![]() My wife and I both just finished reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo (it was her idea). I had actually heard of it a while ago in Tim Ferriss podcast episode with the author and thought it would be interesting to read. We also enjoyed watching the Netflix series Tidying Up by the author, which actually helped to reinforce stuff from the book by showing visually how to organize and fold things. With paper I'm pretty good about scanning and destroying and not keeping stuff around too long, but with other categories of items (like electronics), I'm not as minimal, so this book was helpful for me as well. I found the book really insightful and loved the structured approach she recommends. The idea of tidying by category as opposed to by location makes a lot of sense, and I also liked the main criteria she recommends for keeping something ("does the item spark joy?"). That reminded me of Derek Sivers' methodology for deciding what to do (something should either be "hell yeah" or "no" -- don't do anything that's not a "hell yeah" for you). It was also fun to read about her upbringing and how she got into tidying from an early age. Now we're inspired to go through all our stuff and really get it organized! Below are my main notes and takeaways. Intro
First discard then organize your space 1 why can’t I keep my house in order Can’t tidy if never learned how Doing a little at a time fails Tidying in one shot changes your emotions and mindset Why you should aim for perfection Just two parts: deciding whether to part with something and deciding where to put it Messy room is messy mind The moment you start you reset your life Storage experts are hoarders Sort by category not by location Don’t change the methods to suit your personality Make tidying a special event Should be done just once 2 finish discarding first Start by discarding all at once intensely Quickly means about 6 months Tidy in the right order Don’t worry about putting things away before done completely discarding Before you start, visualize your destination Be concrete Look at magazines for photos that grab you Imagine the lifestyle you want Ask why several times Selection criterion Does it spark joy Take each item in hands and ask if it sparks joy One category at a time Bring everything from across the house of that category into one pile Can also do subcategories like tops and bottoms Starting with mementos spells failure Qualities that make things hard to discard Functional Information Emotion Rarity Clothes first Then books Then papers Then komono/miscellany Then mementos Don’t let your family see Don’t show your parents all you discard If you’re mad at your family, your room might be the cause Check your own space Discard only your own things What you don’t need, your family doesn’t either Tidying is a dialogue with one self Meditating like tidying Create a quiet space, not even music Start early morning What to do when can’t throw something away Things have taught us lessons and can let go of them 3 tidying by category works like magic Tidying order Clothes Books Papers Komono/miscellany Sentimental items Clothes order Subdivide by category for efficiency Tops Bottoms Clothes that should be hung Socks Underwear Bags Accessories Clothes for specific events, swimsuits, uniforms Shoes Clothing tidying Check all drawers around house. Anything missed goes into discard pile automatically. Check laundry room and machines. Put all clothes on floor Start with off season clothes Do I want to see this outfit again next time it’s in season? Would I want to wear this right away if the temperature suddenly changed? Handle each one and ask if it sparks joy Loungewear Don’t promote bad clothes u won’t wear out to loungewear. Just discard. Clothing storage Folding as main storage method over hanging A lot less space needed Placing hands on the clothes makes you think about them. Act of caring and thanking clothes. How to fold Store things standing up so can see all items at a glance Fold into simple rectangle Adjust number of folds to match height of drawer when standing Fold thin soft material more tightly Arranging clothes Hang any clothes that look like they’d be happier hung up Hang clothes of same category side by side Arrange clothes so they rise to the right Hang heavy items on left side and light items on right Heavy is long, dark or large Order: coats, dresses, jackets, pants, blouses Organize clothes within each category to rise to right Storing socks Treat them with respect Never tie up stockings or ball up socks Socks need to rest and have time without tension Better to fold or roll and arrange on end Shoebox good divider box Seasonal clothes Eliminate need to store clothes in boxes Keep all clothes ready to wear year round Don’t categorize by activity Don’t store in plastic storage units Get set of drawers Open drawer and run hands through contents Storing books Remove all books and put all on floor Always remove and don’t judge on shelf because invisible there and dormant To decide if sparks joy need to take out Divide in categories General (pleasure) Practical (Reference, cooking) Visual (photograph collections) Magazines Take each into hands and decide if want to keep Decide if it gives you thrill when you touch it, not read it Imagine bookshelf filled only with books you love Unread books Sometime means never Keep only the books that will make you happy to see on shelf, not reread Get rid of ones you haven’t read yet Get rid of old