The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing in 2015 Reading Challenge [Closed]

Jul 05, 2015 KWinks rated it it was ok

I may be alone here, but the only thing more boring than cleaning is reading a book about cleaning. I just grabbed it from the library because it is very popular right now and I wanted to get an idea of what it is about. What I am taking from this is less about HOW to clean and more about the philosophy of cleaning. IMHO the crux seems to be: if you only surround yourself with stuff that you love and are grateful for said stuff all of the time, then you are more likely to keep it cleaned up and ...more

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Aug 08, 2015 Tanya rated it liked it

Shelves: 2015, subject-home-organization, challenge-2015-popsugar

This has elements within it that remind me of FLYLady's method....being grateful and honoring items as you bless others with them or dispose of them from your dwelling. But it has a bit of sadness to this book also, that the author is not really completely satisfied and is a misfit, except among her belongings, because those are what she has that she picked because they spark joy for her. I do believe she has some cherished friends, but also has an emptiness inside that is a quiet desperation of This has elements within it that remind me of FLYLady's method....being grateful and honoring items as you bless others with them or dispose of them from your dwelling. But it has a bit of sadness to this book also, that the author is not really completely satisfied and is a misfit, except among her belongings, because those are what she has that she picked because they spark joy for her. I do believe she has some cherished friends, but also has an emptiness inside that is a quiet desperation of not feeling valued by her immediate family. Her methods work for some people and others just find it too odd. He book itself was fairly entertaining, though in a manner of feeling like someone allowed and wanted you to you to read her private journal. A bit too unusual for me, though I can appreciate the basic concepts. I listened to this selection on audio and liked the narrator, but I would not have picked this up if it were on popular reading lists. Not sure about recommending it to friends---could be some value, and it is somewhat different from other books on decluttering and that may be enjoyable or useful.

Based on an insight timer discussion with Emilio José Garcia the further exploration of book led to these revelations:

*Clarity is necessary before beginning the process. May need to go away to think through values and what is the desired goals for one’s life. Consider a deeper dig by asking 5x, “why?” What are you creating space for?
*Declutter. This opens up new options and opportunities. The physical clutter is stagnant energy. Must set an intention—will help to have less decisions.
*Organize only after decluttering.

May be helpful to have one area cleaned that is a place to go and relax.

Order suggested:
1/ clothing
2/ books
3/ papers
4/ other miscellaneous stuff
5/ momentous and sentimental items

Decluttering is a dialog with yourself. You are making decisions, which can be emotional. But dig deeper and create a space that is rejuvenating.

https://kwprofessionalorganizers.com/... ...more

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