17 - Marie Kondo

Does it spark joy?

What is it?

• Marie Kondo’s best-selling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up explains a new way of looking at cleaning and organizing, but also just a new way of looking at stuff. I highly recommend that you read the book, but don’t worry you can still do this step if you don’t. All we’re doing here is using her most basic principle, asking yourself, “Does it spark joy?” and getting rid of everything that doesn’t.

Why should I?

• I’m not saying you should go full monk and get rid of all your stuff, but you’d be surprised how much decluttering will improve your mood. Having less stuff will also make cleaning easier, keeping your space tidy easier, and will clear out so much space in your head, putting your mind at ease.

How do I start?

• Reading the book is a great place to start as it will really help you get in the right mindset. (There’s also a show on Netflix if that’s more your jam.) Otherwise, I suggest you just go through ALL of your stuff, whether room by room or drawer by drawer, adn decide whether or not you really need each item. This means thinking about how often you use the item but also whether or not it truly sparks joy. If you can wholeheartedly say yes, then keep it. But seriously guys, go read the book. (I first discovered the book in my high school library in 2015 and have read it probably five times since - it’s worth it!)

17 – Start Marie Kondo-ing your space. And when you’ve gone through every single thing… do it again. Kidding, relax, move on to step 18. (But also do it again if you want, I’ve can’t even count how many times I’ve done this since I first read the book)