| Title | : | A Journal: Life-Changing Magic, Spark Joy Every Day |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0804189099 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780804189095 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 400 |
| Publication | : | Published December 29, 2015 |
A Journal: Life-Changing Magic, Spark Joy Every Day Reviews
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"The most revolutionary part of this book is its new folding method," stated one book reviewer. That person did not understand the essence of this book, what Marie Kondo is really trying to tell us about the way we live our lives. Her message is much deeper than respecting socks. This book provides a method to know and care for every single possession you own and to live in harmony with only the things you really love and need. The true message of this book is that you can cave faith in yourself and in society. There is no need to fear the future and stockpile when you really and truly trust that you will be able to obtain the things you need when you need them. There is no need to save every photograph and scrapbook item when you trust yourself to cherish and learn from your past and respect how it has made you who you are today. This cleaning method is very, very hard. It took weeks of intense emotional and physical work, and it was very frustrating when I kept finding things in categories I had finished (I didn't automatically throw them out, just made them pass the joy test). I took out four carloads of donations, and about 30 bags of trash, and I still haven't done the last category of photos and childhood possessions. I empty out my purse and pockets every day- it makes it so easy to have just what you need whenever you pack your bag and leave the house! As someone who has struggled with clutter and disorganization my whole life, I can't recommend this book enough. If you commit to it, understand what it is telling you about the nature of life, and really take its message to heart, it really is life changing.
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At first I was a skeptic: "Only keep things that spark joy? Come'on lady." But the more I followed Marie Kondo's advice the easier I found it to get rid of things I no longer need and simplify my life. For someone who is extremely sentimental the anthropomorphic tendencies she has towards describing objects and treating them made sense and really helped me say goodbye to things I no longer need or which no longer "spark joy". Love this book. I've read it and re-read it numerous times.
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Oh my. I think I realized why I don't like the self help genre.
Some of her tips are super practical and I've found myself implementing them already, but there's a definite element of insanity. I am not that person who will thank my clothes for keeping me warm or apologize to socks for forcing them to remain in a state of tension because I balled them up. Just, no.
That this is billed as a bestseller in the UK, Germany and Japan speaks volumes, American homes are larger but are also home to a lot more crap than the average Japanese home. I miss my Japanese closet. I like that this, as opposed to many other organizing books, is applicable to single folks who may not live in 5 BR houses. The concept of an item sparking joy is a good one to consider when cleaning/organizing.
A good read, but a little over the top in personality, oh and use of the world frankly. Frankly, Ms. Kondo, I will never find joy in my sock drawer. -
I did like how super simple it was, nothing unnecessarily was added.
And it was a good quality paper that would tolerate deep inks as well, which was a huge plus!
Am excited to continue it for 3 more years to come x -
Life Changing for sure! It's an inspiring book and I've implemented many of the suggestions. I especially love applying the "does this bring me joy" to all aspects of my life. Although many things in the book might not work for everyone, there is something for everyone in this book. I feel like I have more control over my "things" and, in turn, it has given me a sense of control over my decisions. I believe there is a direct correlation between those things. Even if you are not organizationally inclined you can implement some of these tips and really gain a sense of progress right away. It wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it was going to be to empty out my closets/drawers/cabinets and go through every single thing. Even books, which for obvious reasons I thought would be a difficult group to do this exercise with, went well. We even created a library at work where most of my "reject" books ended up so they can bring others joy now. I felt more joy in giving to others than I felt in keeping the clutter in my home and that was a powerful thing. Great advice written in an engaging style.
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The small size makes it difficult to write in!
(Full disclosure: I received a free book for review through Blogging for Books.)
I've never read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, so I can't say how well Marie Kondō's companion journal embodies its principles or otherwise relates to the book. Nevertheless, I expected there to be some writing prompts taken from or otherwise inspired by the book, but ... not so much. While the journal does include some choice quotes from The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, these receive their own dedicated pages and aren't really crafted in such a way that they can be used as a jumping-off point for a journal entry. The only real "prompt," if you can call it that, is the mantra "Does it spark joy?," which is repeated every fourth calendar page. Kind of disappointing.
The layout for this three-year journal is pretty simple. Each page is dedicated to one date; you get six lines per year with enough space for three years (or fewer if you go over). There's not a whole lot of space here, which is why I thought prompts would be helpful - to focus my writing and keep me on-track.