textbooks and reference books because most likely will never use them If still need can buy again Books to keep Those that belong to hall of fame Keep up to 50 The moment you first encounter a book is when you should read it so keep collection small Sorting papers Rule of thumb: discard everything 3 categories to keep Currently in use Needed for temporary time Keep indefinitely Later deal with sentimental papers Two files for ones to keep Papers to be dealt with Papers to keep Keep all such papers in one spot only Store in vertical organizer Divide papers to keep by frequency of use (infrequent or frequent) Put infrequent ones in clear folder and don’t worry about organization Ones you look at frequently put in clear folder with some categories divided Reduce volume in this category Three divisions Needs attention Generally should be empty as long as dealing with things in your life in a timely manner Should be saved (contracts) Should be saved (other) Troublesome papers Lecture materials Real value from seminar is the experience itself not the notes Apply the learning instead of keeping the notes Credit card statements Dispose all Warranties Part with all manuals Put all warranties in one single folder rather than dividing Greeting cards Part with cards Dispense after a year at most or only keep those you really love Used checkbooks Dispose Pay slips Dispose Komono (miscellaneous items) Keep things because you love them, not just because Follow order CDs, DVDs Skincare Makeup Accessories Valuables (passports, credit cards) Electrical equipment and appliances, cameras, cords Household equipment Stationery and writing materials Household supplies Expendables, tissues, medicine, detergent Kitchen supplies, tools Other (spare change, figurines, etc.) Hobby articles Common types of komono Disposables Gifts Key holders Weird incense Don’t feel guilty for parting with it Cosmetic samples saved for trips Electronics boxes and packages and manuals and CDs Unidentified cords Broken appliances Bedding for guests Spare sets of bedding Spare buttons Products from latest health craze Free novelty goods from events or promo giveaways Loose change goes into wallet not piggy bank Take piggy banks to bank now Sentimental items You won’t lose the memories if you discard the mementos Only keep the items that spark joy Don’t give to parents Helps you process your past Photos Cherish who you are now Put all in one spot and deal with together at end Remove all from albums and check one by one Only keep those that spark joy Likely will Only keep 5 per day from important trip Stockpiles Get rid of excess stock at once Reduce until you reach point where something clicks Just right click point when you have just enough to live with Will never own more than this amount after and never rebound Will show you your true values Focus on just what gives joy Follow your intuition and all will be well 4 storing your things to make your life shine Greet home when arriving Designate a place for each thing Thank items as put them away Every single item in designated spot Stores items of same type near each other Discard first, store later Storage: pursue ultimate simplicity No point for complicated strategy Don’t scatter storage space Only organize by type of item and by person Only one place per person First start by sorting only your own things and not common household things Forget about flow planning and frequency of use Never pile things Vertical storage best Stand things on edge No need for commercial storage items Just drawers and boxes Empty shoeboxes Lids as dividers Apple boxes No irregular shaped ones Only worry about this after done tidying and disposing The best way to store bags is another bag Dividing by material or type of use No more than 2 per bag Need to be able to see what’s in each at a glance Leave handles in view Like Nested dolls Empty your bag every day Even what you use daily Items that usurp floor space belong in the closet Off season items above closet along with large mementos Drawers better than boxes Keep things out of the bath and kitchen sink Don’t keep soaps and shampoos out Dry after use and put away Store sponges and dish detergent under sink Hang sponges to dry outside Store oils in cupboard not out Make the top shelf of your bookcase your shrine Charms from temples carry with you or in personal altar on book shelf Decorate your closet with your secret delights Old posters and hobby memorabilia Don’t hide it away Transform closet as private space Back walls of closet Personalize Unpack and detag new clothes immediately Don’t stick pile Don’t underestimate the noise of written info Remove product seals and labels from containers so words not jumping out at you all the time Appreciate your possessions and gain strong allies Say thank you to clothes after wearing Treat items with care 5 magic of tidying changes your life Put your house in order and discover what you really want to do Childhood possessions and things we choose to keep indicate what we care about most Magic effect of tidying Gaining confidence while tidying An attachment to the past or a fear of the future Only two reasons why someone keeps something Learning what you can live without Do you greet your house? Do so when you come home Your possessions want to help you Your living space affects your body House detoxes body 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 you put your house in order Afterword
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