Book Review: The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

Marie Kondo is the Queen of Tidying. She is the Japanese super tidying machine, revolutionising how people live and think about tidying! I’m probably super late when it comes to reading her book (it’s a New York best-seller after all!) but whatevs, I’m clearly dancing to my own beat and I thought I’d do a book review anyway! Her philosophy really makes sense – the more streamlined and tidy your living spaces are, the more you can enjoy life and live the lifestyle you want to live. I was also interested in this book, because I was curious to see if any cultural differences would be apparent – and while there is, anyone can still take on Marie Kondo’s method!

A good book and some green tea ice-cream (home made using the best recipe ever!) 😀

So what is this method? It’s all about tidying your things based on categories (not rooms) i.e. all of your clothes at one (not just one cupboard)  and handling each and every object to see whether or not you need it and whether or not it sparks joy. By doing this, you take responsibility for all of the silly decisions made (buying multiples of the same item or items which you forgot about) and you can assess exactly what you need. Certain categories are harder to go through and assess, so Marie has constructed a precise order you can easily follow which will help you get through those harder categories (momentos, photos etc.). Clearing out your spaces in one big clean up (which may last a couple of days) is supposed to bring about such a transformation, that clients and readers do not want to go back to their cluttered lifestyle. Intriguing huh?

I was a little worried when I started reading her book, because I had already started tidying myself and didn’t want to go through all of the categories outlined. I thought that perhaps her method wasn’t for me and that I wouldn’t take away many useful tips for myself. This wasn’t the case however, I still learnt quite a bit! Which bits appealed to me the most? I found the cultural differences regarding how we see objects really interesting (i.e. the belief that objects can have feelings, which need to be harnessed for good energy) and even if you don’t see your objects in quite the same way, I was really drawn to this philosophy because I get quite attached to my belongings. In saying that, I love how she puts forward that you can’t possibly appreciate all of the belongings you have when you have to much. As we live in a world of excess, it’s safe to say 95% of us live like this. During the clearing out process, Marie mentions that individuals experience an epiphany or ‘click’ when this fact really hits home. We don’t even know usually what we need, let alone how much we need, when we are constantly surrounded by excess and noise. It’s not about owning a particular amount of goods (after all, everyone is different and has different needs) but rather knowing what you value – and this really does make your values paramount. Some of us may have more space in our homes than others, but really, space isn’t the issue (yes really – and Marie makes a big point of this within her book). If you’re unconvinced, then again, it probably comes down to not knowing what you have and what you need.

An excerpt from the book which I thought was great!

One of the biggest tips I will take away from Marie’s book is that each item that you own, should have a place of it’s own to call home. If it doesn’t – then it is natural that it will start to float around the house with other ‘unclaimed’ items, causing mess and clutter. This is so obvious yet genius at the same time! Once you give each item a home, you will know exactly where it belongs and it will be easier to return it to it’s rightful home. Also, don’t bother with ‘complex storage’ solutions, which are usually a pain to use (and clean) and ugly. ‘Storage’ should be about simplicity. Not only does that help you remember where things are but you are also more likely to then use it 🙂

If all of the tips above appeal to you, then perhaps you are itching to simplify your life and bring some clarity to every day! It’s interesting to review this book for a ‘beauty blog’ when the beauty world is all about excess (hello Instagram!). But for that reason, I think we need that reality check. I most definitely recommend this book to anyone who needs a little more clarity, wants to maximise what they have, to live the lifestyle you ‘dream’ of.

You can find Marie Kondo’s book in any online bookshop (I bought mine from Amazon) 🙂

Does Marie’s tidying method and philosophy appeal to you beauties? Let me know in the comments below!

Catch ya next time,

Beauty Bee~

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