The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
by Marie Kondo, Yuko Uramoto · first published 2014
69% recommend31% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Practical decluttering method built on keeping only what sparks joy, with concrete tips like sorting by category. Readers say it shifted their relationship to belongings and suits anyone with chronic clutter.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your house once, you'll never have to do it again. Most methods advocate a room-by-room approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. In fact, none of Kondo's clients have lapsed (and she still has a three-month wait list). With detailed guidance for determining which items in your house "spark joy" (and which don't), this international bes
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OK, it might be a bit embarrassing to post this, but I'm going to say Marie Kondo's "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up." Not so much for the tidying part (though I did find that extremely helpful), but the whole idea of only keeping things in your life that "spark joy" (not an exact translation by the way - "spark excitement"…
on “Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?” ↗…Cain - Helped me better understand myself and others, highly recommend - The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey - Advice on mastering the mental part of doing anything, not just tennis - The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo - actually maybe the most important book I've read in a while, helped me throw away a lot of stuff I didn't need - Models by Mark Manson - very helpful and ethical advice on attracting…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2015?” ↗…A very good overview of the intersection of the Jewish faith and culture with their business success. "The Richest Man in Babylon" - George S. Clayson - A personal finance parable. Recommended. "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up" - Marie Kondo - A philosophy book. Worth a look even if you don't ascribe to its teachings.
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2015?” ↗* Why We Sleep, by Matthew Walker * Masters of Doom, by David Kushner * What Doesn't Kill Us, by Scott Carney * Bad Blood, by John Carreyrou * The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, by Marie Kondō * How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, by Scott Adams
on “Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018?” ↗I would strongly recommend people read both GTD and The life changing magic of tidying up by Marie kondo and, and this is the important bit, draw parallels between them. This is a pedagogical technique that takes knowledge out of the domain of specificity and into general applicability. In…
on “Ask HN: Books you wish you had read earlier?” ↗…are all of the books, without the affiliate links: - The Millionaire Next Door [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1589795474] - On Writing Well [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0090RVGW0] - The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1607747308] - Why Men Love Bitches [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1580627560] - The Low Down on Going Down [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CMX939C] - Blow…
on “Ask HN: What books have made the biggest impact on your mental models?” ↗This reminds me a lot of Marie Kondo's book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, which had a huge impact on how I organize things.
on “Ask: How do you apply “programmer’s” efficiency in everyday life things?” ↗My rule is: Only keep stuff that gives you a lot of joy or makes you money. Everything else must go! Read this book if you want to clean up your junk: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up - The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo or atleast watch her talk on YouTube - very inspiring.
on “Why I don't want stuff” ↗…Christopher Hegarty http://amzn.com/034531817X * Time Management by Veronica Hurst http://amzn.com/1537560700 * The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey http://amzn.com/1451639619 * The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo http://amzn.com/1607747308 * The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle http://amzn.com/0553328255 * Alistair MacLean's best novels: ++ Night Without End http://amzn.com/0006161227…
on “Ask HN: What books fundamentally changed the way you think about the world?” ↗Anything that doesn't spark joy in your heart - read Marie Kondo's “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing”
on “Ask HN: What personal finance advice would you give your 25yo self ?” ↗The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo has life changing philosophical implications when applied outside of simple home life. Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu is a classic text on harmony and humility.
on “Ask HN: What books have most influenced the way you see the world?” ↗This is a really well written article, and I especially like that it references Marie Kondo's book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, which is an excellent book for anyone trying to organize a cluttered home. Even when the person asking the question is abusing the system (i.e., to get others to complete a homework assignment for them),…
on “It’s Time to Retire “RTFM”” ↗The Power of Habit The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up The Inner Game of Tennis
on “Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?” ↗If anyone wants to read further and deeper in this topic I strongly recommend "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" by Marie Kondo. It covers almost all practical and philosophical aspects of organizing one's living place (and the way of living)
on “Tidying One’s Room” ↗Highly recommended: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondō It's a beautiful philosophy about keeping, discarding, and acquiring new items.
on “How to Throw Things Away Like a Grown Up” ↗