The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

By Marie Kondo

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The book that sparked a revolution and inspired the hit Netflix series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo: the original guide to decluttering your home once and for all.

ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BOOKS OF THE DECADE—CNN
 
Despite constant efforts to declutter your home, do papers still accumulate like snowdrifts and clothes pile up like a tangled mess of noodles?

Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you’ll never have to do it again. Most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. In fact, none of Kondo’s clients have lapsed (and she still has a three-month waiting list). 

With detailed guidance for determining which items in your house “spark joy” (and which don’t), this international bestseller will help you clear your clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home—and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed
• Release date: Oct 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781607747314

Marie Kondo

Marie Kondo is an internationally bestselling author, having sold 14 million books over the last ten years alone, translated into more than 40 languages. She is the founder of KonMari Media, Inc., and oversees the Consultant Program with experts trained in her methods active in over 50 countries. She also hosted the Emmy-nominated Netflix show, Tidying Up With Marie Kondo. While globally active, Marie is based in Japan. Marie began her consultancy as a 19-year-old university student in Tokyo, which inspired her to write, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying, which landed at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and topped bestseller charts around the world. Marie's simple yet revolutionary approach to living more joyfully has transformed countless homes and lives. Marie has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, The London Times, The Guardian, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Ellen Show. She has also been named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the world. Her goal, now and always, is to spark joy everywhere. With Letter from Japan, she hopes to share the traditions of her homeland to spark joy all over the world.

Book preview

Cover for The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, Author, Marie KondoBook Title, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, Author, Marie Kondo, Imprint, Ten Speed Press

Copyright © 2014 by Marie Kondo

Excerpt from Letter from Japan copyright © 2025 by KonMari Media Inc. English translation copyright © 2025 by Marie Iida. Excerpt illustrations from Letter from Japan copyright © 2025 by Chisato Uno.

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

www.crownpublishing.com

www.tenspeedpress.com

Ten Speed Press and the Ten Speed Press colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.

Originally published in Japan as Jinsei Ga Tokimeku Katazuke No Maho by Sunmark Publishing, Inc., Tokyo, in 2011. Copyright © 2011 by Marie Kondo. English translation rights arranged with Sunmark Publishing, Inc., through InterRights, Inc., Tokyo, Japan, and Waterside Productions Inc., California, USA. This English translation by Cathy Hirano first published in Great Britain by Ebury Publishing, an imprint of Random House UK, London.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Kondo, Marie, author.

[Jinsei ga tokimeku katazuke no maho. English]

Life-changing magic: a journal: spark joy every day / Marie Kondo. – First edition.

pages cm

The text in this work was originally published in The life-changing magic of tidying up translation by Marie Kondo and translated from the Japanese by Cathy Hirano. Published in Great Britain by Ebury Publishing, an imprint of Penguin Random House, London.

ISBN 978-0-8041-8909-5 (diary/journal) 1. Housekeeping. 2. Home economics. 3. Storage in the home. 4. Orderliness. I. Title.

TX321. K6613 2016

648—dc23

2015031411

Hardcover ISBN 9781607747307

Ebook ISBN 9781607747314

Design by Betsy Stromberg

Front cover image copyright © Vadim Georgiev/Shutterstock.com

rh_3.1_153862288_c0_r5

Contents

Introduction

1

Why can’t I keep my house in order?

You can’t tidy if you’ve never learned how

A tidying marathon doesn’t cause rebound

Tidy a little a day and you’ll be tidying forever

Why you should aim for perfection

The moment you start you reset your life

Storage experts are hoarders

Sort by category, not by location

Don’t change the method to suit your personality

Make tidying a special event, not a daily chore

2

Finish discarding first

Start by discarding, all at once, intensely and completely

Before you start, visualize your destination

Selection criterion: does it spark joy?

