Spark Joy is the second book by Marie Kondo and goes more in depth into one of her key concepts- sparking joy. In other words, everything you own should give you joy- if it doesn’t- question its place in your home.
Spark Joy By Marie Kondo
But also, you should think about what you want to keep, rather than what you want to get rid of when you are de-cluttering. Some people fall into the opposite trap and can get rid of too much. Kondo asks that you focus on the treasured possessions before the ones you are willing to part with.
Having recently read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying by Marie Kondo I was worried that this book might be a reworded version of the first, however the introduction of line drawings offers a new angle and helps you visualise everything she touched upon in the first book, but with a more thorough exploration.
The book talks about how to organise everything from paperwork to books, cutlery, cosmetics, shoes, bags, wallets, valuables, clothes and photographs. Basically, the items that tend to accumulate first in our homes and never seem to have a clear storage solution. Kondo also visits every room in the house and how to store things within it.
Even if you only take one tip away from the book that’s fine- I found a little nugget of information which I have clung onto- but the rest I had either already implemented or decided it wasn’t for me. The beauty of books like this is you can take from it what suits you and what you know you can stick to but leave alone the techniques you know won’t work for you. Every new habit, no matter how small, is a step in the right direction.
For instance, I enjoyed reading her chapter on folding but my collection of clothes is so small that I don’t need to fold my things vertically in order to see them all at a glance. With that said, I no longer ball my socks! I also skipped her chapters on decluttering children’s things because I don’t have a family- it’s about paying attention to what applies to you.
This book might be suited more to people who are visual learners- whereas her original book is better for people who like to read rather than have pictures to illustrate a point or an action.
What I would say is- if you have the budget- buy both. The two go well hand in hand, even if there is some repetition across the pages.
Since reading the book, I have noticed one major change in the way I do things. I used to have a box reserved for paperwork which I tackled at the end of every week. Now I no longer leave them for one day, I action each piece of paperwork as it enters my home- whether that means filing it away, shredding it or popping it in the recycling. It makes you ask yourself ‘why put something off that you can simply do in the moment? It has saved me so much time and now I don’t dread the hour of sorting through my papers every Sunday.
I enjoyed reading this book, perhaps not as much as the first but it held my attention until the end.
I got through it in one sitting (minus small breaks to declutter something) because it is somewhat addictive once you turn the first page. So, if you have a free evening, I would recommend this if you are keen to spark some joy in your life.