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30 June 2015

Spoiler Alert: Life Not Magically Changed

I'm one of those people that feels like her house is an unorganized, messy disaster, approximately five minutes after cleaning it. Between the two hairy, perpetually shedding dogs and the baby-tornado, my hard work is constantly being undone. We've also lived in our home for almost four years now, so I'm starting to feel like it's time to hunker down and clean out closets and drawers. I had heard a lot about Marie Kondo's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, so I thought I'd use it to draw some inspiration. In reality? It mostly made me laugh.

Whoa, There
Marie Kondo, the professional Japanese organizer, is intense. And apparently, she has been since she was a wee one, scouring home magazines at the age of five. She'd also set her alarm to get up before her family did in order to pursue her totally-age appropriate passion of cleaning. She opted to not go to recess and stayed inside to help her teachers get their classrooms into shape. She had quite the internal dialogue, too, conversing with herself about "rebound cleaning" and throwing out family members' belongings. 

Organizing, Not Cleaning
This book is strictly about organizing, so if you're hoping how to make your windows sparkle or your grout gleam, this book is not for you. The two are tied together, though- a house in order is simply easier to keep clean. 

Throw it Out. Now. 
This I am pretty much on board with, although I think her policies about books are harsh (as in I mean I instantly thought she was a "stupid  illiterate book-hater" when I read that section). I also wasn't a fan about her insensitive opinions on photographs and other nostalgic items (she's a bit of an ice queen, I think). In general, though, I love to throw things out- I hate "stuff." She raises a lot of good points about shredding paperwork, ditching old manuals, and tossing things you simply don't use or have forgotten existed. 

Find Joy, Guys
When trying to decide what to keep and what to toss, you need to simply "take the object in your hand and ask: 'Does this spark joy?'" (Kondo, 41). I decided to ponder this question with some of my own household items: 






Dress the Part
Kondo usually wears a dress and blazer to organize, because "tidying is a celebration, a special send-off for those things that will be departing from the house " (189). If you really must slum it up, you may wear an apron, if it's absolutely necessary. 

Thank Your Inanimate Objects
Make sure to appreciate your belongings (good point), but to also "treat [your] items like they're alive" by thanking them, aloud, every day (169). When putting your purse away, Kondo suggests telling it, "It's thanks to you that I got so much work done today" (169). She then provides a delightful anecdote about the first time she had to replace a cell phone, when she was a teenager. After buying the new phone she texted the old one a thank you message, and it promptly died the next day. It just new



Jokes Aside...
This book is hilarious, but it's also motivating. Kondo is a bit eccentric, but my god I bet her home is immaculate and functional. She's passionate and practical. I didn't really learn anything from it (although she did instruct us on how to fold our socks and what sort of boxes can be used in drawers), but it did light a fire under my butt to get moving around my house. 


11 comments:

  1. As someone who is completely neurotic about organizing and cleanliness, but also loves books, I have not read this one (and likely will not), but I appreciate its existence, if that makes sense. I sort of wish I'd written it.

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  2. I'm a very tidy person. Nevertheless, I checked it out from the library and started reading it. Nothing I didn't already know, I thought, after just a couple of books. I do so like asking yourself whether objects give you joy and saying thank you to your objects. Thanks for giving me a laugh!

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  3. Funniest/best review I've read on this book. :)

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  4. Oooh, I love this post! Love that idea of dressing up for cleaning. So different from everything i've ever done. Usually, when I'm cleaning, I wear the clothes i hate so much I don't even look myself in the mirror when I'm cleaning it.
    I just, just got this book yesterday and I was so looking forward to starting it and now I even more can't wait to turn the pages. Great review!

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  5. I love all your "find joy" pictures. Very enjoyable read too.

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  6. This sounds like it would be worth reading, just because! We've lived in the same house for many years now, and I'm at the stage where I'm thinking a really good clean out would be a great idea (although, I think we'd need to rent a skip bin lol). Thank you for the very enjoyable read! :)

    - Wattle @ Whimsical Nature

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  7. ugh, I hate it when people throw out others people's stuff.

    Having said that I do sort of wish I was better at getting rid of stuff

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  8. Oh my god, I'm dying over those pictures of you. Hilarious! I loved this book (taken with a grain of salt though). It really pushed me to purge of so much I was hanging on to. Of course, I still have tons of shit to go through again, but I loved the overall message of the book. And I kind of feel like Kondo gave me validation to get rid of things that I was otherwise too guilty to get rid of (gifted things, etc). As for the book part, she clearly has never met a true book lover. But since my books bring me "JOY", it's all good!

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  9. Lighting a fire under my butt is exactly what I need. I wonder if her house is actually a total disaster because she spends so much time organizing for other people. Great photos, by the way - I'm curious to find out what happened to the decorative balls. Repurposed? Tossed? Saved for later?

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  10. I feel like since I've moved a couple times in the last few years, I should be more organized. However, I married a pack rat! My current 'ugh' is that we have an entire cabinet full of mugs, yet neither of us drink coffee and my husband doesn't want to get rid of any of them. LOL! Those mugs are giving me no joy!

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  11. I just read this recently and what I took from it was to get rid of things and not feel wasteful or ashamed that I spent money on something I don't love (like a dress I'll never wear again but cost me $200, still can't throw it out). But when I read her stuff about talking to my items (no.) and getting rid of books (wtf) I realised we had different opinions lol.

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