Life-Changing Magic is Real
Over a week ago, Adam and I went through and implemented the KonMari method. I read the book (The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up) back in January and then caught Adam up to speed. Honestly, we planned on doing this for about a month before we actually dove in. We were gone for most of February and were aware of how much stuff we didn’t even need (or bring with us)! For those of you who don’t know, I’m going to share the main points of the method below. So if you treat non-fiction like fiction…stop reading.
Her method works like this (keep in mind, I’m summarizing a whole book in 3 lines):
- By category, lay out everything you own.
- Physically pick everything up and if it doesn’t bring you joy…discard.
- Find a spot for everything that’s left (the stuff you love).
I’m not going to lie – the process was EXHAUSTING. Like, physically and emotionally. It took us about 8 hours to go through all of our belongings and I can say proudly that we haven’t seen a cluttered house since! It’s been about 11 days.
Biggest lesson? When your house isn’t cluttered, you’re only left to do things you really enjoy doing. We’ve spent more time reading, watching movies and implementing a little self-care.
Have you read the book or worked through this method? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
A Consideration
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Comments (22)
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I didn’t get the preachy/judgemental vibe BUT I was definitely like “wow this lady has been obsessed with tidying up since she was like 4!” Ha!
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I think it was when she was chastising people who want to wear sweatpants all day and I was thinking “I’ll wear sweatpants all day if I want to ;) ” It did feel a bit repetitive at times but like I say, the methodology definitely works! :)
I liked the idea of thanking your items for their service, too.
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I’ve been waiting to dig into this read for a while now. I look into my (incredibly cluttered) closet every day and know I can part with about 40% of everything in it.
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I was looking at this book the other day and was really tempted to get it. Is it a must-read? I still have 4 or 5 books on queue right now :S
I’ve read about this method before though and had been curious about it since. As I grow older, I find myself more and more bothered by clutter–and I was the messiest person I know. Now, clutter give me mini-freakout
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I don’t think it’s a must-read but I do love having it on hand to read about how she handles certain aspects of tidying/purging. I plan to keep it around for reference but I don’t think you have to read the WHOLE book to get it.
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This was on my February Reading List (http://madebyandy.com/blog/reading-list-2), and while I’m glad I read it, you really did a more efficient job at communicating the point than she did in the entire book.
Here’s what I had to say about it: This book boils down to one simple idea for me: If an item no longer gives you joy, then it has served its purpose and is time to let it go. That perspective alone was worth the price of admission. Beyond that, it’s a lot of tedious repetition, even for a short book. It’s also presented for a very specific type of person. Not in an above average income bracket? Have more than one kid? Some of the advice given is simply not practical.
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TOTALLY agree. That’s how I feel about every non-fiction book I read that’s more “self-helpy.” And also totally agree about the income bracket and being basically kid-less. Although I do know families who do a great job of keeping it minimal. Like, 1-2 toys. They have their kids help cook, go on walks, go outside, etc.
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I’ve been wanting to read the book! I’ve gotten rid of a ton of stuff in the process of preparing to move back home last summer, then moving over to SC in December, so I don’t feel like I have a ton to get rid of. I still think it would be a great read, though!
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I think you’d be surprised at how much you still have (or stuff you don’t even really like). That’s what my friend David said!
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This is awesome. I’m so happy for you. It is hard to get rid of anything for me. I’ve had this book on hold at the library since last month and I’m currently #9. I guess I could buy it but a part of me is anxious at getting rid of stuff. When I clean out my purse, I feel so good, so I imagine this is what it feels like times a million.
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I can totally understand that. It honestly does feel really wonderful. I don’t have a hard time getting rid of stuff, though. Marie’s method is extreme (everything at once) so I would read it, let it sink it and take your time.
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I’m SO into de-cluttering my life this year! Are you using this method for literally EVERYTHING you own or just clothes?? I feel like I still have too much “stuff” lying around that I think I need!
Chrissy x
http://www.chrissylilly.com -
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I read about this book on Dave’s newsletter. I added it to my wishlist immediatly and will be purchasing it very soon! I absolutely NEED to declutter my tiny apartment asap.
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Sarahmia
I read the book while we were away on holiday, and while I found the methodology sound I did find her writing style a little preachy and judgemental at times! We’ve been doing a version of this for a while in our house (before reading the book) and it definitely does help :)