“When you’ve finished putting your house in order, your life will change dramatically. Once you have experienced what it’s like to have a truly ordered house, you’ll feel your whole world brighten. Never again will you revert to clutter. This is what I call the magic of tidying” (7)

I read the introduction to “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” this past week and as part of my KonMari decluttering and tidying journey, I wanted to share some favorite quotes and ideas that came to mind as I started reading.

To begin with Marie makes a very bold statement claiming that in her book she has “summed up how to put your space in order in a way that will change your life forever” (1). I added the emphasis in the quote, but I find this to be a pretty bold statement! Advertising something to be life-changing is a bold move, but I am up for the challenge if the payback is a forever changed and improved life!;)

Later in the introduction, Marie also explains how thousands of people have used her method of decluttering and minimizing and have never had a relapse; this also means that her return rate (people returning back to her course after having completed it once) is zero. When I first read this, two thoughts came to mind; either her course is so bad that no one wants to return to it, or it is so good and efficient not just in helping with the initial declutter, but in providing people with the tools needed to be consistent long before the course is over. Kind of like teaching a man how to fish.

In the world of cluttering and decluttering, what exactly does a rebound entail? I am not quite sure, and I find the use of the word relapse in this sense quite humorous, but maybe as I keep reading, I will understand it better. Nevertheless, a rebound of any kind doesn’t sound appealing, so if she can promise a journey without one, I am all for that!

Now, one of the most interesting parts of the introduction in my opinion is how she explains that her clients have benefitted emotionally from her method. I absolutely love when she writes that a “dramatic reorganization of the home causes correspondingly dramatic changes in lifestyle and perspective,” because I truly believe that one’s mental health is directly related and in correlation with one’s surroundings and physical health (3). The entire idea of the KonMari method really seems to be founded on the concept of happiness, and Marie claims that she often returns to the people she has helped to see them happier than they ever were before because they are “surrounded only by the things they love” (5). I am excited by this concept and truly hope that this can be part of a journey towards greater happiness and less stress in my life. To be fair, I don’t actually expect this method of decluttering to be life-changing, but I am excited to try it out nevertheless.

Another beautiful idea expressed in the introduction of the book is that although Marie Kondo might be viewed as a decluttering guru she admits that she actually can not declutter for anyone else. She explains that “a person’s awareness and perspective on his or her own lifestyle are far more important than any skill at sorting, storing, or whatever. Order is dependent on the extremely personal values of what a person wants to live with” (6).

Each person’s tidying and organizing journey is different and unique! I want to remember this throughout my journey- and really throughout my life- because it is so easy to become judgmental of other people or ourselves for how they (or we) are living our lives. In reality we are all uniquely wonderful human beings, and what sparks joy in my life may not in someone else’s, and vice versa. Even this blog, and my channel exist only to present ONE unique perspective on the world, but there are countless different ones out there, and that is wonderful and beautiful. So, as I am embarking on this journey I do so with a mindset free of judgment; of others or of myself.

• “Start by discarding. Then organize your space, thoroughly, completely, in one go” (1)

• To begin, Marie makes a very bold statement claiming that in her book she has “summed up how to put your space in order in a way that will change your life forever” (1)

• “A dramatic reorganization of the home causes correspondingly dramatic changes in lifestyle and perspective” (3)

• “People who use the KonMari Method never revert to clutter again. Because they can keep their space in order, they don’t need to come back for more lessons” (4).

• “Success is 90 percent dependent on our mindset . . . the KonMari Method I describe in this book is not a mere set of rules on how to sort, organize, and put things away. It is a guide to acquiring the right mind-set for creating order and becoming a tidy person” (5)

• “A person’s awareness and perspective on his or her own lifestyle are far more important than any skill at sorting, storing, or whatever. Order is dependent on the extremely personal values of what a person wants to live with” (6)

• “When you’ve finished putting your house in order, your life will change dramatically. Once you have experienced what it’s like to have a truly ordered house, you’ll feel your whole world brighten. Never again will you revert to clutter. This is what I call the magic of tidying” (7).

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