Published: October 14, 2014 / January 5, 2016
Pages: 213 / 291
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 4 Stars
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.
There are two issues I have when it comes to this method though. First, I really don't feel as though I have the money at the moment to take on what Marie Kondo is recommending. I mean sure, I would love to throw out/donate and replace all items of clothing that have holes and all the old objects in my home that are used second-hand, but unfortunately I am not working at this time and don't have much in the way of spending money. Kondo recommends tidying up all in one go instead of in little bits at a time, but this is just not a reality for me at the moment unless I was willing to get rid of almost everything I own all at once and not be able to replace it.
And secondly, I think I'm just too left-brained for some of Kondo's practices. Kondo believes that all inanimate objects are imbued with energy. And she advocates talking to all the objects in our lives, thanking them for the jobs they perform for us. It's just... a little too "out there" for me personally. It's not something I would be able to take seriously, and I know I certainly would not be able to feel such energies coming from objects to determine whether they "spark joy" in me.
Still, Marie Kondo makes a lot of other good points that I could see myself benefitting from. I know that lots of clutter in my home often makes me feel stressed. And it just seems like obvious good advice: if you don't love it or use it regularly, then don't keep it. I hope to start employing some of the practices that she talks about in her books (like de-cluttering by category instead of place and designating a "home" for all objects) and I anticipate seeing good results in the overall happiness and efficiency of my life. Though I will have to do it at my own pace (because of money issues) and in my own way (because I don't think any inanimate object has energy that could spark joy in me exactly as Kondo describes).
Anyways, I would be curious if anyone reading this has tried the KonMari Method - did it work for you?
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I want to get this for my sister who is terrible at getting rid of clutter. I don't have any issues getting rid of stuff..well except for books that have to weed out because of space issues and that one really hurts.
ReplyDeletehaha, yeah books! That's maybe the toughest for us all (that and sentimental items). I've been pretty good about keeping my books owned to 2 bookshelves of my absolute favourites, but it's always tough to see one go - even if it's gone unread for a long time.
DeleteI am so happy to see a review for this booK! I've been so conflicted on whether or not this book would be interesting to me or irritate me - haha. I like to keep things neat and tidy, but I'm also a total saver, and I keep everything, so I think this book really might be a good read. I definitely get the points you bring up about not being able to just get rid of everything right now, it's not something that can be easily done at anytime. Really interesting review!
ReplyDeleteAw thank you for your sweet comment, Jordan! I would def recommend this book to you if you're someone who likes to save things - I think Kondo gives a good perspective on that aspect.
DeleteI've never read these - or tried anything from them but I have read some various reviews of the book and people really do seem to get a lot out of it. Most people agree that the talking to objects, etc. is a bit "out there" for them but they like some of the tips on HOW to organize and that it's good to get rid of things you don't need, etc. I'm with you on not being able to get rid of TONS of things though because I don't have the money to replace them.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, it's good to hear I'm not alone. Kondo really does have a lot of good advice on how to keep things organized and tidy, and those messages are the ones I'm taking closest to heart from these reads.
DeleteI got this book for my birthday last year and I was really excited to read it- but fiction got in the way. I plan on picking it up soon. Although, speaking to my stuff seems a little to hokey for me- I get appreciating what you have, but really, thanking it? No, just no.
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of minimalism though. It's interesting to me (whether I could actually take it on, who knows).
I liked reading your thoughts on this, Eilidh.
Yeah... all the power to people who can talk to objects and that works for them, but it just isn't me. Thanks Sara!
DeleteLike you, I'm not into the talking to my stuff part of her suggestions. However, I am actually going through all of my things in the order she suggests and getting rid of the things that don't make me happy. I am being a little loose with the rules though and keeping things I have to have and for which I am not confident I could find a replacement that would make me happier in a reasonable amount of time. So, with some tweaks, her ideas are working for me :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm a little too broke atm too to get fully behind throwing away so much of my stuff! But I do agree that most, if not all of us, could benefit from decluttering our living spaces and getting rid of the stuff we really don't use or need! I don't read much non-fiction since I've been out of Uni but this sounds like a useful guide!
ReplyDeleteLovely review Aylee. <3 Thank you for sharing about this one :D Seems pretty interesting.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. There's a moment in the new Gilmore Girls, where Emily is getting rid of things and tells her daughter if it doesn't bring her joy, she's getting rid of it. She had to be referencing this, right? I feel like this is my mindset whenever I move. Maybe being in a moving mindset about things all the time isn't such a bad idea. I'm not sure I'd thank all of my objects either...Though, it is an interesting idea.
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