I picked up this book out of desperation. Like dieting, my attempts to declutter have been a yo-yo of attempts that always have left me feeling defeated. So this year I want to tackle both... because I think they're probably related. Conveniently, Marie Kondo, the author of this book, thinks so too.
Her premise is that a cluttered home is really an outward sign of a psychological state. We either feel bound to the past or afraid of the future and therefore hold on by piling up the stuff. Our house gets messy and keeps us from ever really getting to the source of the problem. Tidying up is not the end goal, but a tool for helping us live the lifestyles we really desire. The process of tidying becomes empowering and hones our decision-making abilities.
There is a process she follows.
1. Discard
A. Ask how you want to live. Be as specific as
possible as you envision it.
B. Ask why you want to live this way.
C. Examine what you own. Choose what you
want to keep, not what you want to discard.
1. Decide what to organize.
a. Clothes
b. Books
c. Papers
d. Miscellany
e. Mementos
2. Search every room for items in that
category and bring it to one location.
3. Pick up each item. Does it spark joy?
FYI - She instructs not to read the books, but definitely to remove them all from the shelves.
Just pay attention to the emotions each item brings upon you.
Once this has been done for each category you can move on. ( Also, focus on YOUR stuff, not communal space.)
2. Give everything a home.
This process should take about 6 months. She doesn't give any more of a timeline than that.
I like this book a lot. I like the watercolor cover, the size and the way it feels in my hands. It's a hardcover but without the annoying jacket cover! Yeah! I like how specific and detailed she is about the process. I like how she addresses more than just organization, but forces the reader to do some self examination. I like that it seems doable, albeit challenging. I don't want to spend every day decluttering without ever seeing results. Obviously, the slowly but surely approach is lacking in the surely department, so I am excited to try something different!
A couple areas for improvement -
She does this weird thing where she treats objects like people and she has a section on shrines... umm it was just a bit much, but it was written for a Japanese audience, not me.
She doesn't address all areas like toys or dishes, but the principles are still in place so I suppose it shouldn't be too hard to adapt.
I haven't started decluttering so I can't attest to how well this method works, but asking myself, "Does this truly bring me joy or add beauty to my life?" has already kept me from making some impulse purchases!!
I read this in one sitting and would encourage others to check it out!
I got this book for free from bloggingforbooks.org in exchange for this honest review.
Speaking of things that spark joy - check out my Jamberry nails! :) LOVE.
Comments
Post a Comment