NOTE: This post was originally published on my previous blog, Recovering Shopaholic.
My post on how my husband and I downsized our large book collection was very well received, and many readers told me they’d like to see more content from me on the topic of de-cluttering. Toward the end of that post, I mentioned that we had also applied the “KonMari Method” to our compact disc collection. Today, I recount that process and share the insights learned along the way.
Do you have a lot of these lying around?
On Music Collections
We didn’t start out with an insanely huge music collection. Between the two of us, we had exactly 400 compact discs. This pales in comparison to the stash of a guy I dated long ago, who owned 2000 CDs, all arranged in alphabetical order on four racks that filled an entire wall of his living room. In hindsight, I should have seen those impeccable racks as a red flag of an overly controlling person who approached his relationships with the same type of “things must be just so” attitude. But you know what they say about hindsight being 20/20…
Anyway, my husband’s and my music collection wasn’t even in plain view. In this modern age of iTunes, we had painstakingly digitized each disc long ago (using the “Royal we” here, as I’m the one who did the work!). The actual discs were stowed away in boxes at my mother-in-law’s house less than a mile away. In fact, we had completely forgotten about those boxes when we believed we’d reached our goal of getting all of our stuff out of her house by the end of last year. It wasn’t until I read “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo that I was reminded of yet another household category that needed to be “tidied.”
Using the “KonMari Method”
Marie Kondo doesn’t specifically address music collections in her book, but her “KonMari Method” can be effectively applied to virtually every area of our possessions. Since we had experienced such great success in downsizing our book collection, I was inspired to take on another household category. My immense paper/file stash still felt too daunting to address, so I enrolled my husband in de-cluttering our compact disc collection. So he hauled the four heavy boxes from his mother’s garage to our living room two weekends ago.
Just as we had done with our books on the previous Saturday, we stacked the compact discs on our living room floor. We then went through them disc by disc and asked ourselves,
Does this CD spark joy?”
In some cases, the answer was “No” for one of us but “Yes” for the other. One affirmative answer was enough for a disc to remain in our collection. As with our books, we had to sometimes ask some follow-on questions, as the “sparks joy” query didn’t always elicit an immediate response. Other questions we pondered included:
- “Does this CD add value to my life?” (a similar question to the above, but with a slightly different slant)
- “Do I see myself listening to this music again soon?”
- “Do I even still like this music?”
Tastes and Preferences Change
Most of the music we owned pre-dated our relationship, even though we’ve been together for almost sixteen years. All of it had sparked joy within us at one point in time, but tastes and preferences change. Just as we often don’t love the clothes we purchased two decades ago (if we even still own them), we don’t always feel inspired to listen to the music of yesteryear. Of course, some artists we loved long ago still stir passion in our souls. There’s no way I’d even consider letting go of my Depeche Mode and Duran Duran CDs (yes, I was a child of the 80’s – and I still am that girl!). But other groups we used to swoon over now leave us feeling lukewarm at best. What we love changes – and that’s okay!
We had a few duplicates within our collection, so it was a no-brainer to pass at least one of them on. If the artist and songs still sparked joy, one copy of the disc was retained. Otherwise, both were slated to move out the door. If we couldn’t remember an artist or album, we followed Kondo’s advice regarding books. She recommended that books not be opened and read during the “tidying” process, so we also didn’t listen to any of our CDs. If we couldn’t conjure the music in our heads and feel excitement about the tunes and words, it was time to let that particular disc go.
A Speedier Process – and the End Result
The CD de-cluttering process proceeded much quicker than downsizing our books. In fact, it probably only took about an hour to complete. Once again, our curious cat, Sprite, decided to get in on the action and “help” with the process. Our other cat, Coco, observed from a safe distance (she’s older and more camera-shy).
When all was said and done, we opted to cull over half of our compact disc collection. While we elected to keep 187 discs, another 213 were slated to be passed on. Although we neglected to take a photo of all of the CDs laid out on the floor, we did capture a few shots of the end result.
All of our CDs separated out into what we’re keeping (table) and purging (floor).
These are the 187 CDs that we decided to keep.
And these are the 213 CDs that we passed on (and Sprite hamming it up for the camera).
