Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter

Beware the Manic Purge

Last Friday, at 11:30 at night, my daughter decided to purge her room a la Marie Kondo. While I have the utmost respect for Ms. Kondo, I seriously doubt that she would ever toss things out into the living room with total abandon. Nor would she purge to the point where I think I may have to go buy her some new dresses before we go to Florida to visit my Dad next week.

I know moving fast feels good, but it can also be a little dangerous. Just as I discourage my clients from constantly adding clothes to their closets without ever letting go, I also worry when they start throwing out willy-nilly. As with everything in life, you usually get the best results when you bring a level of calmness and focus to a project, rather than frantic or manic energy.

And when you are purging at a breakneck pace, it can be easy to make mistakes. You might throw out something that just looks like a ribbon, and then days or weeks later realize it was the belt to a summer dress. You could toss a seemingly random button that you discover too late came off your favorite jacket.

I’m not discouraging you from letting go. I’m just saying that as much as it might feel good to ride some late-night, caffeine-induced wave of energy, it’s probably not the best approach. Hey, if this stuff was so easy, I wouldn’t have a job.

All of that said, my daughter’s room looks great, and I’m actually excited to buy her a new dress for Florida. Enthusiasm—and bursts of energy—can happen any time, but the trick is to learn to temper them with caution, because you don’t want to be wasteful, you just want less clutter.