Post 7/ Bookin’ It Through Books
Photo of Books in the “Donated” category Being Gifted to the Little Free Library
2024, An example of how gifting life to your items that aren’t giving you joy, can also be freed.
“The most common reason for not discarding a book is, “I might read it again”.
Take a moment to count the number of books that you have actually read more than once. Sometimes means never.”
The calculation
Days tidying: 5
items tossing: 8 (no books got tossed!)
items donating: 200
items selling: 65
items kept: 357 (this includes all clothes, accessories, and books)
Total items tidied: 630
Total $ from sold tidied goods:
$ 233.12 [a few more items sold on poshmark]
My tidying cost equation:
(sold tidied items) - (tidying supplies cost) = net cost:
$233.12 - $477.27 = (-244.15) —> My costs rose by $60 since I ordered the trashie
The confidence I can complete this project:
45%. The results of tidying are really starting to show. Jared’s parents made a surprise visit this past weekend, and even they noticed the fruits of our labor which felt so rewarding. Marie Kondo says once you start, you won’t want to stop—and while I’ve definitely caught the bug, papers this upcoming week feels like a daunting task. Part of me just wants to pause and appreciate our progress.
Alright, books—you were fun!
How are our fellow bookworms doing out there?
I'm not a big bookworm myself, while my partner Jared reads around six books a year. So, it was a surprise to find we had 130 books. Following Marie Kondo’s advice to only keep books you’d reread, we narrowed it down to 15 "Hall of Famers." These were easy to identify as the books we'd absolutely revisit.
When Marie Kondo first tidied her own books, she reduced her collection to 100. If you find yourself with more books than you intended to keep, but still feel unsatisfied, consider a second round. This time, ask, “Which books would be impossible to let go?” or “Which ones would I definitely re-purchase if I needed to read them again?” For me, that’s titles like *A Handmaid’s Tale* by Margaret Atwood, *The New I Do* by Susan Pease Gadoua and Vicki Larson, *Sapiens* by Yuval Noah Harari, *Atlas of the Heart* by Brené Brown, and *Meditations on the Mat* by Rolf Gates. These are books I’d even consider upgrading to a first edition someday—they’ll be there whenever I need fresh perspective.
The “Hall of Famers” are the easy ones. But then there are those that offer moderate pleasure, books with messages that touched you and you might want to read again. Here’s, where I believe, the Kindle shines. If you find yourself thinking, “I really want this knowledge accessible,” ask, “Do I want it in my long-term digital library, or do I want to read it soon (like, within the next three months)?”
If it’s for the long-term, consider buying and downloading it to keep in your Kindle collection, free from physical clutter. If it’s something you want to read soon, set it aside on a special shelf for books on your “to-read” list.
When all was said and done, I discovered I had five categories for my books:
Hall of Famers - These are books I know I’ll read again and would consider purchasing as collector’s editions. They’re engrained in how I live now and include self-help, reference, spiritual books, or novels that profoundly impact me.
Reading, Physical - These are books I thought I’d read by now! They’re often recommendations from friends, gifts from colleagues, or works by respected authors in my field. I’ve set aside a specific shelf for these, as a physical reminder to read them, then either discard or add them to the Hall of Famers, dependent on how they impact me.
Reading, Kindle - These are books I don’t feel compelled to read immediately, but want to have on hand. My Kindle acts as a gentle reminder that I already have a curated collection waiting for me, especially when tempted to buy the latest New York Times bestseller. It helps me revisit past intentions, rather than always reaching for something new.
Selling - These are mostly Jared’s collectibles, like comics, magazines, first editions, and signed copies, meant for resale on sites like AbeBooks.
Donated - These are books I’ve read but didn’t find impactful, or books I impulsively bought with no real interest. I’m happy to pass them along to someone else who might enjoy them.
You can use the Psyche Butterfly Google Sheet to categorize all your books like mine, too.
With books done (and my sunglasses and miscellaneous earrings finally sorted), it’s time for papers. Ugh. Here we go! I’m reminding myself not to stress—KonMari’s rule of thumb is to “Discard Everything.” While that’s not entirely realistic, it is realistic to divide papers into three categories:
1) Currently in Use
2) Needed for a Limited Period
3) Must Keep Indefinitely
So, lay down your canvas drop cloth (or whatever workspace you’re using), gather all your papers—mail, contracts, journals, receipts, envelopes, and assembly manuals—and dump them here. This upcoming week will get messy, so if you have a paper shredder, keep it within reach.
Suggestions for This Week
1. Finalize Your AbeBooks Account
As we tidy, remember one of Psyche Butterfly’s key distinctions from the KonMari Method: our focus on conscious "ridding." We look for recyclable options, donation centers, and selling platforms like AbeBooks. I found out Poshmark doesn’t allow book sales, so I went through the process of setting up a Seller account on AbeBooks, which was more time-consuming than expected. Note: Unlike Poshmark, AbeBooks requires approval before you can begin selling.
Quick Tips for AbeBooks Setup:
Seller Policies: Don’t include any URLs linking outside AbeBooks (e.g., your website or social media).
Shipping: AbeBooks requires items to be shipped within 48 hours of purchase, so you may need to plan trips to USPS more frequently.
2. Gather Paper Storage Supplies (Optional)
Remember when we rounded up all our supplies for this journey? The file boxes may have seemed niche, but they’re for Marie Kondo’s recommended file folder system, which organizes papers into three categories:
Currently in Use (e.g., grocery checklist. coupon, wedding rsvp)
Needed for a Limited Time (e.g., doctor’s bill)
Must Keep Indefinitely (passport, birth certificate —> divided into frequently and infrequently used items)
Per the KonMari Method, you only need three places in the home for papers. For your Currently In Use and your Needed for a Limited Time papers, dedicate an envelope box or your fridge magnets for those temporary records. For your Must Keep Indefinitely papers, your Office Max file folder(s) will sort papers by frequent use and non-frequent use.
Congrats on completing the book category! While I continue selling clothes on Poshmark, I’ll keep you posted on my experience with AbeBooks.
Next up, we’re dedicating two weeks to papers. With sentimental notes and diaries in abundance, I expect to hit a few emotional roadblocks (even though Marie suggests saving sentimentals for last). So, as we settle into Halloween and begin preparing for Thanksgiving, let’s use this time to slowly and intentionally work through our papers.
Catch you next week! I hope your books are already finding new homes and inspiring new readers out there 🎃 👻
The "Preparation"
Optional Items to Purchase
Paper Storage Apparatus / Office Max File Folders
Clear and see through are what the KonMari method recommends. I went with these. [$32.99]
Tasks To Do
Finalize Your AbeBooks Seller Account.
Take a minute to Clean Up Your Tidying Workspace, give it a vacuum, and prepare to dump all your papers here. You’ve got two weeks ahead to give all papers and your house systems’ for paper, you attention. Take a breath so we can keep moving with joy, through our tidy marathon.