An Often Neglected Step
After we decided which discs were staying and which were going, there was another step in the process. We had to delete the culled music from our iTunes library. I realize that many people would probably omit this step. They might think, “What’s the difference? The other music isn’t taking up any physical space in my home.” Well, that’s true, but there are a couple of other things to consider.
For one, only one person is legally allowed to own a copy of purchased music. If we were to donate or sell the actual discs and retain the digitized music in our personal library, we’d technically be breaking the law. While I doubt that the authorities will take the time to follow up on such things, it’s still something to consider. I have to admit, however, that I didn’t even think about this until my husband mentioned it. There was a second and more important reason why I wanted to update my iTunes library.
What Clothes and Music Have in Common
A clothing analogy can help me to illustrate my point. Most of us have had the experience of losing sight of our favorite clothes in the midst of a packed closet full of ill-fitting and unloved garments. It’s so much harder to get dressed every day with an overly large wardrobe, especially when one has a lot of pieces they never even wear in the mix.
Well, the same thing is true with our music collections. I’ve often tried to put together a workout playlist and struggled to find songs I loved mixed in with all of the ho-hum and “What’s this?” tunes. It’s much easier for us to find the clothes – and the songs – we love when that’s all we have! That’s the reason for my LIWI Challenge and why I opted to update my iTunes collection.
On Virtual Clutter and Keeping the Actual Discs
In addition, our virtual information still occupies energy in our minds and in our hearts. While your overflowing email box won’t lead to embarrassment when guests visit your home, it sure can sap you of much-needed energy and vitality when you look at it. I never used to understand the impact of digital clutter, but it’s definitely non-trivial. Now that I realize how much my information overload adversely impacts my life, I’m bound and determined to conquer all of it. My paper files are next on my “KonMari” attack plan, so stay tuned.
Some of you may wonder why we opted to keep any of the actual discs at all, especially since I had digitized all of them and we have the songs in our iTunes library. Well, what if my computer were to die a premature death? I’m not sure if I would be able to access my iTunes library or not in that case, but I don’t want to take any chances. There’s also the possibility that I might one day want to listen to the actual disc the “old school” way. Plus, we never know what new technology looms around the corner that might require having the original version of the music.
While we still have our remaining CDs stored in their jewel cases in the boxes shown above, we’re considering some space-saving ideas. We may opt to purchase a case with plastic sleeves which can hold all of our compact discs in a smaller space than that occupied by the boxes. That way, we can divest ourselves of the jewel cases (after all, all song lyrics are easily obtained online these days) and store the CDs in less than a quarter of the space. We’ll likely take care of that soon, but for now, we’re just happy to have downsized and only retained the music that still makes our hearts sing.
Getting Rid of the Culled Discs
The final step in the process was to get rid of the culled discs. A quick internet search revealed that there were a few compact disc resale stores in our area. After reading reviews on Yelp, we opted to avoid one local store whose proprietor had chased a customer out of his store while hurling obscenities at her (I’m sure there is more to the story than she let on, but we still thought it best to take our business elsewhere).
We found another store close by that was a bonafide relic from the 70’s. The owner looked like he was straight out of Woodstock and he was burning incense behind the counter. The CD he was blaring sounded like the alcohol-addled ramblings of a drunk man set to psychedelic music. I have no idea who it was, but it was an assault on my ears.
We were forced to listen to this “music” while the proprietor thumbed through our CD boxes to see if he wanted to purchase anything. He finally settled on approximately 30 discs, for which he offered us a total of $35. Not much, but better than nothing… After we took the money and escaped the noise, I asked my husband if he wanted to try to unload some of the other discs at another resale store. He felt it wasn’t really worth our efforts, so we took the rest of the discs to the local Goodwill and went home.
Peeling Away the Layers Toward Clarity
It feels good to have another area of our home pared down. It feels like peeling an onion. The more layers that are peeled away, the more peaceful I feel. I am coming to agree with Marie Kondo, who attributes “life-changing magic” to the process she calls “tidying.” I now strongly believe in the veracity of the following Kondo quote:
When you put your house in order, you put your affairs and your past in order, too. As a result, you can see quite clearly what you need in life and what you don’t.”
I know it may seem hard to believe that downsizing our books, CDs, papers, and clothing can help to increase our clarity and improve our lives, but it’s true! I still don’t have the clarity I desire, but I believe it may be just around the corner. So I’m going to keep peeling away that which is not needed in my home – and in my wardrobe – and trust that the answers I want in my life will appear. Who wants to join me on this journey?