One category at a time

Starting with mementos spells certain failure

Don’t let your family see

If you’re mad at your family, your room may be the cause

What you don’t need, your family doesn’t either

Tidying is a dialogue with one’s self

What to do when you can’t throw something away

3

Tidying by category works like magic

Tidying order: follow the correct order of categories

Clothing: place every item of clothing in the house on the floor

Loungewear: downgrading to loungewear is taboo

Clothing storage: fold it right and solve your storage problems

How to fold: the best way to fold for perfect appearance

Arranging clothes: the secret to energizing your closet

Storing socks: treat your socks and stockings with respect

Seasonal clothes: eliminate the need to store off-season clothes

Storing books: put all your books on the floor

Unread books: sometime means never

Books to keep: those that belong in the hall of fame

Sorting papers: rule of thumb—discard everything

All about papers: how to organize troublesome papers

Komono (miscellaneous items): keep things because you love them—not just because

Common types of komono: disposables

Small change: make into my wallet your motto

Sentimental items: your parents’ home is not a haven for mementos

Photos: cherish who you are now

Astounding stockpiles I have seen

Reduce until you reach the point where something clicks

Follow your intuition and all will be well

4

Storing your things to make your life shine

Designate a place for each thing

Discard first, store later

Storage: pursue ultimate simplicity

Don’t scatter storage spaces

Forget about flow planning and frequency of use

Never pile things: vertical storage is the key

No need for commercial storage items

The best way to store bags is in another bag

Empty your bag every day

Items that usurp floor space belong in the closet

Keep things out of the bath and the kitchen sink

Make the top shelf of the bookcase your personal shrine

Decorate your closet with your secret delights

Unpack and de-tag new clothes immediately

Don’t underestimate the noise of written information

Appreciate your possessions and gain strong allies

5

The magic of tidying dramatically transforms your life

Put your house in order and discover what you really want to do

The magic effect of tidying

Gaining confidence in life through the magic of tidying

An attachment to the past or anxiety about the future

Learning that you can do without

Do you greet your house?

Your possessions want to help you

Your living space affects your body

Is it true that tidying increases good fortune?

How to identify what is truly precious

Being surrounded by things that spark joy makes you happy

Your real life begins after putting your house in order

Afterword

About the author

Excerpt from Letter from Japan

_153862288_

Introduction

In this book, I have summed up how to put your space in order in a way that will change your life forever.

Impossible? A common response and not surprising, considering that almost everyone has experienced a rebound effect at least once, if not multiple times, after tidying.

Have you ever tidied madly, only to find that all too soon your home or workspace is cluttered again? If so, let me share with you the secret of success. Start by discarding. Then organize your space, thoroughly, completely, in one go. If you adopt this approach—the KonMari Method—you’ll never revert to clutter again.

Although this approach contradicts conventional wisdom, everyone who completes my private course has successfully kept their house in order—with unexpected results. Putting their house in order positively affects all other aspects of their lives, including work and family. Having devoted more than 80 percent of my life to this subject, I know that tidying can transform your life.

Does it still sound too good to be true? If your idea of tidying is getting rid of one unnecessary item a day or cleaning up your room a little at a time, then you are right. It won’t have much effect on your life. If you change your approach, however, tidying can have an immeasurable impact. In fact, that is what it means to put your house in order.

I started reading home and lifestyle magazines when I was five, and it was this that inspired me, from the age of fifteen, to undertake a serious study of tidying that led to my development of the KonMari Method (based on a combination of my first and last names). I am now a consultant and spend most of my days visiting homes and offices, giving hands-on advice to people who find it difficult to tidy, who tidy but suffer rebounds, or who want to tidy but don’t know where to start.

The number of things my clients have discarded, from clothes and undergarments to photos, pens, magazine clippings, and makeup samples, easily exceeds a million items. This is no exaggeration. I have assisted individual clients who have thrown out two hundred 45-liter garbage bags in one go.

From my exploration of the art of organizing and my experience helping messy people become tidy, there is one thing I can say with confidence: A dramatic reorganization of the home causes correspondingly dramatic changes in lifestyle and perspective. It is life transforming. I mean it. Here are just a few of the testimonies I receive on a daily basis from former clients.

After your course, I quit my job and launched my own business doing something I had dreamed of doing ever since I was a child.

Your course taught me to see what I really need and what I don’t. So I got a divorce. Now I feel much happier.

Someone I have been wanting to get in touch with recently contacted me.

I’m delighted to report that since cleaning up my apartment, I’ve been able to really increase my sales.

My husband and I are getting along much better.

I’m amazed to find that just throwing things away has changed me so much.

I finally succeeded in losing ten pounds.

My clients always sound so happy, and the results show that tidying has changed their way of thinking and their approach to life. In fact, it has changed their future. Why? This question is addressed in more detail throughout the book, but basically, when you put your house in order, you put your affairs and your past in order, too. As a result, you can see quite clearly what you need in life and what you don’t, and what you should and shouldn’t do.

