to wonder why Marie Kondo transforms lives

[Teenageromance]

This is a genuine question - on a recent thread about self help books that have transformed your life the Marie Kondo book came up a lot.
I’ve got the book on kindle but now need some inspiration to read and do it.
So tell me how it had transformed your life and home?

Is there a joyful clutter nutjob hoarder equivalent to the Kondo book?

I found it useful. It’s helped to change my mindset away from “what can I get rid of” towards “what do I want to keep”.

The focus on identifying what sparks joy - identifying what things you love - has made it much easier for me to discard stuff that I don’t need. It’s also reduced my impulse buying.

I’ve still got a way to go before I’ve finished going through everything, but so far, it’s been positive for me.

It's a tool to "buy" to put you on a path towards less materialism . It's just another gimmick.

Thanks for all of these - sounds like wardrobes are the place to start. I think I am chronically untidy too - so like the idea it may cut housework time

Except Oooeeeerr some of us never bought the book. I read it whilst babysitting, and lots of people will pick it up from the library. I agree with Sparkle - its about what do you want to keep

It changed my life in the sense that I no longer hang onto things I don't need anymore and I don't feel guilty about taking unwanted gifts to the charity shop.

I read it when I was very limited in terms of living space, and it really helped me to make the best out of that situation.

@oooeerrrrrindeed Her books are obviously out there to make money, but the central idea has been around for a long, long time. She's just added some cute bells and whistles, which isn't my thing but might work for others.

I haven't bought any of her books (I did take a look at her YouTube vid on folding though!) but am slowly converting to a life of less stuff and more care for the stuff I do have. That idea is not really a gimmick - it allows me to live well in a smaller (but lovely) home in the very expensive city that I love. It is maybe no coincidence that Marie Kondo comes from Japan, where housing is small and you have to be much more discerning as to what you own.

I got the copy I read from the library.

I never actually read the book (I suspect the sheer bonkersness of it would have put me off) but I read and discussed the procedure on mumsnet threads and read a ton of blogs before starting.
Like PP above, I now have fewer clothes but it feels like more as I know exactly what I have and where to find it. I might spend longer putting stuff away (which I do when I have time) but I save time in the long run by being able to find stuff easily when I'm rushing to get dressed in the morning.
Similarly, I rationalised stuff in kitchen and don't waste time looking for utensils in various drawers. The potato peeler the there because that's where it lives

Loved the stories from her childhood and some of her ideas are batshit, empty your bag at end of day? Dry dishes on the fire escape?? Handsoap in a cupboard?!?!

I did full kondo and it took 6 months. You can't kondo in a day, that's just a chuck out. I spend far less money, I have no random crap lying around (old chargers, keys, broken games) there are no scraggy pants or chipped plates. I love or use everything.

My home is full though of nice things, it's not about minimilsm at all. I have loads of bags and shoes and kitchenware but I love and use all.

It made me more organised which has become a way of life.
Some of her thinking is bonkers but if you cut through the bonkers ithe makes a lot of sense.

I have always folded my pants

I did read her book, but I had it from the library and someone reserved it so I had to take it back. I liked her advice to do everything of the same type together when sorting, but most other things didn't really help.

Trouble is I live with 4 other people who aren't so into it, so it doesn't matter what I do, there is still the other 80% of belongings.

I have now employed the 'Do I want to pay to move this?' method - but buying a new house is quite an extreme way to de-clutter. I can also drag the others into this method, so win:win.

I had a look at it but I already fold all our clothes the way she does, have done for years. My husband jokes his tshirt drawers are like filing cabinets. The only thing I have to declutter is my wardrobes but the thought of pulling everything out and piling it in a heap before sorting gives me a headache.

I read it. But I have too much stuff to even start it. It felt like an absolutely impossible task to do the whole house that way. In short, my life has not been changed in the slightest. I still have to much stuff and I'm still too busy/lazy to sort through it to declutter, no matter what method I was planning on using.

For pants, socks, and bras, I use those organisers that fold out in the drawer - it forces me not to throw newly washed underwear into the drawer as there is no space to! And takes about a minute to sort it all out and is really neat and organised

It just made me feel upset for my socks.

It significantly reduced my anxiety, which had been hugely exacerbated by unorganised stuff around me - nothing ridiculous, just too much stuff.

After I did the process I could find things, nothing was a rush or stress (physical belonging wise!), my state of mind was calmer, I considered things and process better.

I think it gives people 'permission' to get rid of things, that's the life-changing bit. It's so psychologically freeing to throw away/donate things you no longer need, but hard to do if you've been brought up with the 'save it for a rainy day' mentality.

Parts of the book were too OTT for me - emptying your handbag every night for example. I joined a MK facebook page and to see some of the posts some either don't get it and just think it's about tidying and storage, and others are baffled because their husband and kids are raging she's Kondo'd all their stuff and fucked out all thier games consoles and clothes because they didn't spark joy with her

But I did like the way it make me look at my clothes and let go of the impulse buys I never wore, or the expensive coat I loved to bits in my twenties.

Having said that, it can be a pain when you remember something that would be perfect with something you bought but you donated it to a charity shop.

Instead of "sparking joy", it is makes more sense to think about whether an item is something you really adore or is really useful (like William Morris' philosophy). Its the in-between items that are neither - the ok things that you don't love and/or don't serve any real purpose - that tend to clutter up our homes.

If I emptied my bag every evening, I'd forget my keys and wallet every day

I find it much easier to chuck stuff without feeling guilty that I haven’t worn it out. I can say thank you to things and let them go
Me doing it inspired dh to chuck (some) stuff out too - you can’t do it for them.
Other people’s stuff and kids’ toys I’ve found hardest.
I haven’t done it to its fullest or dh wouldn’t still be sitting on the sofa watching football.

I love her books, they really resonated with me and gave me he insight and tools to really start the discarding process. All our clothes are folded or hung as she suggests now. We are moving on through the categories. I hate cleaning but when everything is tidy cleaning is easy; this revelation made me very happy. I especially love my decluttered bedroom. I think if you are already a tidy person or someone who likes cleaning you might not 'get' or need this book. I definitely needed it, and it has genuinely improved my emotional well being at home. My husband is now on board with the concept as he can see the positive impact it has had on me and our home.

I had soooo much crap I was holding onto. Now I have nothing but essentials and pretty things I like and it feels amazing. I feel so much lighter and the house has a better feel to it.