Your Thoughts?
I’d love to get your thoughts on how de-cluttering (“tidying”) has improved your life and on your experiences with the “KonMari Method.” If you have any suggestions for paring down a music collection – or any other type of collection, I welcome those, too. Please feel free to share your insights in the comments section of this post.
Before I sign off, I’d like to thank those who took the time to post a review of my book, “End Closet Chaos: Wardrobe Solutions from an Ex-Shopaholic,” on Amazon this week (and those who did so previously). I appreciate your reading the book and sharing your thoughts. If anyone else has any thoughts they want to share about “End Closet Chaos,” the more the merrier (click here for the review form).
My Wardrobe, Myself 
I just finished reading “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying” for the second time. I also just used the KonMari method to tidy my closet. I got rid of 6 giant bags of clothes and one bag of trash. Got all my clothes back in one closet. Emptied all the clear plastic bins I’d been storing clothes in, too. I thanked each item for what it taught me – the full, long skirts that taught me I look better in short, straight skirts, the too wide, too short T-shirts that I shouldn’t buy certain brands any longer, the unworn shoes that taught me to not buy shoes online during a three day snow storm and then not pay attention to the return policy! I could go on and on. I felt great joy and gratitude at the end of the day.
Most of the items I donated to a local charity shop that supports victims of domestic violence and that provides free clothing to people who are victims. It was great to see how happy the volunteers were to get so much good stuff. Other things like unused makeup and hair things I am giving to a friend of mine who leads her church’s youth group in a poor rural community nearby. Those teenage girls love my “mistakes.”
It was without a doubt the most uplifting clean out I have ever done. I chose what to keep, not what to throw away. My closet feels so airy and restful. I can’t wait to tidy all the other areas of my house. This book is really the best I have ever encountered on this subject. I truly believe it will be life changing.
Thanks so much for sharing your experiences with the KonMari Method, Anne, and congrats on the wonderful success you experienced! I love that you thanked the items you released for what they taught you. I need to do the same and perhaps I will add commentary on that to my accountability reports, as it would put a more positive spin on letting things go. I should have mentioned the part about choosing what to keep instead of what to let go of, as that is a really key concept from the book. Thanks for bringing that up here. I agree that the book can definitely be life-changing and I wish you the best with the positive changes it is bringing about for you.
Decluttering really does feel like an onion being pealed, like all the superfluous things are removed and what remains is important. This is so freeing.
I totally agree, Kathy. It is very freeing to let go of all of the superfluous things in our homes. It can be pretty addictive, too, but in a good way!
Debbie, your posts are always such food for thought. I have just read Marie Kondo’s book for the second time and I am beginning my process of “tidying” tomorrow. I am excited and nervous, but looking forward to the whole process. It is encouraging to read how this is affecting you in a positive way. The challenge for me will be to have my husband join me in this process if he is willing. He grew up in a house with a real hoarder and it has influenced him, but I am hopeful! My daughter decluttered her room and video games on her own just a few weeks ago. Things are already more peaceful.
I have a serious shopaholic problem and I am hoping that by doing the Konmari Method, I will get clear out the clutter to see what I really need. You give me hope that I can conquer this beast!
Lori – Best wishes as you start this process. It is freeing but anxiety producing as well. I feel drained today after my tidying yesterday. I feel like I let too much go. But I am focusing on gratitude for the clothes that served me well and taught me lessons and on the joy I feel for the clothes that remain.
I’m glad you enjoyed this post, Lori. I will likely read Marie Kondo’s book again, too, as I think I would get more out of it the second time around. Best wishes with getting your husband to join you in the “tidying” process. Sometimes the best way is to start with your own things (I think Kondo mentioned that) and let him see the positive effects you experience from downsizing. It sounds like your daughter can be a positive role model for him, too! I think that the KonMari Method will be helpful for you. I know that Kondo says to start with clothes because they are the easiest, but that is probably not the case for those of us who struggle with compulsive shopping. If it feels better to start elsewhere, I encourage you to do it. I am feeling more open to letting go of more clothes after “tidying” the books and CDs. I am seeing more and more how great it feels to only have what we love around us.
