This Book Really Will Change Your Life

Kondo is not a madwoman; she is a professional de-clutterer. She is also a brilliant writer and the author of the internationally bestselling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying: A Simple, Effective Way to Banish Clutter Forever. This book really will change your life if you follow its methods. Do what Kondo says, and you’ll finally be able to get rid of your CDs, put your bike on Craigslist, and throw out that shoebox full of letters from your ex-boyfriend.
Tidying isn’t something you should do every day or on the weekends, Kondo says. Yes, you’ll always have to put away your shoes and so on. But the kind of massive sweep she’s talking about, the kind that will transform your living space, is a special event, a “tidying festival,” that should be performed only once in your lifetime. It will take you about six months. And you won’t backslide if you do it right.
The first step is getting rid of the stuff you don’t need. But how? Most de-cluttering manuals advise you to trash anything you haven’t worn in a year, or to put things you’re not sure about in a bag at the back of your closet and see if you miss them. Kondo has a different approach.
“The best way to choose what to keep and what to throw away is to take each item in one’s hand and ask: ‘Does this spark joy?’ If it does, keep it. If not, throw it out.”
Kondo realizes it’s not an easy rule to follow. We all have unread books and unused gifts and souvenir wine glasses and Fun Run t-shirts and leftover wedding invitations, none of which spark joy—but what if we need them later? They might come in handy someday! What if we throw away a gift or an item with sentimental value and feel guilty about it for the rest of our lives?
Gently but firmly, Kondo explains why it’s okay to dismiss these worries. She has a real talent for tough questions.
“Are you happy wearing clothes that don’t give you pleasure?
Do you feel joy when surrounded by piles of unread books that don’t touch your heart?
Do you think that owning accessories you know you’ll never use will ever bring you happiness?”
Well…no, no, and no.
Kondo does not sugarcoat. That tin full of buttons? You’ll never sew a button onto anything you own. Throw away the buttons. User manuals? You’ve never consulted one in your life, and should the need arise, the internet exists. Your photos? She understands why you love them, but one day you’ll be dead and your children will be saddled with your unedited collection of snapshots. Your credit card statements? “Do you imagine you might need them for a court case to prove how much was withdrawn? That’s not going to happen so there is no need to treasure these statements for the rest of your life.”
She is kind and empathetic about trickier items—unused presents given to us by the people who love us most, for example. “The true purpose of a present is to be received. Presents are not ‘things’ but a means for conveying someone’s feelings. When viewed from this perspective, you don’t need to feel guilty for throwing a gift away. Just thank it for the joy it gave you when you first received it.”
One of the great pleasures of the book is feeling deeply understood by this quirky woman who’s never met you. Kondo knows that we all keep boxes in case we need them when we move, that we save cosmetic samples because we intend to use them on trips, and that we force our parents to hold on to sentimental items for us even though we’ll never look at or use these items again (not okay, says Kondo. Your parents’ house “is not some infinitely expanding fourth dimension.”)
Whenever you start to feel overwhelmed with the enormity of what Kondo is suggesting (your greeting card collection has got to go, by the way), she steps in with soothing words. “All you need to do is look at each item, one at a time, and decide whether or not to keep it and where to put it. That’s all you need to do to complete this job.”
[caption id="attachment_22464" align="alignleft" width="216"] A drawer organized Kondo-style[/caption]
Once you’ve ditched the things that don’t spark joy, it’s time to start appreciating the things that do. Kondo advocates a charmingly anthropomorphistic approach. She recommends folding your clothes tightly and filing them vertically, both because it saves space and because folding “is an act of caring, an expression of love and appreciation for the way these clothes support your lifestyle.” She advises visiting your off-season clothes occasionally, running your hands over them and speaking to them respectfully. “Let them know you care and look forward to wearing them when they are next in season.” She implores you not to abandon containers of loose change in the back of your closet, leaving them to rust and moulder. “[T]o actually see these coins, stripped of their dignity as money, is heartrending. I beg you to rescue these forgotten coins wasting away in your home!” When sorting through your books, clap your hands or stroke the jackets to pep up the dormant objects.
And please, take pity on your handbag and empty it each night. It works hard for you all day, carrying your iPad and gym shoes without complaint. “It would be cruel not to give it a break at least at home. Being packed all the time, even when not in use, must feel something like going to bed on a full stomach.”
Kondo urges us to throw away her book if it doesn’t spark joy, but looking at the serene cover and revisiting the many passages I’ve highlighted makes my heart light. I plan to hold on to my copy forever, patting its jacket occasionally and thanking it for all it’s done for me.
 
Shop all home reference books >