May 27th.
• Blog about it. (Duh.)

The Plan

I have two weeks before I drive down to Williamsburg — so, I have devised a plan to keep me on schedule and help me achieve my goals. I may stick to it perfectly, but it’s more likely that I’ll have to make some amendments along the way.

Here’s what I have planned as of now.

• Sunday, 5/12: Watch an episode of Tidying Up with Marie Kondo for inspiration. Take the before pics.
• Monday, 5/13 — Friday 5/17: Go through as many clothes as possible. Decide what stays in Arlington and what goes back to school. Make a box to donate/sell. Wash and fold the rest.
• Saturday, 5/18 — Sunday, 5/19: Bring box to Goodwill. Sell to friends.
• Monday, 5/20 — Wednesday, 5/22: Go through non-clothing objects.
• Thursday, 5/23 — Friday, 5/24: Deep clean all surfaces. Pack for Williamsburg. Take the after pics.

I have also a few ideas regarding how to retain my sanity during this experience.

• Make a killer Spotify playlist and blast it 24/7.
• Drink water and take exercise breaks.
• Watch one (1) episode of Tidying Up with Marie Kondo every day for research and motivation.
• Invite a friend over to serve as contact with the real world.

Accountability

In order to hold myself accountable over the course of the next two weeks, I plan to write some follow-up blog posts. There will be some glorious before-and-after pictures, as well as some tips and tricks that I stumble upon during my experience. Keep an eye out for these posts if this is something that you’d enjoy!

If anyone else has used the KonMari method in the past or is planning to use it in the future, please comment down below! I would love to share experiences and to know that I’m not alone in my decluttering adventure.

Wish me luck as I begin my journey of tidying up. In the meantime, ~spark joy, ladies~