Anne, I can see how it would be anxiety producing to KonMari your clothes. I think the worry about letting too much go is normal, but your focus on gratitude is very healthy and positive. I think having such a focus will really serve you well and the anxiety will lessen as the days go by.
I’ve done a similar process every few years – especially as I still have a lot of heavy but irreplaceable classical music and jazz LPs. I am working on a digital music library which I hope will allow me to cull further. Alas, many of the recordings of my earlier-format music are not available digitally so I will at some point have to make the hard decision as to whether to move the LPs at least on final time or whether to let them go. However, I should point out that counting all my LPs and CDs I have about 100 items total. I only buy music that I think I will like forever; the rest I listen to on-line or borrow from the library. Very little pop music stands the test of time, alas! I am way too cheap to spend my hard-earned $$ on this month’s flash-in-the-pan. (There are a few exceptions: Adele, etc.) However, I still listen to my jazz LPs and CDs all the time.
Have you considered using a digitizing service for the LPs you want to cull? I don’t remember any names off hand but I know there are many places that do this every time the technology changes (LP to tapes, tapes to CDs, etc). It might be worthwhile to preserve them, especially if you know you will listen to them more in a digital format.
It sounds like you have a really great music collection, Dottie. I am really happy with ours after we downsized. I used to buy CDs too readily back in the 90’s and didn’t even recognize some of the groups anymore! It was all part of the same shopaholic mentality I had with clothes, but I stopped overbuying music much sooner. I think Sarah’s idea for using a digitizing service is a great one. I’m guessing such services aren’t all that expensive and could be a good way to go for those who have LPs and tapes of music they cherish. I let go of a bunch of tapes a while back because I felt they were obsolete, but I probably would have been happy to have had some of that music digitized. By the way, I agree that Adele is an exception to the pop “flash in the pan” rule. I love her music!
I’ve had another thought about clutter and how it creeps into our lives. When I was growing up, my closet and wardrobe were carefully patrolled by my mother. If I had outgrown (or was in the process of out-growing) clothing, it was passed along to a relative or family friend. Clothes were constantly on the move! (And thus were expected to survive 2 or 3 owners.) I had a just enough clothing for school, after school, and “Sunday Go To Meeting” (or special occasions). A jacket for play and one for church or school. One pair of boots. And so one. (We were not poor but my parents put their money into long-term investments like our education.) Ironically, my current wardrobe reflects this “austerity.” Over the years, there has been some upwards creep in number of items of clothing, but I generally beat this back with a periodic culling of clothing so that only the stuff I love and wear every day lives in my closet. Not unlike the closet of my childhood. My inner mother wins in the end.
Your mother taught you some good values, Dottie, and it’s good that you internalized her lessons. My mother was not a shopaholic, but she did hold on to far too many clothes and maintain a very full closet. I grew up thinking that was “normal.” Not that I blame my mother for my compulsive shopping, though. I have only myself to blame for that… I think that periodic clothing culls are a good idea for everyone and many can benefit from a “one in, one out” policy. Once we accumulate too much, it’s hard to fully utilize any of it. Far better to keep things lean and mean. What that entails varies by person and I think I still have too much, but it feels a lot better to have less and less over time.
Debbie, that sounds like a great quick project that has taken a big weight off your shoulders. Have you looked into any free cloud services like amazon music, dropbox, or google drive to store backups of your most important music? When I downsize my paper items, I scan them and back them up with two different cloud services so I can have the peace of mind that the physical items are no longer cluttering my life, but also that I won’t lose my special memories. I’m not sure how much storage space you would need for your music collection but you could try compressing the files first. I also agree with your idea for the CD envelope type organizer. Much more sane solution!
I haven’t been doing well curbing my shopping lately, as I’ve had a lot of personal stressors. At least I am now realizing that this is a trigger for me before I’ve done too much damage I can’t recover from. I am almost up to 1/2 of my yearly budget though, due to a NEW JOB (different dress code) that I start on the 30th!! Although I’m super duper happy about it, it’s going to be a challenging job and I’m a little bit anxious about it. But according to a quote I recently read – “If it’s both terrifying and amazing then you should definitely pursue it.”