I currently offer a course for clients in their homes and for company owners in their offices. These are all private, one-on-one consultations, but I have yet to run out of clients. There is currently a three-month waiting list, and I receive inquiries daily from people who have been introduced by a former client or who have heard about the course from someone else. I travel from one end of Japan to the other and sometimes even overseas. Tickets for one of my public talks for stay-at-home parents sold out overnight. There was a waiting list not only for cancellations but also for the waiting list. Yet my repeater rate is zero. From a business perspective, this would appear to be a fatal flaw. But what if my lack of repeaters was actually the secret to the popularity of my approach?

As I said at the beginning, people who use the KonMari Method never revert to clutter again. Because they can keep their space in order, they don’t need to come back for more lessons. I occasionally check in with graduates of my courses to see how they are doing. In almost every case, not only is their home or office still in order but they are continuing to improve their space. It is evident from the photographs they send that they have even fewer belongings than when they finished the course, and have acquired new curtains and furnishings. They are surrounded only by the things they love.

Why does my course transform people? Because my approach is not simply a technique. The act of tidying is a series of simple actions in which objects are moved from one place to another. It involves putting things away where they belong. This seems so simple that even a six-year-old should be able to do it. Yet most people can’t. A short time after tidying, their space is a disorganized mess. The cause is not lack of skills but rather lack of awareness and the inability to make tidying a regular habit. In other words, the root of the problem lies in the mind. Success is 90 percent dependent on our mind-set. Excluding the fortunate few to whom organizing comes naturally, if we do not address this aspect, rebound is inevitable no matter how much is discarded or how cleverly things are organized.

So how can you acquire the right kind of mind-set? There is just one way, and, paradoxically, it is by acquiring the right technique. Remember: the KonMari Method I describe in this book is not a mere set of rules on how to sort, organize, and put things away. It is a guide to acquiring the right mind-set for creating order and becoming a tidy person.

Of course, I can’t claim that all my students have perfected the art of tidying. Unfortunately, some had to stop for one reason or another before completing the course. And some quit because they expected me to do the work for them. As an organizing fanatic and professional, I can tell you right now that no matter how hard I try to organize another’s space, no matter how perfect a storage system I devise, I can never put someone else’s house in order in the true sense of the term. Why? Because a person’s awareness and perspective on his or her own lifestyle are far more important than any skill at sorting, storing, or whatever. Order is dependent on the extremely personal values of what a person wants to live with.

Most people would prefer to live in a clean and tidy space. Anyone who has managed to tidy even once will have wished to keep it that way. But many don’t believe it’s possible. They try out various approaches to tidying only to find that things soon return to normal. I am absolutely convinced, however, that everyone can keep his or her space in order.

To do that, it is essential to thoroughly reassess your habits and assumptions about tidying. That may sound like far too much work, but don’t worry. By the time you finish reading this book, you will be ready and willing. People often tell me, I’m disorganized by nature, I can’t do it, or I don’t have time; but being messy is not hereditary nor is it related to lack of time. It has far more to do with the accumulation of mistaken notions about tidying, such as it’s best to tackle one room at a time or it’s better to do a little each day or storage should follow the flow plan of the house.

In Japan, people believe that things like cleaning your room and keeping your bathroom spick-and-span bring good luck, but if your house is cluttered, the effect of polishing the toilet bowl is going to be limited. The same is true for the practice of feng shui. It is only when you put your house in order that your furniture and decorations come to life.

When you’ve finished putting your house in order, your life will change dramatically. Once you have experienced what it’s like to have a truly ordered house, you’ll feel your whole world brighten. Never again will you revert to clutter. This is what I call the magic of tidying. And the effects are stupendous. Not only will you never be messy again, but you’ll also get a new start on life. This is the magic I want to share with as many people as possible.

1

Why can’t I keep my house in order?

You can’t tidy if you’ve never learned how

When I tell people that my profession is teaching others how to tidy, I am usually met with looks of astonishment. Can you actually make money doing that? is their first question. This is almost always followed by, Do people need lessons in tidying?

It’s true that while instructors and schools offer courses in everything from cooking and how to wear a kimono to yoga and Zen meditation, you’ll be hard-pressed to find classes on how to tidy. The general assumption, in Japan at least, is that tidying doesn’t need to be taught but rather is picked up naturally. Cooking skills and recipes are passed down as family traditions from grandmother to mother to daughter, yet one never hears of anyone passing on the family secrets of tidying, even within the same household.

