It all began with a wonder question posed by my husband as we contemplated what to do with the cluttered bookcase that takes up an entire wall in our 1875 home: Why would we keep a book?
This question was quickly followed by another: Do we really need to own it?
Hmm, I’d never thought of starting a project like that, but that’s how this latest round of decluttering began.
We could have followed Marie Kondo’s directives of moving all the books to the floor, holding each one, and asking if it sparks joy.
What we opted for instead was my slower, Spacious Way approach, supported by the list of guidelines that we’d generated earlier in the day. We decided together that…
We would keep a book if…
- We planned to read it
- It lifted our spirit – even if we never read it again
- We felt a sentimental attachment to it, like a vintage childhood book
- It offered reference material that was easier to reach for than the Internet
- It was a thing of beauty
With those guidelines in place, we went to work. It took us several days – clearing one shelf at a time, and stopping as soon fatigue, brain fog, and/or overwhelm began to set in. Our goal: get the books out of the house as soon as they were boxed, and ferry them to our local library in time for their sidewalk sale.
We also took some steps that made the process much less overwhelming. Here’s what we did and you can do too:
Clearing steps (one shelf at a time)…
- Gather some essentials to have on hand: a camera, a few sturdy boxes, a recycling bin, a trash can, a vacuum cleaner, and a pair of scissors or a black Sharpie (to remove names and inscriptions)
- Take a “before” photo
- Choose a shelf and vacuum it and each book
- Sort books into piles and clear them using my trusty “Four Pile” method (outlined below)
- Clear for beauty: thin out picture frames and art objects; move books around until the shelf or bookcase feels unified and beautiful
- Take an “after” photo
- Step back and revel in the lightness: notice how much brighter the room looks (it is palpable!) and how much more energy you feel
Four Pile Method of Sorting and Clearing
Whether you are culling books or other possessions, the four pile method will help you improve your efficiency. As I say in A Year for You, while this process was originally designed to help you move through your stuff quickly and efficiently, like a card dealer at a casino, I might suggest a different, slower approach: notice what happens when you attend to your piles more mindfully reverentially and beautifully.
Here’s how the Four Pile method can be applied to clearing a bookshelf or bookcase:
- STAY: This is the pile of books you are keeping. Group them by theme on the shelf (e.g. Health, Home, How-to, Children’s, Spirituality, Coffee Table, Travel, etc.); and/or simply move them around to refresh the space.
- GO: This is the pile of books you are giving away. Take a photo of any book covers or inscriptions that you want to honor or remember. Remove any identifying names and inscriptions before placing in boxes. Bless and release them on the way out the door.
- THROW: This is the pile for any books or items you are discarding or recycling. Anything that is longer useful or is stuck inside books, like tattered old brochures, business cards, notes, or sales receipts used as bookmarks goes into this pile.
- DON’T KNOW: This is your “dilemma” pile. If, after a few days, you still can’t decide whether these books stay or go, keep them for the time being and place in visible location where you’re likely to see them. Be sure to give them a new shelf or “home” to mitigate potential “stuck energy.”
Moving stuck energy
Most people who know me as the expert space clearer, are surprised when I tell them I am not clutter-free. (Yet.) Yes, I still have squirrel tendencies. I still find it hard to let go of some things (and judge myself for having them). I still feel some of the less charming side-effects of clutter clearing: my feet still ache, my clothes smell, and I get wiped out.
What’s different here is that I’ve had a lot of practice. I can read the signs and I attend to these disturbing effects as soon as they come up. I know that all that stinky, smoggy mess of clearing is a sign of stuck energy getting unstuck. And like with detoxing, clearing stuck energy doesn’t always feel very good.
I also know that what is waiting for me on the other side of fog and discomfort, is a sublime clarity and lightness of being.
The sparkling afterglow!
What can I say? With three giveaway boxes delivered, one huge recycle bin gone, and a lot of musical-chair book placing and replacing, I feel like I’m floating. Everything feels amazing.
I walk into the room several times a day now to stare at our sparkly bookcase. I marvel at the beauty of fewer objects placed with love; book groupings with room to breathe. I love pulling out a book and cradling it like it’s a long lost family member.
It never gets old.
Clearing is the best mood elevator I know. And it costs nothing but a little time, energy, and a willingness to “go there” – to move through the thoughts and feelings that are encoded in our things, just waiting to be loved up and healed.
Your turn…
What are you ready to clear this week, today, now? Tell us in the comment thread. We’d love to know.
And PS, If you could use a little daily conscious clutter clearing support, get a copy of Your Spacious Self and work with one chapter a day for 6 weeks. It will inspire you and help you gain some traction.
Happy clearing!
