"...when you put your house in order, you put your affairs and your past in order, too. As a result, you can see quite clearly what you need in life and what you don’t, and what you should and shouldn’t do."

This recent book from Marie Kondo looks at how we can get our entire lives in order by "tidying up". By this, Kondo means going through all of your belongings and critically interrogating if you need them and if they bring you joy. Items that you don't need or items that don't bring you joy must be sold, donated, recycled, or just thrown out. The author outlines a detailed order of how to go about this process and guarantees success and commitment to the tidying you do. She has helped thousands of people get their lives tidied and this has enabled them to become happier and healthier people in several different ways.

What I plugged to in about this book was its undercurrent emphasis on minimalism. It was recommended to me after a conversation on the matter, and I was able to breeze through the book to gain the main points. I don't need to advice personally as I feel as though I already bought into the philosophy behind it. It does give a very thorough outline for others to follow though, which is something I like about it. The book has a simple point to make and if that is all it was, it could just be condensed to a blog post, but it gives you an actionable framework to follow to make your life better right away.

A great quote I enjoy is concerning keeping old papers:

"My basic principle for sorting papers is to throw them all away. My clients are stunned when I say this, but there is nothing more annoying than papers. After all, they will never inspire joy, no matter how carefully you keep them. For this reason, I recommend you dispose of anything that does not fall into one of three categories: currently in use, needed for a limited period of time, or must be kept indefinitely."

I don't like paper to begin with but a few things really do need to be printed and kept. Most of the paper we get and have does not, so we can recycle all that paper and remove the clutter and burden from our lives.

I recommend this book for anyone looking to clear the clutter of their lives. It could be too many clothes, too much paper, or just all the junk we all absentmindedly collect over time. A clear space is a clear mind in my perspective.

"To truly cherish the things that are important to you, you must first discard those that have outlived their purpose"

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