Think back to your own childhood. I’m sure most of us have been scolded for not tidying up our rooms, but how many of our parents consciously taught us how to tidy as part of our upbringing? Our parents demanded that we clean up our rooms, but they, too, had never been trained in how to do that. When it comes to tidying, we are all self-taught.

Instruction in tidying is neglected not only in the home but also at school. When we think back to our home economics classes, most of us remember making hamburgers or learning how to use a sewing machine to make an apron, but compared to cooking and sewing, surprisingly little time is devoted to the subject of tidying. Even if it is included in a textbook, that section is either just read in class, or worse, assigned for reading at home so that students can skip ahead to more popular topics, such as food and health. Consequently, even the extremely rare home economics graduates who have formally studied tidying can’t do it.

Food, clothing, and shelter are the most basic human needs, so you would think that where we live would be considered just as important as what we eat and what we wear. Yet in most societies tidying, the job that keeps a home livable, is completely disregarded because of the misconception that the ability to tidy is acquired

Reviews for The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

[debicates · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I once did Marie Kondo's process, the one where you collect all like things, put them all on the floor, and then only keep what "sparks joy" after touching each item. It worked a kitchen clean-out. But that's as far as I took it.

Recently, I took a four week online decluttering course for those with ADHD by Deniz Perry. It has worked wonders for me! It's got me back decluttering again but without the vast overwhelm I used to feel and also have overcome the decision paralysis.

So why read this book at all? Because, even though I'm actively and successfully decluttering (it's a process), I knew I needed something else too. I needed more help with decision-making (especially with sentimental items) and a clearer vision where I wanted to be at the end of the process.

Kondo helped me with both struggles. But it does take a bit of "suspense of disbelief" to get there. The repeated catch-phrase "spark joy," advice on how not to roll up your socks like little balls, and talking to your possessions was pretty silly to me. But I hung in there and captured some good advice that is perhaps hidden by some part in a cultural difference.

Living in an American consumerism society, we paradoxically don't really have a good relationship with our stuff. We all have too much and, at the same time, feel we have too little. That's where some of Kondo's "spark joy" approach can help I think. The silly phrase is a reminder that objects around us should be objects we enjoy, not merely too much clutter filling our garages, our spare rooms, and our attics while emptying our pockets.

For me, it is a different vision I needed. With Kondo's ideas and funny way of talking about "things," I can now clearly see being surrounded by things that are useful, helpful, and joyful. (And can be found!)

I believe I can now begin to identify items to let go, like things that have a constant association of guilt that has made me keep them. I can more readily let go of a gazillion things that I keep because I "might need" them; those things that I can't find when I do need them.

I also realized how much of my clutter is based on a fear of scarcity that actually takes away legitimate peace of mind. I'd be better off learning to be more resilient and open to new solutions than hoarding in preparation for all disasters. (Covid taught many lessons, including the surprise that ramen and toilet paper were the first to run out, but fresh produce was still abundant, proving we can't really know how to prepare.)

Being able to let go, let go of all the fears and guilts is what this whole book is about. And a clearer space will lead to a clearer mind, and a clearer mind is available to be in the present. And that is my goal.

So, yes, in spite of many eye rolls I had while reading this -- the cutesy phrases, the hyper focus on certain things (clothes mostly) and the too much talky-talky that is a problem in many self help books -- I have indeed come away with some useable advice.

And I feel pretty sure I can use some important information in this book WITHOUT dumping everything on the floor, an approach that instantly causes me extreme stress.

[trayceebee · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I never get through books (even little ones, like this) quickly. But this one has me filled with hope and a hint of motivation, which has been lacking for write some time. I’m a little leery, but I’m going to give it a shot.

[radiojen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Inspiration!

I bought this book because I'm tired of feeling cluttered all the home. There are several "drop zones" in my house. I have an overflowing "junk drawer," and my dresser drawers barely close!

The book is very inspiring! I cannot wait to start discarding & then putting things in place. I can't speak for the effectiveness of the book or its principal method, but the book itself is a great place to start if you're ready once and for all to create an oasis.

[zeborah · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Marie Kondo's methods were fashionable for a while, and then it became fashionable to mock them mercilessly, and once someone gets mocked that badly I desperately want to read the original because yeah, most of the extreme views people ascribe to her are just not what she's actually saying. She says herself many people can live happily with clutter and mess - but that if you're reading the book then that suggests that's not you. The parts of her methods that seem the most rigid and arbitrary, she has specific reasons for (eg folding socks instead of balling them up so the elastic doesn't get stretched) - though yes, she also has some spirituality in there, and what's wrong with that?