I’m sure you can identify with anxiety and stress causing compulsive behaviors. I’m going to make a big effort over the next 2 months, while I do a no-buy, to make new outfits and makeup looks with the items I already have, and try to channel some of the stress into jogging or yoga, or finishing up my latest decluttering projects, or making some money with new items in my Etsy shop.
Thanks for sharing your ideas about the cloud services, Sarah. I will look into those options. I think we’d probably have to upgrade to a paid service because we still have a lot of music, but perhaps it won’t be very costly. I do have a Dropbox account for some key files and Google Drive account, too, but I never thought to use those services for the music.
Congrats on your new job! I know you’ve been looking for a while, so I’m happy you found something. Will you be relocating? I can definitely identify with stress and anxiety leading to overshopping, as those were two of my biggest triggers. I think that you have a good plan in place for re-channeling your energy into more productive areas. Once you actually start the job, you will probably feel less stressed, although there will be an adjustment period to go through. I wish you the very best of luck! If you need support with the shopping, we are here for you…
Thanks! I am really excited about it and I think with the warmer weather approaching it will be easier to get outside and focus on exercise and such. Not relocating at this time, but the job will be a great stepping stone and experience for when I do move in another 1 1/2 – 2 years. It sounds like forever now because I’m not really happy in this city, but I’m sure it will fly by. I also was able to donate a lot of now-too-big-pants and declutter some more papers yesterday so that made me feel a lot better 🙂 I updated my clothing tracking spreadsheet as well and my number of items has stayed steady so I think that’s a good sign, and I won’t be too hard on myself about the new things I bought for work. I think it just seemed like more because I returned several things that didn’t work for me (such cheap crappy fabric!!), and it felt like shopping was taking over my life a bit. Glad to be able to come here and talk with folks who get it!
It sounds like you’re on a good path, Sarah, with the new job, positive attitude, culling unneeded items, getting more organized, etc. I’m glad you’re not being too hard on yourself about the new clothing purchases. If your number of items has stayed steady and you were purposeful about what you bought and why, and you have slowed down your shopping now, it doesn’t sound bad at all. I hear you on the cheap crappy fabric! I return things often because of that, too. I’m glad you have put shopping into a better perspective now and I wish you all the best in the new job!
Do you feel that Dropbox or other cloud services are secure? I’m hesitant to store sensitive data there.
No, I would not store sensitive information like tax returns or anything. I use it primarily for scans of old cards or mementos from childhood, things like that. I’d recommend storing sensitive information on an encrypted drive locally. My computer has 2 hard drives so I generally store that type of information there. Plus, for really important documents, I also keep a paper copy – finances, legal documents, etc. I have one small file box of papers, and I think that’s a good balance.
As I mentioned in a previous post reply, I am an expatriate who has moved to live around the world many times. You get used to getting rid of stuff and treating it as stuff. Some friends who did a move from the USA to Australia lost their container at sea with all their posessions. It wasn’t the CD collection, or books, the plasma TV or cutlery that upset them – it was personal things they lost that upset them, everything else was replaceable.
I have agonised in the past whether or not to pack a particular this or that. And you know what, most of this stuff is replaceable if you really, really want. Mostly though, you never think of it again. It’s the same with storage. I remember leaving things in storage as I could not part with them at the time. As is common, when I went back to open the storage again later, I threw it all away wondering why on earth I’d stored this stuff that was no longer relevant to my current life.
I have not read Konmari but I suspect that what she is trying to teach is that there is so much we hold onto from the past which is no longer relevant to our presents or futures.
But I am in no way perfect on this matter. I do have a problem with my clothes and I find it incredibly difficult to get rid of them, even if I don’t wear them. After reading this post it got me thinking that maybe I hold on to them as they are the consistent things that represent that have accompanied me to all the different worlds I live. My cushion covers do not say anything about me and who I am, where I come from and the journeys I have taken to where I am today. But my clothes are something consistent and personal about me. I have some work to do on this area.
How sad about your friends losing all of their possessions, Carolyn! I can see how the personal things would be what is missed most. You’re right that everything else can be replaced. I can identify with what you wrote about storage units, too. My husband and I had one for 8 years and it was packed to the gills. We didn’t even know what we had in there and often ended up buying things we already owned. We also held on to a lot of past stuff that we didn’t really need. It felt good to get rid of the bulk of all of this stuff about 5 years ago. Now we’re gradually paring down the rest of it.
