Ever look around your place and think, “Wow. I have way too much stuff”? Ever feel really frustrated with your organization methods and nothing seems to work well for you? I know I’m staring at my post-Thanksgiving, pre-Christmas disaster as I write! There’s some hope for us all though! I recently read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and it was a quick little read that kept my interest and got back to the basics of decluttering and tidying up your place. Frankly, just reading it felt pretty life changing. If anything, it really inspired me to look at my material belongings in new ways and see how clutter in my house affects me in other ways as well. I kept passing this little sky-designed book on the bookshelves and seeing it get labeled with all kinds of bestseller awards! Cleaning expert Marie Kondo takes all of her knowledge about tidying and puts it all into this pretty little book. She’s a star in Japan, and her tidying advice and organization service has given her a massive waiting list but not repeaters (which is a great thing!).
it really inspired me to look at my material belongings in new ways and see how clutter in my house affects me in other ways as well.
Her ideas make up the KonMari method, and it essentially boils down to decluttering your house in a shorter period of time (rather than other methods like bring in one thing and give away another) and then using sensible organization techniques. Her version of decluttering is pretty tough but effective. She is not messing around, and she encourages you to ask the question “Does this spark joy?” as you look through your belongings. If it doesn’t spark joy, it goes to the bin (it’s translated as garbage, but I like to think of it as potential donations!). She advocates looking through your items in categories (clothes, books, etc.) rather than rooms so you can actually get a sense of what you own and gets you in the zone to actually look through that category fully.
Things I loved: I loved the KonMari method ideas and principles, and I can’t wait to give it a shot!
- Her idea to declutter completely first and then organize is so simple and yet so fresh, as assured as the advice to eat fewer calories and exercise more to lose weight. Duh! Why didn’t I think of that before?!
- The category system makes so much sense as well, and she states that the method results in very few relapses and leads to lasting effects. Why should you have to keep tidying when your house is already tidy the way you like it? Amazing!
- I appreciated how the advice she gave felt very precise and clear but still allowed room for personal preference.
- Asking yourself which items “spark joy” is a much more engaging way to declutter than just trying to remember if you wore or used an item in the last few months. She gives you pretty clear directions for figuring out which items spark joy that might help those of us who are indecisive.
- Her organization advice was super helpful and didn’t require any big purchases or crazy difficult filing system. She doesn’t like complicated systems, but for example recommends cute shoeboxes for a versatile organization piece! Who doesn’t have a few shoeboxes lying around, just waiting for a job?
- The writing style is simple and direct, but you can still catch fun glimpses of Kondo’s personality and stories of her former clients. She seems like a very compassionate and thoughtful person, the kind of person you’d love to have as a friend (who comes over to help you fix your closet!
The KonMari method makes for a great New Year’s resolution!
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, and I think I can take her advice and actually apply it with a little bit of time and effort. It seems like a lot of effort up front, but her results are solid and I love when hard works pays off in the long run! The KonMari method makes for a great New Year’s resolution and you can find it on Amazon by clicking here! Happy reading!
I’d love to hear from you! Have you tried the KonMari method or do you have cleaning tips that work for you? Comment below and share to get the word out about this great book!
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