The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying: A simple, effective way to banish clutter forever

I am the opposite of a tidy person. I have kept all kinds of things for many, many years, for so many reasons. I have developed lengthy emotional attachments to bags of receipts. I have had five wardrobes with threadbare, holey, beloved and long-since non-fitting clothes bursting out of them.This book was a perfect read for me.I read the reviews, I was, frankly, scared. Or scornful. I thought, great, this is another one of those books where it tells me I'll feel OHSOGOOD if I get rid of my beloved stuff. This book is going to wind me up the wrong way. It can't possibly help. It won't understand that I need a thousand books in piles on the floor! It's going to mock my My Little Pony collection.It doesn't. This book is adorable. Genius. It takes you by the hand and wades you through everything you own and just...lifts the weight of all of it, so much so that you realise you haven't noticed just how heavy it's been all these years. Kondo is so kind, so wise, and so very right about things, and with a gloriously Japanese edge of anthropomorphism, coupled with a slice of do-as-you-would-be-done-by that I found so incredibly helpful.By the time I was halfway through the read, I had reorganised my wardrobe exactly as Kondo recommends. It's been three weeks and everything is just as I put it that day. It's easy to get dressed. It's stupidly easy to put things away. There are no heaps of clothes on any floor or shelf. This has never happened to me, not even since childhood. This is something I'm sticking with forever.When I'd finished the book, I was flying through drawers and boxes of unmentionable rubbish, able to really, clearly, easily see what I wanted - truly wanted - and what I didn't. I'm so completely thrilled to have discovered this book. It really has changed my life. I've now given it to my partner to read, and they've also found it a revelation. Our home is already so much happier. And tidying is not a chore, or a fear any more. I couldn't be more grateful to Marie Kondo if I tried, and I can't recommend this book highly enough.

I am a lifelong hoarder and my house is a mess. I read this book after hearing it recommended but without high expectations. It seemed to make so much more sense than other methods I've tried for tidying and after a few weeks of following the book I've done clothes, paperwork and kitchen equipment. So far I am keeping to the new regime and I feel happier and much less stressed. Here's what's different about this book:Kondo advises clearing out/tidying by category. So you start with clothes & you can subdivide and do a small section at a time, e.g. socks, tops, sportswear, etc. She advises against what most people do, which is tackle the bedroom or the living room as one project. Her thinking is that you can't sort your things out properly unless you sort every single thing in that category, e.g. how can you sort the jackets in your wardrobe if you have two others in the hall, one by the back door, one in your car, etc. You need to see everything you own in that category together. So when you do clothes you have to be disciplined and do the whole lot but don't touch anything else in your bedroom. Having tried it now, this seems so logical and sensible I'm shaking my head wondering why I couldn't see it before. It's a bit like doing the laundry - you need to collect all the dirty clothes from everywhere first & it's frustrating and annoying if you get everything washed and dried and then discover a load of dirty clothes in a heap somewhere else.Kondo tells you to keep only what sparks joy and discard everything else. This doesn't mean having to feel a great passion for a pair of socks, it's more about something making you feel good in some way - e.g. I have a black dress which I don't love but it looks smart and fits well and what I like about owning it is that I know I have something that is very suitable for funerals and formal occasions - I think that counts as sparking joy because it makes me feel prepared and capable & it reduces my stress levels. It's surprisingly easy to work out what sparks joy when you try it.What she doesn't tell you do is to spend your whole life obsessively tidying. She is very clear that you should do it quickly and get organised once and for all because it's just about making your life easier by having only the things that make you happy or serve a function in your life and having them all where you can get to them - it's about making your home and your possessions manageable so that you can get on with the rest of your life, it's not about ignoring your family because you've become obsessed with cleanliness.She also doesn't tell you to be minimalist or get rid of everything. I keep reading that she tells readers to throw out their books and keep the remaining few in the back of the cupboard. My reading of this was that, if you find joy in books, then keep them, but sort them out and have them properly organised so you can see and access what you have. On the other hand, if books don't bring you joy then be ruthless with them - and why not? She is clear that one person's clutter is another's pride and joy, and I did not find her judgemental about this at all. But she's also really encouraging in explaining that, if you feel an emotional attachment to the clutter, how much better you'll feel if you learn to let it go and move on in your life. I can absolutely feel this happening as I clear my stuff out.Some people are put off by the spiritual aspect of the book and the personification of inanimate objects. Yes, she does say that your socks prefer to be folded because they deserve to rest, etc, etc. I found all that a bit weird but just assumed something was lost in translation - maybe it's a cultural thing, I don't know, but I think the point to take from it is that it's worth working out which things we value and taking care of them. I don't thank my socks or even fold them, but I do feel a lot better and less stressed when I open the sock drawer and can see exactly what I have and know that none of them have holes or are uncomfortable.So, in summary, if your life is blighted by clutter and you don't know how to make any kind of progress with clearing it out - maybe you've tried and failed a number of times - then I'd recommend giving this book a go. It might work for you too, and you might even enjoy the process.

Minimalism and gratitude. These two words are the crux of the book. Give it a read if you’re looking for something calming amidst chaos.

Ich liebe die Bücher von Mari Kondo. Sie gibt viele gute Tipps und Infos und inspiriert dazu auch die Konmari Methode auszuprobieren.

A mí personalmente me encantó este libro, sé que tiene detractores por cómo Kondo enfoca el orden y el deshacerse de cosas, pero después de leerlo cambié varios hábitos y mejoró mucho mi relación con el espacio, la ropa y el gasto. Yo lo recomiendo, es una lectura muy fácil, agradable.

a must read for everyone

I loved this book! Marie Kondo teaches us her approach to tidying up. One of the main ideas that she teaches is to only keep things that spark joy in you. This book takes us how to determine what sparks joy; how to be ok with setting things free, and finally how to set up your items in each room in your house.“Discarding is not the point; what matters is keeping those things that bring you joy”She starts off with setting our mind at ease, and sharing her methodology. She is gentle and non-judgemental.She teaches us to sort by category - then discards - then find homes for all you keep.This book helped me put my house in order and truly love all that I have.My mom passed some years back and I was holding on to some much for sentimental reasons, but keeping these got in my way of joy today. I've been able to keep the most important items, then thank the items that I let go.This book helps you create your own magic! I highly recommend it if you want to make your home lighter and happier.After you read this book, I highly recommend her second, Spark Joy, which goes much deeper into how to. Think of it as the master class follow up to this book.