Book Review Part 1: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

This year, I have made it my goal to read more diverse books. The first book I am crossing off my list is The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Maurie Kondo. I have made it through a quarter of the book, and I am enjoying it so far. I was not sure what to expect, because I have heard mixed reviews about the book. I do not want to forget what I am learning, so I wanted to write a few things down to help me remember all these good tips she is sharing.

1. Start with discarding-Before you can organize anything, you need to go through your house completely and discard anything that, as she puts it, "does not bring you joy" anymore. (Also, I add...anything you do not need.)

2. Go by category...not room-This was pretty eye opening for me, because I had never thought of this. Instead of doing the laundry room, living room, bedroom, etc...Start with clothes, then towels, then toiletries, then paper, etc... The author has a recommended order of tidying that you follow...That way you are doing ALL the clothes at once and ALL the paper at once. It saves time and energy. This makes SO much sense.

3.Take everything out first- She says that when you take everything out and see what you have in the space you are organizing, it is easier to see what you have duplicates of or what you have too much of. In the end, this makes organizing easier too.  

4.Be courteous of other family members' things-I felt guilty about this one, because I have done this. It is not right to try and discard anything that is not yours without permission. She contends that focusing on your own things actually inspires others in your family to do the same...

5.Tidy up your things as quickly as possible- This means you "Tidy Up" once or twice a year. You should NOT do this over the course of weeks or months. If possible finish in 1-3 days. For me it will take longer, because I will be working during Cora's nap time. Once you have the items that you need and the items that bring you joy, it is easier to keep them in the desired spot. 

6. Did it bring you joy already?- This is where it kind of got weird, but I got what she was saying. It is hard to let go of things that carry meanings or memories. In fact, I have 4 purses in my closet that I have not said good bye to because they carry a memory. I have not used them in years though. She said, that you should take every object and really think about if the object still brings you joy or if it already brought you joy. If it has already brought you joy, thank the object (WEIRD PART) and discard it. I think I will skip the thanking the object part, but asking myself those questions, actually has already helped me purge those purses in my mind. That made sense to me too. 


I'm excited to continue this and I am even more excited to purge or "discard" once I finish the book. I am glad I am ringing in the New Year with this book, because it is a great way to get organized!