Spark Joy Summary – Marie Kondo

Emir Zecovic | Posted on June 28, 2018 |

6 min read ⌚

An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up

Marie Kondo, the most organized woman in the world, is back!

And she wants to “Spark Joy” in your life.

How?

By tidying, of course.

A life-changing one, mind you!

Who Should Read “Spark Joy”? And Why?

If you haven’t become a Konvert by now, here’s your chance to turn into one in mere hours!

Because “Spark Joy” is the long-awaited sequel to Marie Kondo’s bestselling classic “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” and it’s an illustrated master class on the art of organizing.

In fact, as Kondo says it herself, “this guide will serve as an ‘Encyclopedia of Tidying Up,’” meaning you can skip from one section to another whenever you feel like, and you can easily find an answer to almost all of the questions Kondo’s first book was mute about.

To sum up: if you want to master the art of tidying up – “this book alone may be enough.”

About Marie Kondo

Marie Kondo is a Japanese organizing consultant, famous for developing the KonMari method of tidying and cleaning.

She has written five books on organizing, two of which have been translated into more than 30 languages, selling millions of copies worldwide.

In 2015, Marie Kondo was chosen as one of the “100 most influential people” in the world by the prestigious “Time” magazine.

“Spark Joy PDF Summary”

If you’ve ever happened upon Marie Kondo’s brilliant “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” we don’t need to tell you that “a messy room equals a messy mind.”

Well, Marie – once the “maiden of mess,” now organizing consultant extraordinaire – is back with an update:

You could say that tidying orders the mind while cleaning purifies it… tidying is the act of confronting yourself; cleaning is the act of confronting nature.

In other words: tidying and cleaning are not merely practical activities, but also spiritual quests to self-discovery.

And joy.

Lots of joy.

No wonder “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” created a cult of “Konverts,” a worldwide community of people practicing and advocating the KonMari method with an almost religious zeal.

And there is certainly something sacred in it.

After all, not many people can talk of “the god of tidying up” or write a sentence such as this one:

At the age of fifteen or so, having awakened to the call of tidying, I spent every day tidying not just my own room but virtually every space in our home, from my siblings’ rooms to the kitchen, the living room, and the bathroom.

Want to hear the call of tidying yourself?

A good way to start is by redefining tidying up from “a process of decluttering your house to make it look neat for your guests” into “a life-changing act of sparking joy in your life.”

From then on – it’s all about the six basic rules of tidying.

Let’s have a look at them all.

#1. Commit yourself to tidying up

This may seem like something trivial, but it’s actually very important.

In other words, the KonMari method (as you’ll learn in an instant) is based on a stay-or-go approach which is certainly not for the faint of heart.

It requires time and effort – and a lot of belief and courage.

These are all rooted in commitment.

So, you’re either fully in or fully out.

If the latter – the KonMari method is not for you.

If the former – move on to step #2.

#2. Imagine your ideal lifestyle

The problem why many people suffer rebound after tidying up is fairly simple: they haven’t redefined the process, understanding it as something you do on-the-go, and something you can start doing right away.

This is not true.

Tidying up only works if you have an objective.

And that objective, in this case, is your ideal lifestyle.

Picture it!

Creative visualization is a powerful technique.

Whether you’ll draw the room of your dreams or you’ll write a diary entry about it makes no difference whatsoever.

The point is – to give yourself an objective and a “why” to your cleaning project.

No matter what you do – always start with why.

#3. Finish discarding first

The key to success in tidying is to finish discarding first.

As Kondo says – this is the secret to getting the job done both quickly and right.

You must – and, believe us, you have many reasons to – get rid of some things to make room for others. However, worrying about where to store the ones you’ll keep is something you should do later.

After all, you don’t know how much room you have for storing until you see what you will store no more.

#4. Tidy up by category, not by location

“It’s very important to get an accurate grasp of the sheer volume for each category” of things you own.

So, tidying up one room at a time simply won’t work!

Because most probably you have clothes/books/tools in more than one room and shuffling them around rooms will result in merely another form of the same mess – possibly neater only for the moment.

The correct approach is to first gather all items of a single category at one place and then, after seeing objectively how much of them you own, deciding where and how you can store them.

#5. Follow the right order

Have you ever happened upon some old photos of your family while cleaning around your house and ended up spending hours looking at them?

You sure have!

That’s why “it is crucial not only to tidy by category but also to follow the correct order.”

And the correct order is:

a. Clothes
b. Books
c. Papers
d. Komono (miscellany)
e. Sentimental items

“Spark Joy” lists many useful advices on how you should approach to tidying up each of these categories.

And did we mention that they are illustrated?

#6. Ask yourself if it sparks joy

It’s sometimes difficult to decide which things you should keep and which things you shouldn’t.

However, it’s only obvious that this is an important skill to master.

Marie Kondo suggests comparing items to each other. After you’ve put every piece of clothing you own in a single category, give yourself three minutes to choose your favorite three items. There: these certainly spark joy within you.

Repeat the process until you can, before moving on to trying out or even hugging items to see if they (still) spark joy.

But don’t hesitate: if in doubt, throw it away.

Never ever forget that “it might come in handy” is a taboo during tidying.

Key Lessons from “Spark Joy”

1. The Six Basic Rules of Tidying
2. The Fundamentals of Storing
3. Fill Your Home with Joy

The Six Basic Rules of Tidying

The KonMari method adheres to a strict six-rule manual:

#1. Commit yourself to tidying up.
#2. Imagine your ideal lifestyle.
#3. Finish discarding first.
#4. Tidy by category, not by location.
#5. Follow the right order.
#6. Ask yourself if it sparks joy.

No skipping, no circumventing is allowed.

The “no rebound” part is Kondo’s promise.

The Fundamentals of Storing

Generally speaking, there are four tenets of storage, summarize by Marie Kondo thus:

fold it, stand it upright, store it in one spot and divide your storage space into square compartments.

There are some things you’ll be unable to fold, and others that are not designed to stand upright.

However, most things you own adhere to this rule, and it is essential that you add one of your own: dividing your storage space the way a bento box is divided, i.e., into square compartments.

That way, your drawers will always be neat – and only 90% full.

Fill Your Home with Joy

Once you’re finished with tidying (that is, separating and organizing the items which spark joy in you), it’s time that you move on to adding some joy to your surroundings.

For example, instead of storing your cherished items in some far corner of your drawer, use them to decorate your home.

Add flowers, towels, curtains – and other colorful things which may enhance your joy factor.

Get creative!

It’s your home we’re talking about here!

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