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Spark Joy

An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up
Feb 02, 2018dnk rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Like many others, I found Kondo's previous book to be, well, life-changing. She not only gave you permission to rid yourself of things you didn't love- many have done that- but she prompted you to surround yourself only with what you do ("sparks joy"). And while she promised that you would be happier with an environment that reflected what you enjoyed, the more important premise was that the process of tidying would guide you to make peace with your past choices, accept the person you are in the present and confidently recognize whom you want to be in the future. Most importantly, tidying could be finished in one go (even if that go was extended over a period of months) and you wouldn't be bound to perpetually repeat the process with the checklists almost every other tidying guide offers. That, in my opinion, is why her book sold so incredibly well. What this book offers is deeper, step-by-step "how-to" instructions for the mechanics of maintaining your tidy home. Yes, here you will find detailed instructions on how to fold your shirts, bottoms, dresses, towels, rags and even bags. She will also, of course, explain what should usually be hung and why. She goes into the philosophy of each room and what should be stored with what. Even better, she assures you that as you tune into the logic of the materials you own, you'll discover what storage philosophy makes the most sense to you and your items- particularly the "komono" or miscellany- will reflect a "rainbow" of gradation based on your needs and usage. While a number of people genuinely enjoyed getting rid of things that didn't spark joy, there were many who complained that there were items they genuinely were on the fence about. In this book, Kondo gives you permission to hold onto things that you're not sure about but advises you to try and make use of them while you decide. Our things, she writes, want to be of use to us, and it's better to give them one last chance to be useful than to put them in limbo while you see if you magically decide you need them. The previous book made it seem as if Kondo was perfectly content to live by herself with her things- hence, perhaps, her strong identification with the feelings of inanimate objects- but here she speaks more warmly of people. Items can in and of themselves bring joy, but when they are invested with memories of experiences with people we love, they become that much more precious. That, then, is yet another reason to take care of what we have. Both the beginning and the end of the book imply that Kondo was reluctant to write this book. While she has specific instructions as to how items should be taken care of and where they should be stored, 90% of successful tidying is in your mindset. Further, she allows that there will be exceptions to her rules- sometimes it makes more sense to store the coats in the front closet- and that the reader ultimately knows what works in their environment better than she will. This book answers specific questions but also gives you permission to approach tidying in the way that works best for you. It is also a reminder that it isn't perfection we should be aiming for as we tidy but rather happiness.