Author: Marie Kondo
Pages: 213
Published: Jan 15, 2011 by Ten Speed
Source: Library
Links: goodreads
Despite constant efforts to declutter your home, do papers still accumulate like snowdrifts and clothes pile up like a tangled mess of noodles? Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you'll never have to do it again. Most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. In fact, none of Kondo's clients have lapsed (and she still has a three-month waiting list). With detailed guidance for determining which items in your house "spark joy" (and which don't), this international best seller featuring Tokyo's newest lifestyle phenomenon will help you clear your clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home - and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire.
I have really been organizing and cleaning out my house. I've been living in the same house for almost 10 years now and it's amazing how things just start piling up. So I've been out on the internet looking for books to give me ideas on how to go through my items. One book I kept running across was this book by Marie Kondo. Prior to this I wasn't aware of the KonMari movement. Basically the KonMari method is pick up things in your house and asking yourself if that object brings you joy. I think this is a really good concept. It's true for me that many items in my house are clutter and don't bring me joy. Then I got further into this book and just couldn't help but roll my eyes!
So I find it to be a little hard to treat my objects not as things but more like beings with feelings. You are supposed to talk to your clothes. Tell them thank you for doing a good job and keeping you warm that day. You are supposed to put any bookcases in your closet and if you don't have room in your closet for your bookcase then you have too much stuff. WHA! Other things in this book I could never do is fold my socks, and throw away all paper (I'm notorious for saving anything important in a strict filing system). There is some really crazy ideas in this book from someone who is very OCD I think. Kondo was at home constantly tidying her room instead of hanging out with other teenagers. She states that was doing it since the age of 5. Yikes. I suppose she did get a career out of it.
I did get a little good advice from this book. I really love the idea of picking up something and looking at it and figuring out if it brings me joy. I've donated and thrown out a lot of things this past month that really just don't bring me joy anymore. After living in the same house for many years I think I've just accumulated things. I tend to think that I'll use something again one day (coasters, jackets) and thenrealize that I'm just not into it anymore which is why it ended up in the closet in the first place.
There have been a few things that have been hard for me to let go. Things I know my parents spent hard earned money on, gifts from friends that just weren't for me. Those are the hardest but really I just have to remember it's not like I am trashing these items just for kicks. After finishing this book I now hear about the KonMari movement in a lot of different places. Most recently on the Simpsons and the show Sleepy Hollow. Funny that it's kind of a pop culture reference now.
Have any of you tried this or heard about it?? Have you found it helpful in your life?
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