My home never seems to be neat. I’m not a hoarder; more like the Glamour
Don’t of Housekeeping. I have tried
every decluttering method, purchased half of the Container Store and followed
Flylady.net religiously, all to no avail. I admit it: I am a slob. So when Marie Kondo’s tiny tome, The
Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, appeared in the B&N best seller bay, I did
my best to ignore it. But after weeks of
watching it walk out of the store with multitudes of housekeeping hopefuls, I
succumbed to its peaceful cover and brought it home. It promised magic, but did it deliver? Here’s
what happened to me…
Kondo’s method,
which she calls the “KonMari Method,” is deceptively simple: As you move
through your home in her prescribed order, you must take in your hand every
item you own and ask:
“’Does this spark joy?’ If it does, keep
it. If not,dispose of it.”
If you KonMari your home (yes, “KonMari” has become an
acceptable verb; Google it if you don’t believe me), Kondo promises that you will
discover how you really want to live your life. You will gain confidence in
your decision making ability, let go of the past and ultimately discover your
life’s purpose. I was skeptical at
first, but finding my life’s true purpose was too large of a carrot to ignore.
I decided to give her method a go.
Unlike other
decluttering methods which focus solely on getting rid of stuff you don’t need,
Kondo insists you focus on identifying and keeping only with the things you
love. It is a subtle but tremendously
effective difference. In addition, rather
than approaching your home room by room as other organizing gurus demand, you must
visit your stuff one category at a time:
Clothes, then books, then CDs, ultimately moving to the difficult
sentimental items and photographs. Filled with helpful and inspiring directions,
the book provides a blueprint not only for organizing your stuff, but also
taking stock of your life. And so, I emptied my closet, collected every item of
clothing throughout my house, and began.
Seven giant
giveaway bags later, here’s what I learned:
I didn’t love most of my clothes and kept them around because either I felt guilty about giving them away or thought I might change my mind one day.
Kondo wisely instructed me how to overcome those hurdles. Downgrading something
to “loungewear” only worn in the house is taboo. Never worn clothes still with
tags? Thank them for teaching you what you really don’t like and send them on their way. At the
end I had an organized closet filled with clothes that make me feel good.
I had only one
angst filled moment in the closet produced by a drawerful of small silk scarves
that I hadn’t worn since 1974 and, to be honest, no longer like. Why did I keep
them for so long? Because they used to belong to my great Aunt Clara who died
many years ago. The rarely opened pink
box of scarves became my drawer filling memorial to her. But here’s what I
learned from Marie Kondo: I don’t need those scarves to remember my aunt. The
memories are within me; the scarves were only never worn pieces of silk. Once I
accepted that, I could give them away without remorse.
I am still KonMari-ing
my way through my home; the process takes time. But here’s where the magic
comes in. Kondo teaches that,
“The process of assessing how you
feel about the things you own, identifying those that have fulfilled their
purpose, expressing your gratitude and bidding them farewell, is really about
examining your inner self, a rite of passage to a new life.”
Once you have let go of the items that do not spark joy, you
can “pour your time and passion into what brings you the most joy, your mission
in life.” While that may seem overly
reaching, something definitely clicked and shifted in me. For the first time in two years, I find
myself wanting to write again. Is that
because I am cleaning my house? Did tidying up really create this life-changing
magic? For me, it seems, the answer is a resounding yes. Now if you’ll excuse
me, I’m off to KonMari my kitchen. Let the magic begin again.
THE LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC OF TIDYING UP
By Marie Kondo
224 pp. Ten Speed Press (2014)
ISBN 9781607747307
THE LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC OF TIDYING UP
By Marie Kondo
224 pp. Ten Speed Press (2014)
ISBN 9781607747307
1 comment:
WONDERFUL!
You are an inspiration and an extremely talented writer.
Thank you for your book reviews.
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