Sunday, April 15, 2018

Spark Joy!


Greetings all!

I recently read a fantastic book by Marie Kondo “Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up.” Marie is a decluttering guru from Japan and a creator of KonMari Method. She also wrote “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.” 


Since I am always searching for ways for find balance and joy in my life, her method definitely resonated with me and – dare I say it!? – it did spark joy and excitement!

Here is my interpretation: you can simplify your life by getting rid of “unnecessary” items and keeping only those items that spark joy. "Spark joy” will mean different things to different people. It could be anything from an item making your life easier (vacuum-cleaner) to an outfit that makes you feel confident.

As a consultant, Marie goes through a house and organizes possessions by categories (clothes, shoes, books, jewelry, etc.). Her method is to take everything out of the closet/drawer/box and get it in front of you. If you are organizing your shoes and they are in multiple closets (lucky you!), you have to take them ALL out. 

Then you put each item next to you (or try it on) and see if the item sparks joy. If it does not and you cannot remember when you last used it or cannot imagine when you will use it again, you say “thank you” (important!), and let it go. You can gift it, donate it, throw it away – but you LET IT GO!!!

This YouTube video with Katie Couric made me chuckle: black dresses (plural) and I go way back – and they still spark joy!


I also found the idea of a pending box useful for papers – I use a “Read Later” folder where I save interesting articles to peruse later. If I find an interesting idea online, I jot it down on a post-it and save it in this folder (e.g., a book that sounds interesting or a new restaurant). I use a similar folder in my work for non-urgent emails.

There were two major takeaways for me:

1)     Ask “Does it spark joy?” when shopping for new items. Your wallet and your closet will be happier if you do. Yes, this new sweater looks good, and the price is right, and maybe it is even on sale. But does it really spark joy? If not, then you might not really need or want it.
2)    Use “Does it spark joy?” as a litmus test in other areas of your life.  Things to do, people to see, books to read, how to spend your time, etc... Of course, certain things are out of your control and it does not matter how much un-joy they are sparking, there is nothing you can do (having an early meeting at work, anyone?!). But what about things that you CAN control? Your thoughts, your emotions, your actions…

Several friends have listened to me gush about this method. They told me later that they started applying it in their lives and found it very useful! What do you think? Will you try it? Send me a comment! 

4 comments:

  1. Hi Irina, I am one of the friends that has heard you gush over this concept. I think it's an appealing idea, because of its simplicity. I actually went back to reading paper books because they sparked joy for me (and they are easier on my eyes, per my eye doctor). Having books around in my living room neatly organized in my shelves also sparks joy for me. Great post.

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    1. RJ - Thank you for listening in person and reading my blog! I am so glad you are using the “spark joy” method!! I, too, love paper books. Sometimes it is the simpler things that bring the most joy!

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  2. This method makes a lot of sense, For the past 4 months, I had gone through a similar personal method, taking a few items I had not used in years or clothing I had not worn in years, and tried to use/wear them. Most were tossed or given away because the joy factor was missing. I just had to be ready for this experiment!!!

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    1. Hoda – thanks for your comment! I like your method too – slow and steady and does not require a lot of time as you are going through your closet gradually. A lot of things we own might have an emotional/sentimental connection so it is hard to just get rid of those at once! I think you make a very good point – one has to be ready!

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