Many of our readers know that we published our own Kindle eBook 25 Days to an Organized Home two years ago and it has had over 12,000 downloads and made the Kinde Freebie Top 100 Bestseller list. I love our book because it goes area by area in your house to help you organize each area of your home. I decided to review “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing” by Marie Kondo because I had watched her speech to Google several months ago, and wanted to hear more about her organizing approach. I had read about her huge following in Japan, and how many people call themselves “Konverts.” Born during a feng shui era, she has embraced tidying her entire life, and truly is a human prodigy in this area.
Once I started reading the book, I realized that it completely meshed with our Minimalism Lifestyle in many ways. If I could sum up the best part of her entire book, it’s about asking yourself the question as you are purging, “Does this item spark joy for me?” What an amazing thought. I have never really thought about my materials items in that way. However, I realize that there are many items that don’t spark joy but are still necessary for daily living such as scissors, utensils, toilet paper, etc. I still love the notion of really looking at an item and determining whether or not it really does bring joy to my life, and if it doesn’t, then I need to let it go.
So I embarked on a journey this summer with purging where I utilized another one of her principles. Pull everything out of your closet or drawer, and go through each item one-by-one. She really emphasizes touching every single item and deciding if those items spark joy or not. In the end I had seven contractor bags full of clothing and accessory items that I donated to the Goodwill. I really do feel that her approach has added to my organizing personality and has benefitted me in letting go of materials items in my life. There are many times where we wonder if something is really worth keeping.
For thirty years my grandfather was a coroner and worked for the coroner’s office, and one thing I learned as a young adult was that we aren’t guaranteed so many days and when it is your time to leave this earth you can’t take anything with you. Those thoughts are with me constantly, and a bit of my Ecclesiastes (a book from the Bible where it talks about how everything is meaningless) attitude creeps in from time to time, but I also remember that while I am here I want to bring joy to others on this earth and I want to experience joy. This is why her book means so much to me, because it really helps others get to the heart of the matter. What material items bring you joy? Are they worth keeping? If not, let it go and move on.
Once I started employing her arsenal of strategies I did notice an ability to let go of my things and remove the hindrance of responsibility that goes with maintaining too many materials items. Are you letting go? Have you thought about organizing your home to never return to clutter? Comment your thoughts below! Also, check out our 35 Days to an Organized Home blog post series for practical tips as well.
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