My bedroom before reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (Sad!)
I’m generally a clean, tidy person. My mom is the tidiest people I know and cleanliness is a value she passed on to me. Be that as it may, I’m certainly not as tidy as she is. I figured reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up would be useful. I enjoyed it! Marie Kondo’s writing style is straightforward and simple. The photo above is of my bedroom prior to reading the book. I haven’t committed myself to the book’s instructions yet (I did start throwing things away while reading it), but I will be setting aside a tidying day sometime in the future. Here are some things I learned from Marie Kondo on tidying:
- Pick a day or two to tidy your home. This isn’t daily tidying like making your bed, this is serious business
- Tidy by item category, not by the item’s location
- Run items through your hands to see if they spark joy. If they don’t, toss or donate them. Life is better when you’re surrounded by only things that bring you joy!
- Don’t let your family see what you’re throwing away. It can upset them
- Fold your clothes, including your socks. Socks inverted as “potato balls” are not happy socks
- Dispose of books you have read and will never read again. The pages of information are inside of you and now they are destined for someone else
- Get rid of all papers – including warranties and notes from seminars. If you forget what you learned at a seminar, take it again
- Dispose of sentimental items that don’t bring joy. Don’t cling to the past – live happily in the present. By handling each item before tossing it, you process the past and can understand yourself better
- When it comes to storage, designate a space for every item – and she means every item. This will keep you organized and it will prevent you from buying more than you need
I recommend reading the book and taking Kondo’s advice. I’ll be doing it at my next opportunity. The whole point of tidying is to organize your life to be simpler, happier, and healthier. What could be better that?
“…tidying ought to be about the act of restoring balance among the people, their possessions, and the house they live in.” – Marie Kondo
My bedroom after reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (Better!)
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