The thing that stuck with me from reading it is her belief that by weeding out the things that don't give us joy, we bring into better focus the things that do. (I use the word "weeding" there intentionally because it reminds me of the reason librarians weed collections - people borrow more books when the shelves aren't cluttered with rubbish. In her section about books, she even says "Books are for reading" - pretty much identical to Ranganathan's First Law of Library Science.)

By working through her methods, then, people are not only analysing their possessions, they're processing the parts of their lives that are no longer relevant to them, and identifying the parts of their lives that give them joy. This is why she's seen it be life-changing to many people, and this leaves me feeling very thoughtful -- and, even if I don't follow her method to the letter, it does help me let go of several old objects and old projects.

[jackiecraven · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

The author, who means well, suggests I purge my life of all things that do not bring me joy. With apologies, I must begin with this book.

[word.owl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I guess I can't really say that I'm done reading this book, because I plan to go through the entire process Kondo outlines. I did go over the text with my eyes and put the words into my brain, though.

The most enlightening parts of this process for me are doing things a category at a time across the whole house, and also the whole sparking joy thing. There are certain things I've hung onto because I would have felt guilty getting rid of them, or things that I've just had for so long that I felt like getting rid of them would somehow be sacrilege, although I don't necessarily like them anymore.

Kondo is a little eccentric talking to all of these objects, but if you pretend that she's just explaining how to take care of your things, it makes it easier to swallow.

The life-changing part is great, but I cringed at the client Kondo quoted who said that after going through the decluttering process, she realized what she needed in life and what she didn't, so she decided to get a divorce. Ummm... okay, so just because you start treating objects like people doesn't mean you should then treat people like objects. That was a little disturbing.

While I'm not interested in emptying my purse every single day, I did try the sock-folding/rolling method and was amazed that all of my socks fit into one of the smaller drawers in the dresser I share with my husband. I've seen the elastic bands on our socks start to wear out, and I hadn't realized that it might have been from folding the top of one over the other, so that's cool.

Today I completed the clothing sorting process. It took about six hours, and starting out I didn't have nearly the number of tops Kondo described (who has 160 tops? Seriously. That would take up like... five closets). Now, one important thing to know about me is that my house is fairly uncluttered in the first place. I'm a librarian; I'm pretty organized. Still, I ended up with about eleven paper bags full of clothes to give away, plus a box of coats. Our local bus company is gathering winter clothes for homeless people, so I'll be able to give them some things that otherwise would have just sat in the closet.

Next is books. When I first got married, my husband accused me of hoarding books. Of course, I didn't believe him at the time. Eventually, I started to, and I pared down my collection of 700 to something that would fit in two large bookshelves. Now, I've preemptively gotten rid of two sets of encyclopedias (I thought nobody would take them but it turns out the Goodwill does), and over the next couple of days plan to do more.

So far, it's feeling great to have a house full of only the things I love. You don't have to stop living your life to do it, either. Just take some time out of socializing for a while and actually plow in and get it done.

[caedocyon · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Satisfying to read? Hell yeah. Have I actually Kondoed anything? Still no.

[doehlberg63 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of the main concepts I found interesting with this book is that organization and tidying should be a huge purge. I had often heard and believed that discarding an item a day is great. However, as the author pointed out, you are accumulating way more than one item a day, and that is such a slow rate that you will never see any real progress. Also, if you are the one purging, you have to do it where the ones affected might derail your plans. The book had many more great ideas, but these two will really work for my situation.

[fancypengy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

**I read this in one sitting, according to my texts to my mother right before and after, and it was almost exactly 2hrs 40mins. On my Kindle it was 208 pages.

This was a strangely emotional read. I wasn’t expecting to feel so connected to this book. I am yet to start the process, but I am definitely looking forward to it. One thing that particularly stood out in my mind as I was reading that “sparks joy” for me is my Venture scouts uniform. It makes me happy looking at it hanging on the back of my door right now, I feel proud of myself and I honestly would love to just put it on right now. And when I thought of that, I understood the feeling that I will be going for in a day or two when I begin the transformation, or “celebration”.

