Book Review: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up By Marie Kondo

THE LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC OF TIDYING UP
The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

By: Marie Kondo

Narrator: Emily Woo Zeller

Published: October 14, 2014

Publisher: Ten Speed Press and Tandor Audio for Audiobook

I would be shocked to hear if you haven’t heard of this book or the term “kondoing” in the last few years. I am quite sure when the author, Marie Kondo, began her career of decluttering, she never would have imagined her last name used as a verb. But, by googling the term, you are given a wide array of tidying up ideas.

Marie Kondo loved organizing, even as a young child. She would stay in for recess because she preferred organizing the bookshelves over going outside. She has made a career of decluttering in Japan and her methods have spread all over the world.

I listened to her book on audio after getting it in an Audible Daily Deal. I had been curious about her methods and wanted to check it out for myself. I will admit that listening was enjoyable. The narrator is also Japanese but with very little accent which made her very easy to listen to. I found 1.25x speed was the perfect speed for this book which made it a short 9+ hours in length.

Listening to her methods and various case stories, I found myself wanting to rush home and declutter an area. She states that her methods must follow a specific order and there is a reason behind the order, saving the most sentimental items for last. She also expects you to hold each item and ascertain if it brings you joy. If not, then thank it for the purpose or need it fulfilled and let it go. Kondo expects you to acknowledge your home when you come in the door, greeting it and thanking it for providing you shelter and safety. She also encourages you to empty your purse each day because it has worked hard carrying your items all day and needs a rest. Now, I find all this a bit silly and haven’t added this to my daily routine. But, I did find her tips on decluttering helpful and have folded some of my clothes with her specific method noticing I have much more space in my drawers.

I expect to continue decluttering other areas of our home, especially our kids’ rooms as they continue to grow out of clothes and toys. Even though some of her ideas were too radical for me, the reasons for letting go of all the stuff can inspire all of us to let things go.

Marie Kondo was just interviewed this Sunday on the CBS Sunday Morning Show. Check out that interview HERE.

Marie Kondo – source

Marie Kondo (近藤 麻理恵) is a Japanese organizing consultant and author. Kondo’s method of organizing is known as the KonMari Method, and one of the main principles is keeping only possessions which “spark joy.”

Kondo’s best-seller The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing has been published in more than 30 countries.

She was listed as one of the world’s 100 most influential people by Time Magazine in 2015.

Personal website: http://konmari.com/en/
Book website: http://tidyingup.com/
App website: http://konmari-media.com/

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