The life-changing magic of tidying up

I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo a few years ago. The book took the internet by storm and there were many youtube videos of people applying her principles. The book is mostly text based with a few illustrations.

I suppose we are looking for that magic formula that will help us stay organized and tidy. Perhaps this is why the book is so popular. The book is in two basic parts. The first part is about tidying up. In this there is no real innovation from other organizational books and ideas. Kondo has you declutter in categories. First, it is clothes, then books and papers, and later other areas. She has you select each item as you sort and ask yourself if the item gives you joy. If it doesn't, then you either donate or toss it. She believes each item in your life should bring you joy, not stress and worry. Other organizers do similar things by emptying a room and only adding back things that you really use or need. This part includes specific ways to fold clothing so that it takes up less space and helps prolong their useful life.

The second part is really about habits. One example is that Kondo cleans out her purse at the end of each day so that it does not become a clutter trap. There are also habits that help with sorting mail and kitchen clean up. The point is to create habits which prevent clutter from becoming a problem in the first place.

I liked some of Kondo's suggestions. I applied her suggestions on how to fold and store clothing and it has made a difference, especially with socks. Folding over the tops of socks does shorten the life of the elastic. Instead lay the socks together and fold them in thirds and file them into your sock drawer. Other principles, I just haven't gotten around to applying. If you read other reviews, people struggled with some of the more spiritual aspects of her organizing method. It's hard to thank an inanimate object for their service at the end of each day if you don't believe that object really cares. Still, I can understand an overall sense of gratitude for the things you do have.

Overall, I liked the book and felt it helped motivate me to organize and clean up.

Book Rating: 4 stars