[spinsterrevival · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I thought I'd revisit this as I remember finding it very compelling when I first read it years ago and managed to do some decluttering although not to Kondo's level. It was interesting listening now as I have more limitations than I did then, so this project will only work if you have help as she never even talks about what to do with all the stuff you're getting rid of. Still I'm on a current kick of trying to jump start my next decluttering work needed, and so it was fun to see where Marie Kondo started.

[kylecarroll · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

DNF @ 41%

Sorry lady, but I don’t think that my socks will stop radiating their positive energy to me if I disrespect them. And I really don’t think storing my sponges outside is the best solution to a messy kitchen.

This book is VERY repetitive and the actual tidbits of real advice would fall und...

[amcheri-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm someone who doesn't tend to horde a lot of things but the past few years, excess possessions and clutter have been creeping up. After seeing a couple episodes of Marie Kondo's Netflix series, I decided to pick up two of her books to see if my family could benefit from her technique.


Overall, yeah, I think her method of discarding and organizing will help us out. I'm not big on the more emotional aspects - my clothes and possessions having feelings and valuing my gratitude - but I can get behind about 90% of what she had to say.

I'm planning to read [b:Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up|25614984|Spark Joy An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up|Marie Kondō|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1435598787s/25614984.jpg|45694823] very soon and then I'll be starting off on reacquainting myself with all of my stuff.

[spiritedstardust · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very motivating & just like everyone commented the "does it bring you joy" approach is extremely helpful. I don't find her anthropomorphism off putting at all, I've always treated my most precious objects with respect and my car even has a name, I'm always thanking it for keeping me safe. Really helped me donate some things I had kept from previous decluttering bursts even though they didn't bring me joy- donating or regifting items I'd received as gifts but that really weren't my taste was the hardest thing for me to do. But her viewpoint that it had served its purpose by being given to me helped, plus now it will actually be cherished by someone else

[wanderlustlover_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I have quite a lot of complicated thoughts about this book. I was not struck over the head in great awe and gratitude for learning a new system that would radically transform my life, but I did see some parts of her process that I would like to attempt. I am definitely going to make an attempt to work through all the categories she talked about in her book.

I am, though, very saddened by the number of times she repeated the exact same information, and the number of times she bashed other people teaching people the same kinds of things as always wrong, always going to fail, always going to lead you right back to misery.

[readersmith · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

One third: obvious things I already knew
One third: interesting new ideas I'm looking forward to trying out
One third: crazy

[tanyaferrell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was surprised by how much I liked this. Marie Kondo is so popular that I thought I had a decent grasp of her teachings just from paying attention to pop culture and listening to her fans and disciples. But after listening to the audiobook, I realized I'd missed a lot. As someone who's tried a lot of different systems for home organization, the idea of tidying not being something you do everyday is actually revolutionary. Also, the idea of decluttering/organizing your stuff by category instead of location...so simple but so helpful. These two ideas alone are totally worth the $12 price of the book. Kondo also shares a lot of small ways to rethink how you organize your stuff. The book has such a positive and uplifting vibe that I finished the book at 7 am and completely changed around my clothing storage by noon the same day. Good stuff!

[brewbooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An excellent book, Here is my most important point: Take each item in one’s hand and ask: “Does this spark joy?” If it does, keep it. If not, dispose of it

[david_brown_851454 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Unimpressive and generally unrealistic and opinionated advice. The author seems be not well.

[jennybeast · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm not sure I agree with Marie Kondo on a lot of things, but I found the book and her philosophies interesting and inspiring. I appreciate that she is very clearly writing for a Japanese market, and that my cultural background is very different from hers, so some of the things she talks about don't resonate with me. Having read it, it feels like step 2 is to try it -- we shall see how far I get. I absolutely love that there is a clear system, that it is based on experience, and that she has put a ton of thought into how to set people up to be successful. If you are feeling overwhelmed by your possessions, you could do worse than to read this as a step into action.

[nanettels · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Mixed feelings

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, she has a lot of good, practical ideas. On the other hand, I think she's a bit crazy. I can't imagine growing up with her. But I will implement some of her ideas and I will at least clean out my closet

[ms_rowse · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Some great practical advice on what it means to really have a tidy home. Much of her approach reminded me of the movie "What the bleep do we know" which explores in part our relationships with objects. Found some great YouTube videos to help me with learning how to fold clothing the KonMari way, and already my closet feels lighter (and getting rid of the four bags of clothes also helped).

