How I Organized My Desk Using The KonMari Method

While I was in Target a couple of weeks ago, I spotted the book, The Life – Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. The KonMari method of organizing.

I had read other blog posts on this decluttering  method. It was intriguing so I purchased the book. That began my journey into organizing my cluttered and hopelessly bulging desk drawers.

Book Summary

The Life – Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.

This book is written by a professional organizer based in Japan. Marie Kondo has studied the art of organizing her entire life and she explains how she arrived at her method of decluttering.  She basically tells you to where to begin your journey into an organized household.

She has set up several categories that need to be done in order. Clothing is first on the list. You are instructed to dump every article of clothing you own onto the floor. That means every item in your closets and drawers. Then pick up each item, if it sparks joy, then keep it. If not donate or toss it. No rationalizing allowed.

This is not a quick process but one that Marie promises will be long lasting. You will less inclined to undo all your hard work. Organization is after all an ongoing task.

What I liked best about the KonMari method is, she gives you permission to get rid of something.

Spark Joy

Too often I hang onto things for the wrong reasons. She has a great explanation of why it is okay to let an item go. For example, the item has served its purpose when you first got the item. Whether it was given to you or you purchased it. That was it’s purpose. As a gift, you were happy to receive it. If this was something you purchased, you were happy then. When the item has stopped having meaning to you (spark joy) then the item needs to go.

There are many other categories. Paper being one of the last. So, I didn’t  go exactly by the book. This book is an inspiration to get into those areas that you need to.

My Desk Decluttering Using the KonMari Method

This desk was an area I absolutely did not want to delve into. I have NEVER cleaned it out. It has held every piece of paper I ever shoved into it. Oh sure, I had tried to file the papers but it will only fit so much.

So many memoires are in this desk. I knew it would take forever to go through.  And it did. Yeah, not really.

Given my new found permission to rid the desk of paper and such, I began. One drawer at a time was emptied on the floor. Each item picked up, held for an emotion then sorted to toss, keep in the desk or move to another location. The KonMari method served me well. My most joyful moment was when I discovered a forgotten picture of my son at age two. He is now in his twenties. That joy was the measurement I used for all the items in the desk.

For one week, I would shred papers each evening. Floppy disks, old receipts, checks from closed bank accounts all hit the shredder. I threw away now defunct software, computer games, manuals from items we no longer owned. Brochures, Disney itineraries, business cards. It all went. Shamefully, I am still trying to get rid of papers. I have only a couple of more files to go.

I  found new places for many things that had no purpose being in a desk drawer.

I removed the many photo albums along with packets of developed pictures, old cameras, toys.

My desk now holds the proper office items. Files, tape dispenser, stapler, pens, scissors, and the like. The drawers still need dividers but now I can find the things I need without dumping the contents of the entire drawer.

 The Roll Top Desk

When we first moved to Tennessee,  one of our first purchases was a roll top desk. It was a desk  kit that was made of real wood, unstained and put it together yourself project. We labored over this desk. Lovingly putting all the drawers together. Marveling at the the beauty of the roll top which kept all the junk hidden when closed. We stained it and used a clear polyurethane to protect the finish. It survived many moves. It has held over thirty years of papers and what not.

I no longer love it.

A roll top desk is not functional. It is great at hiding clutter but there is no work surface. This desk served as a storage unit. Not what I need now. I need a flat surface to work at. I had thought about buying a new desk but to get a solid wood desk would cost hundreds of dollars.

So, I removed the roll top part and am now left with a flat surface. There are grooves that I had to fill with wood putty that held the roll top in place.

Desk Makeover Plans

My plans are to sand down the top. Paint the entire desk. Replace the hardware. The weather is now warmer so I can take the desk outside to work on updating it. I am looking forward to working on this part.

You can see the finished desk is so much prettier and fully functional. Having removed the roll top, I like my desk now.

I am glad the organizing part is nearly finished. It feels really good to be rid of the old clutter.

Using the KonMari method, I found it to be very useful and enabled me to declutter my desk without guilt.  I highly recommend reading The Life – Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.