The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying

A Simple Effective Way to Banish Clutter Forever

by Marie Kondo

Number of pages: 226

Publisher: AMACOM

BBB Library: Personal Success

ISBN: 9781607747307



About the Author

Marie Kondo helps people transform their homes into spaces of beauty, peace and inspiration.

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Editorial Review

Tidying up is not easy, and it doesn’t always last. This is why Marie Kondo, the organizing consultant and best-seller author, created the KonMari method—a simple way to have a tidy home and to prevent the clutter. “What makes the KonMari method different from other cleaning techniques?” you ask. First of all, the KonMari method is not a technique, but a series of actions in which each object is placed where it should be. More than that, the KonMari works on the level of mindsets—it helps us acquire the right mindset for creating order in our places, thus, creating order in our lives.

Book Reviews

"Japanese organizing consultant Marie Kondo set off a decluttering craze across the world with her pocket-sized book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. After reading the book, it’s easy to see why. This book can transform the way you see your possessions." Life Hacker

"Marie Kondo has the astonishing ability to make tidying sound exciting. In her book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing,” Kondo teaches people how to arrange their homes in such a way that they are surrounded only by things they truly love. Her selection criterion is simple: “Does it spark joy?” If the answer is no, get rid of it." Tree Hugger

"This 30 year old has taken the subject of decluttering and made it totally fresh with her practical suggestions and style." Spirituality and Practice

"Marie has a quirky yet charming approach to the things that surround us in our lives, be it our homes themselves or the socks on our feet." Break the Twitch

"This is the ambitious first sentence of Marie Kondo’s best-selling manifesto, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Direct and devoid of clutter, this sentence rings true to her philosophy. Unlike most self-help books, there are no extraneous words, no pandering—the lack of “wink wink” gesturing reads as an appealing, authentic statement." The Atlantic

"This book is a strange mix of the instructive, the inspiring, and the woo-woo." Modern MrsDarcy

"The best part about Kondo's book is her advice on how to deal with the hardest items to get rid of: those things that make you feel guilty." Today

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Wisdom to Share

Keep only those things that speak to your heart, then take the plunge and discard all the rest.

The most common reasons for not throwing away a book are “I might read it” or “I might want to read it again.”

Reading clouds your judgment.

You cannot judge whether or not a book really grabs you when it’s still on the shelf.

Books are usually arranged in rows in bookcases so that their titles are clearly visible so it does seem to make more sense to weed out those you don’t want when you can see them.

Once you’ve developed the knack of choosing what you love, you can move on to each subcategory of in-season clothing.

Check every wardrobe and drawer in the house and gather all your clothes in one spot.

Putting your house in order is fun.

Think in concrete terms so that you can vividly picture what it would be like to live in a clutter-free space.

To start discarding without thinking ahead at all would be setting yourself up for failure before you even begin. Instead, begin by identifying your goal.

The key is to make the change so sudden that you experience a complete change of heart.

The key is to make the change so sudden that you experience a complete change of heart.

When you tidy your space completely, you transform the scenery around you. The change is so profound that you’ll feel as if you’re living in a totally different world.

You think you’ve tidied everything perfectly, but within a few days you notice that your room is becoming cluttered again.

The true goal should be to establish the lifestyle you want most once your house has been put in order.

Tidying is just a tool, not the final destination.

It’s a common phenomenon. Most people get the urge to clean up when under pressure.

Visible mess helps distract us from the true source of the disorder.

When a room becomes cluttered, the cause is more than just physical.

By studying and applying the KonMari Method, you can escape the vicious cycle of clutter.

If you too don’t know how to keep your house in order, don’t be discouraged.

Many women have spent so many years applying conventional approaches that don’t work that their homes overflow with unnecessary items and they struggle to keep clutter under control with ineffective storage methods.

The general assumption is that tidying doesn’t need to be taught but rather is picked up naturally.

KonMari Method is rather a guide to acquiring the right mindset for creating order and becoming a tidy person.

Remember, the KonMari Method we offer isn’t a mere set of rules on how to sort, organize and put things away.

Remember, the KonMari Method we offer isn’t a mere set of rules on how to sort, organize and put things away.

A short time after tidying, their space is a disorganized mess.

Success is 90% dependent on your mindset.

Success is 90% dependent on your mindset.

Start by discarding. Then organize your space, thoroughly, completely, in one go.

Tidying has changed the way of thinking of so many people and their approach to life.

The KonMari Method (a nickname taken from the author’s first and last names) is a simple, smart, and effective way to banish clutter forever.

Most people find it impossible to put their place in order in a way that will change their life forever.