Friday, July 17, 2015

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Though I hadn't made any sort of official announcement yet, I was 99% convinced I wasn't going to continue blogging. But when I started writing what I thought would be a one-liner on GoodReads and found myself instead writing a full-blown review, I decided it really should be a post. I can't say for sure what this blog is going to be like going forward, but like always, it remains a space for me to share my favorite pastime of reading. If anyone is still sticking around if/when I write posts, thanks! :)

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The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, by Marie Kondo
Series? No
Publisher: Tantor Media
Format: Audiobook
Date: January 6, 2015
How did I get this book? borrowed from library
My Rating: 3 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Publisher

I had put a hold on this digital audiobook from my library months ago after I kept hearing it recommended. The waiting list was quite long and I had almost forgotten about it by the time my turn came. With a new baby, the last thing I really need to worry about is tidying my house, but it was only a few hours long, so I decided to give it a go anyway to see what all the hype is about. It is clear the author is passionate about her subject, though I am not sure everyone will be able to relate to her experience. I think a lot of this book is common sense, but sometimes that is the best kind of advice. If you need some guidance, but don't want to be bothering with gimmicks or complex organizational systems, this is definitely worth a read. I will not be following her advice to a T, but there are some areas I know could use some work and this book did inspire me to do some decluttering. I will keep some of Marie's concepts in mind as I start getting our house in better order over the next few months before my son becomes mobile.

I am skeptical about the whole concept of "do this once and you will never need to do it ever again," as well as the claims that NO ONE who takes the author's course ever lapses and EVERYONE has had success with her method, but I do think there were a lot of good concepts discussed. In fact, there were quite a few things I already do that I thought were interesting to hear recommended -- getting rid of paper, discarding before organizing/storing, keeping clothes in the closet year-round and not changing for the seasons, and folding laundry neatly). Other things were a bit over the top for me -- I will not be emptying my purse daily, getting rid of all my product manuals, or putting away my folded clothes vertically (how do you even do that?!)

I also disagree with her philosophy on books -- I will not be getting rid of my unread books because I do not believe "someday" necessarily means "never" for a book lover. Though she does at another point talk about the amount of possessions a person "should" have and says, "For a shoe lover, it might be one hundred pairs of shoes, while a book lover might not need anything but books." Since I tend to not accumulate many things other than books, I am much more on board with this line of thinking. I may be due for a good culling, but my TBR piles aren't in any danger of being discarded overnight!