Your insights about the clothes sound right on. Sometimes it works best to pare down a little at a time instead of all at once, especially if there is a lot of anxiety about the process. It is a very individual thing. Some people do well culling a lot of clothes in one go, but I’ve done better letting go of things a little at a time. I explain about this in my “closet set point” post. You may have seen it before, as I know you’ve been reading for a while, but I’m posting the link here just in case you haven’t read it or want to revisit this concept: http://recoveringshopaholic.com/do-you-have-a-closet-set-point/
I had a come-to-Jesus experience with my music a few months ago when my phone ran so short of space that the camera wouldn’t work.
I went back and worked on my music collection. I didn’t ditch anything digital, but I made some playlists and only synch selected playlists with my phone. When I get tired of one playlist I go back and make another and replace it.
A lot of these things would be more useful if my music (and my photos) were tagged better. I have a lot of music and I’d like to be able to make playlists by specifying qualities of the music. I like to have a 15 minute playlist for when I go to the gym and lift weights. When the playlist is done (15 minutes) then I’m done. (You can tell I’m not the most enthusiastic weight lifter) So I’d like to be able to make thematic playlists, keeping it to 4 songs that are about 3-4 minutes each. I’d like one with brass instruments, another with pop songs, ones with love in the title— you get the picture. It’s great to have a big music collection, I just wish I could manipulate it more successfully.
I turned up an old iPod Nano and it will hold all my music, so if I really want everything it’s there. Truthfully, I like playlists better. They’re like my own radio stations.
Last summer, when I was preparing to purchase a new laptop, I spent several hours, each night, for a week organizing and cleaning out my iTunes collection. Yes, it was time I could have spent doing something else, but I now only have tunes/albums/artists I love in my collection. It also now all has artwork associated, and the identifying data is up to date making it easy to find. iTunes Smart Playlists are a godsend.
Now I take a few moments when I load new music into iTunes to make sure everything is tagged. And if I come across something that I don’t like, or I want to remove, I remove it immediately if I’m at home, or tag it with 1 star when I am out and about, and remove it when I get home. It’s definitely significantly easier to maintain than it is to do it all at one time once or twice a year.
Ginger and Melissa, You are both motivating me to create some more playlists! I have been using the same one for a long time because I’ve been too lazy to create new ones. I love the one I have, but it’s nice to have a bit of variety. I will have to look into the “Smart Playlists” mentioned by Melissa, as well as “tagging.” I guess I’m an iTunes notice, I’m learning… Anyway, congrats to both of you on the great work you’ve done to make your music collections work better for you. Very inspiring!
Smart Playlists are wonderful, because they almost do all the work for you! I’ll use Adele as an example, since we both love her. I have a smart playlist set with rules “Artist contains Adele” and any song I add to iTunes where she’s tagged as the artist will automatically be added to that playlist. For artists, such as rappers, that frequently guest on other songs, you can add an additional rule that has “Title contains {artist name}” since I tag as “{song name} ft. {artist name} by {main rapper}. I have a Favorites playlist which automatically adds anything I tag 5 stars. Once you get a handle on how to set them up, iTunes life is pretty wonderful.
Thanks so much for explaining the smart playlists, Melissa. Sounds like they can be very useful. I guess I will have to spend some more time playing in iTunes because I never realized it could do so much. I never even tag the songs or anything. I can see how all of these things could be very helpful.
I digitized everything: CDs, DVDs, and even VHS tapes into mp3 and mp4 files. I have them all in iTunes and can play them on the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. I have given a lot of the old DVDs to family members, and the rest of the DVDs and CDs are boxed up in the garage and will likely get tossed (or donated) at some point. I back my music and movies up to an external hard drive (hourly) and I have an auxiliary external hard drive in a fireproof case that I back up to periodically. It’s nice having no physical entertainment objects that run the risk of getting lost or damaged, and our music and movies are available in so many places and options now.
You sound extremely organized, Pam! How wonderful that you have everything digitized. I think it’s an excellent idea. Having an external hard drive in a fireproof case is also brilliant. I’ve been happy to have all of my sounds easily accessible, but it would be great to do that same with other types of data like you have. Thanks for sharing your success with us. Quite inspiring for the rest of us!