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

Based on the Book by Marie Kondo

Worth Books

• Publisher: Worth Books
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN: 9781504046671
• eBook ISBN: 9781504043120
• Topic: Study Aids
• Subtopic: Mental Health & Wellbeing

So much to read, so little time? Get a brief overview of the Japanese KonMari method of organizing and take control of your life.
 
Japanese cleaning consultant and New York Times–bestselling author Marie Kondo is known for the revolutionary method of organization detailed in her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, which has helped millions create and keep tidy homes. With chapter-by-chapter breakdowns, this summary explains the key points of her book, including:
 

• How a calm, comfortable home can ease your mind
• Why a "little-by-little" approach doesn't work
• How to identify items that "spark joy" and dispose of those that don't
• How to declutter your home by category

 
Complete with historical context, important quotes, fascinating trivia, a glossary of terms, and other features, this summary and analysis of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up is intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction.

Summary

Introduction

Marie Kondo explains her background and introduces the KonMari tidying method as a concept. She shares some testimonials from former clients who are now “surrounded only by the things they love.” Reorganizing your home can shift your entire lifestyle and perspective in ways that are “transforming.”

Chapter One: Why can’t I keep my house in order?

It’s assumed that we all know how to organize possessions and physical spaces naturally. After all, shelter is one of the most basic human needs. But, as with learning how to cook, this is a skill one needs to be taught.

With the KonMari method, you will undertake a “tidying marathon” of your entire home that should be completed within six months. This mission should be treated as a special event, not a chore, because it’s the first step in shifting your mindset and creating the lifestyle that you want. If you aim for perfection the first time, you won’t rebound. Kondo claims that if you tidy a little each day, you’ll be tidying forever. But if you go through the KonMari process, you will reset your lifestyle once and for all.

The KonMari method—essentially, discarding, then storing—works for everybody, regardless of your personality, because it empowers you to make your own decisions.

When tidying, a common mistake is to sort by room. In the KonMari method, you “sort by category, not by location.” Because people often keep the same type of thing in more than one room or place in the house, tidying by location means you’ll always be tidying.

Set goals for tidying one category at a time: clothes, papers, etc. Furthermore, it’s important not to be distracted by fancy storage methods. There can be no proper storage method without first discarding the things that you don’t need—otherwise you’ll still have clutter, it will just be out of sight.

Once you’ve gone through this process and put everything in its place, the only thing you’ll have to do on a daily basis is put things back where they belong.

Need to Know

Tidying is an important life skill that most of us don’t have by nature—and many of the things that we have been taught about tidying are actually holding us back. The KonMari method of doing a big tidying overhaul, which includes first discarding, then storing properly, works for everyone and only needs to be done once.

Chapter Two: Finish discarding first

“Before you start, visualize your destination.” Think about why you picked up this book, and visualize—in concrete terms—what it would be like to live in the space that you desire. Then, ask yourself why this is what you’re looking for—because this will help you determine “the reasons behind your ideal lifestyle.” For most, it’s some variation of being happy, but each of us needs to realize this for ourselves.

The selection criterion during the discarding process is simple. “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, dispose of it.” This is perhaps the most famous tenet of the KonMari tidying philosophy, and it is absolutely necessary to the process. Marie Kondo believes that your body reacts to the things you love, that you can feel it. You instinctively know the items that you want to be surrounded by.

Tidy in this order, one category at a time: clothes, books, papers, komono (miscellany), and mementos. Kondo designed this list from easiest to most difficult to ...

Table of contents

• Title
• Disclaimer
• Contents
• Context
• Overview
• Summary
• Direct Quotes and Analysis
• Trivia
• What’s That Word?
• Critical Response
• About Marie Kondo
• For Your Information
• Bibliography
• Copyright