The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

A bit conflicted about this one. On one hand, I think she has solid advice and that the actions she advises are - for the most part - excellent. I can see why the method is so effective, and I have already started to implement it.

However, there was most definitely way too much personification of inanimate objects. How am I supposed to take you seriously if you're telling me my shirts will, quite literally, be happier in one configuration over another? Will I be happier? Absolutely. Will my shirts? ...

Also, it felt a bit out of touch with reality. For one, because some items are essential to life, but they're not going to “spark joy.” For another, because it definitely felt geared toward people with some extra money to toss around. “Never worry about throwing out too much - you can always buy more!! Buying in bulk may be cheaper, but it's never worth the clutter!!”

(Also, you can't call yourself a “book lover” and then a couple paragraphs later, say that you habitually RIPPED THE PAGES OUT OF BOOKS because writing down the quotes you liked took too long. You just can't. Take a picture. I guarantee that how offended she was by balled up socks, you could multiply it by fifty and reach the level of indignation I felt at this. Plus her entire attitude toward books simply didn't jive with me at all.)

All that said, though, I really do think she has some excellent ideas! I like the logic behind each step (minus the bit where you talk to your possessions. I like that this made me more aware of my things, but I certainly won't be striking up a conversation with my handbag anytime soon). If you took all the advice in this book and married it with a healthy dose of practicality, I feel like you would have an absolutely perfect, definitive guide to tidying.