The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
House & Home
Ten Speed Press
October 14, 2014
Kindle e-book
226
Presents a guide to cleaning and organizing a living space, discussing best methods for decluttering and the impact that an organized home can have on mood and physical and mental health.
Kondo does an excellent job of highlighting the most important parts of the book as she goes along, so it’s rather easy to skim back through the book for important parts.
The basic gist is to get rid of everything in one’s home that doesn’t “spark joy” when physically holding it. It’s not too dissimilar to the philosophy set forward by designer/artist William Morris who once said, “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”
Most of the book is devoted to some of the basic philosophy as well as recommendations about how to go about paring things down and storing them. In particular I found some of her ideas about folding things interesting and I was a bit surprised at how one can differently fold things to not only save space in drawers, but to also make them easier to see and choose.
I went so far as to watch some videos about how she folds:
This series of short videos and a few longer talks do a relatively good job of encapsulating the contents of the book.
An interesting thing I find in what I’m supposing is a translation from Japanese is that though the translation is strong, the flavor of the writer’s Japanese culture still burns through the philosophy and story of the work. To me these were some of the most interesting parts of her story.
Reading Progress
- 05/06/17 started reading
- 05/06/17 72.0% done; “A quick and breezy read with some simple prescriptive actions.”
- 05/08/17 100.0% done
- Finished book on 05/08/17
Highlights, Quotes, & Marginalia
If you tidy up in one shot, rather than little by little, you can dramatically change your mind-set.
Added on Saturday, May 6, 2017
Tidying is just a tool, not the final destination. The true goal should be to establish the lifestyle you want most once your house has been put in order.
Added on Saturday, May 6, 2017
Putting things away creates the illusion that the clutter problem has been solved. […] This is why tidying must start with discarding.
Added on Saturday, May 6, 2017
…the space I live in is graced only with those things that speak to my heart.
Added on Saturday, May 6, 2017
Start by discarding, all at once, intensely and completely
Added on Saturday, May 6, 2017
The urge to point out someone else’s failure to tidy is usually a sign that you are neglecting to take care of your own space.
Added on Saturday, May 6, 2017
In fact, that particular article of clothing has already completed its role in your life, and you are free to say, “Thank you for giving me joy when I bought you,” or “Thank you for teaching me what doesn’t suit me,” and let it go.
\Added on Saturday, May 6, 2017
To truly cherish the things that are important to you, you must first discard those that have outlived their purpose.
Added on Saturday, May 6, 2017
You may have wanted to read it when you bought it, but if you haven’t read it by now, the book’s purpose was to teach you that you didn’t need it.
Added on Saturday, May 6, 2017
…storage “solutions” are really just prisons within which to bury possessions that spark no joy.
Added on Saturday, May 6, 2017
Never pile things: vertical storage is the key
Added on Saturday, May 6, 2017
Never hang on to them in the belief that you might use them someday.
Added on Monday, May 8, 2017
This is why I urge you to refrain from stocking up on things.
Added on Monday, May 8, 2017
This is why I urge you to refrain from stocking up on things.
Added on Monday, May 8, 2017
When you treat your belongings well, they will always respond in kind. For this reason, I take time to ask myself occasionally whether the storage space I’ve set aside for them will make them happy. Storage, after all, is the sacred act of choosing a home for my belongings.
Added on Monday, May 8, 2017
I truly believe that our possessions are even happier and more vibrant when we let them go than when we first get them.
Added on Monday, May 8, 2017
Guide to highlight colors
Yellow–general highlights and highlights which don’t fit under another category below
Orange–Vocabulary word; interesting and/or rare word
Green–Reference to read
Blue–Interesting Quote
Gray–Typography Problem
Red–Example to work through