The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up | Marie Kondo

TITLE / The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

AUTHOR / Marie Kondo

PUBLISHER / Ten Speed Press

DATE OF PUBLICATION / October 14, 2014

NO. OF PAGES / 224

STARRED RATING / ★★★★


"It's important to understand your ownership pattern because it is an expression of the values that guide your life. The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life" (182).

Can't get anything done because you're buried under clutter? Is it a struggle to close your closet door, let alone find anything inside? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then this is the book for you.

At the most basic level, The Life-Changing Magic is exactly what it promises to be: a guide to de-cluttering, organizing, and simplifying your space. For those readers hoping for a quick fix, Ms. Kondo warns you early on: her KonMari method is not exactly easy. It might seem impossible at first, it might make you emotional, and she's sure as hell not going to do it for you. But because Ms. Kondo's techniques are so simple, this is a decluttering method that just might actually work.

"Discard first, then organize." With her very simple, almost obvious approach to tidying, Ms. Kondo gets to the heart of our organization and clutter problems while making it possible to actually tackle them. In a world where we are constantly convinced to buy this, you need more, she teaches readers how to thrive with less.

Ultimately, The Life-Changing Magic is not just about minimalism or organization, but about striving to create a life you actually want to live. Ms. Kondo understands that the material things we accumulate often have complex emotions attached to them and she lets her readers know that its okay to feel conflicted over  an item. The KonMari method is not about guilt or shame over allowing your possessions and clutter to get the better of you, but about thankfulness for what your material belongings have done for you.

My greatest take away from this book was that what I own is actually an extension of who I am as an individual. Discarded items might be reflections of the person I was when I owned them, while items I hang on to represent who I am at the moment. I also agree with Ms. Kondo that our physical space often starts to reflect our mental state. Disorganized space, disorganized mind. Simplifying and organizing your home can give you the mental space necessary to get the rest of your life together.

In the week or so since I finished The Life-Changing Magic, I have sorted through the contents of my closet and bookshelves. Although I purged quite a few items just this past fall, using Ms. Kondo's "Does this spark joy?" criteria allowed me to be more decisive and more honest. I was finally able to let go of bags I hadn't used in years, scarves I would never actually wear, and books I had forgotten I owned. While I haven't done a full cleanse by any means, going forward I will definitely come back to this book and remember that tidying isn't a chore, but rather an art of self-discovery and expression.