Probably the best content I've encountered about organizing our spaces--and how taking care of that can actually impact other areas of our lives. Looking forward to the next six months of tidying.

[mutantpudding · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

While some of the advice in this book was on the right track (mostly with order of organizing and working out the issues behind keeping a messy space) a lot of it was impractical or exclusive. I think the authors intent is good and believe her that her system works for her and many of her clients, but there is no way this system would work for everyone.

The idea of only keeping objects that bring you joy would work...provided you had plenty of money to replace disliked functional items with nicer versions. Also this approach wouldnt work for people living with depression. Just because nothing you own really gives you joy right now isnt a good reason to throw it all out. The author dismisses tidying methods that employ lists or rules to pick what to throw out or keep, but those kind of resources can be very valuable to people who just cant make the choice on their own.

I also took issue with how environmentally unfriendly this tidying method is. The idea of discarding unwanted items is repeated through the book, and I understand the desire to just trash everything when you are in cleaning mode, but its so wasteful! What cant be donated can probably be recycled or composted, with the trash being a last resort. The author discourages people from dumping all their stuff on friends or family, but as long as you aren't forcing junk on people giving stuff away is a good thing, and will stop you getting yelled at by your mother next Christmas when she finds out you trashed the ornaments your great aunt gave you because they "didn't inspire joy".

I found this book interesting to read but wouldn't recommend it as any sort of guide to keeping tidy.

[jessicareadsthings · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So, there is a spiritual aspect to this book that you may or may not enjoy. Greeting your house, thanking your clothes and accessories, and feeling joy from every item you own may sound a little weird. (Personally, I'm cool with it.) However, I would recommend you not let that turn you away from this book.

What I really like about the KonMari method is that it gives you permission to only keep what you want to keep. No hanging on something you never wore; no more keeping gifts because you don't want to offend the gift giver. No more guilt hiding in your closets.

Thus far, I've only KonMari'd my clothes. Already I feel lighter. And it was shockingly easy. Something I don't think I could have said prior to reading this book. So, life changed, I suppose.

[nosborm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Completely changed my view on tidying. Although I've yet to apply any of her techniques, I actually look forward to decluttering my room and house. Great read for anyone who is perennially messy but wants to be better about it.

[297Miriam · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Sometimes it gets a bit tangled up, but they are short chapters that can help you a lot.

I am still in the process of organizing my house; some things are hard for me to put back in their place. But others I have managed to keep super well.

It also changes a bit the way you appreciate things. To appreciate the objective they have had in your life and if they have been fulfilled, to be able to let go of them.

It won't change your life; it will give you advice. You have to change your life yourself and work on it. (Translated from Spanish)

[White Reads Books (YouTube) · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I want to be honest; this is the first time I read about this topic. I find the magic of order interesting because it presents us with an analogy of how what we have affects our lives—clothes, books, kitchen utensils, and our surroundings.

This transmits positive or negative energy to us; when things are unnecessary, it creates wear and tear, and that leads to exhaustion. Always look for ways to have only what's necessary and to enjoy its benefits. (Translated from Spanish)

[Lexi22 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I saw a YouTube video that recommended this book for living a minimalist life, and I really liked it because of how it helped me. I realized that I had too many things to which I had an absurd attachment since they are just things. Coming from a hoarding and disorganized family, this book really opened my eyes. (Translated from Spanish)

[Marta cs · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have to acknowledge that I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't have a particular eagerness to read this book, but I was recommended it so much that I gave it a chance.

The beginning seemed a bit like smoke and mirrors to me, a lot of personal childhood history about why he started organizing and how he carried it out.

Then he gets into the subject and makes you see that material things are just that. Material. They have an end. A function. And accumulating things out of pity or because they are gifts or purchases that required effort or money back in the day may not bring us anything now.

Personally, it has helped me pay attention to my unfounded attachment to material things. To assess whether each object we have is used in our lives, among other things.

I also think it could have moved me more, and it's only been small touches to start changing things. I recommend it, yes, but I don't consider it a marvel. (Translated from Spanish)

[Evelyna34 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Almost 200 pages that could be summarized in one sentence: only keep the things that make you happy. There's no magic in the book ? (Translated from Spanish)

[NoeliaBlanquer · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

'The Magic of Tidying Up' is nothing less than a manual of instructions (necessary and very practical, that's for sure) on how we can organize our day-to-day lives and properly practice detachment from everything we do not use. (Translated from Spanish)