The lines are college ruled, which is cool with me. On the downside, the pages are rather small, about 5 1/2" wide x 6 1/2" tall; the journal isn't much larger than my Kindle, but it is a full inch thick. This makes it terribly difficult to write in: just halfway down the page, my hand begins to fall of the bottom edge. This is a pretty common annoyance I have with paperback-sized journals: sure, they're a little more portable, but what good does that do if you can't write (or write legibly) in the darned thing?
Otherwise the journal is lovely, with a clean, calming color scheme and layout. Aside from the scattered quotes, though, I can't see how it differs from any generic, angel- or dog-themed, lined journal that you might find at Michael's or whatnot.
http://www.easyvegan.info/2016/01/22/... -
Life changing magic-Spark Joy every day
Looking across the conference table I heard her say, "I can see through the stress you have going on and know that you are a creative, fun and beautiful person". At that time I was thinking why can't I pull myself out of this muck and get joy back in my life. That day I reached for Marie Kondo's little book in journal form life changing magic spark joy every day.
This small Jan 1 - Dec. 31 journal is sprinkled with Kondo's inspirational quotes such as, "pour your time and passion into what brings you the most joy, your mission in life" and "the best way to find out what we really need is to get rid of what we don't". I like this book and recommend it because it is written in true journal form, each date having room for your thoughts & plans.
MARIE KONDO is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (also a best seller in Japan, Germany, and the UK) and was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2015. She is the founder of the KonMari Method. -
(this review is incomplete without the pictures: see my full post at
http://meganreads.com/2015/12/16/life...)
Confession: I didn’t read the Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Sure, I flipped through it a few times on my way past the Costco book tables, but I had a hard time getting over the emotional tightness that scrunched up in my stomach every time I saw the words “tidying up” on the cover. What’s that emotional tightness called again? Oh yeah- guilt.
I’m not really a tidying-up kind of a girl. I struggle. S-T-R-U-G-G-L-E. I love reading books, hate tidying up.
Turns out, though, that I can be inspired by beautiful journals filled with wise words. I can’t wait for the new year to start so I can begin the process of simplifying my life and my home. Here’s the caveat: I’m not inspired by the thought of having a cleaner (or emptier) home. I’m inspired because the journal speaks to my deeper heart longings: to “spark joy.” In fact, there’s a reminder on every page.
I think people try really hard to live the way they think they should, but they lose sight of why. I should have a tidy, simpler house… but why? This journal reminds me of the whys: because happiness comes with giving, not getting. Because things can’t make me happy. Because you can’t take it with you. “There is great gain in godliness with contentment,” as Timothy says.
The journal is itself clean and simple. Every page has a date on it, with three sections: three years of documenting what sparks joy in your life. The dream is that at the end of those three years, you will find that your life is simpler, happier, and more focused.
I hope to become more thoughtful about my (new) home and how I live in it, and this journey is a powerful tool on that journey.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review -
i absolutely love this book! i saw it when i walked into a bookstore in midtown manhattan. i found it curious. so curious i went back 2 months later to pick it up. i read it cover to cover. all her ideas resonated with me. some of the things were things i do in my on life like : "Greet your home" Gramita taught me that. she used to say "Hola Casita mia!" every time she walked in.
other ideas in the book resonated with me because she answered questions that i was looking for answers for concerning cleaning, and "joy" and leading a clutterfree life, and organizing. She talks about energy and truly i believe that we are all energy! to transfer it to things? YES. that was a missing piece in my ideology. I get it! she explains things so clearly.
bottomline her general premise that "tidying up" can have profound changes to your whole being? - well not only is it true but she gives a whole road map on how to TIDY UP. its just wonderful! i love this book!!! -
too complex. Too many steps. Too long.
I was curious what her method was. Too mechanical for me. I am an organized person and I find that keeping things organized daily prevents the overwhelming work of massive organizing she refers to.
For me, there is no magic, just keep on top of things daily. I think better when things aren't cluttery.
Every day I try to improve however I can and that makes me happy. -
I love tidying and de-cluttering since it's liberating to relieve oneself of belongings that don't bring joy. I think this book is a great topic with great tips, but it could have been distilled down a bit.
There is an article that summarizes this book really well, which I greatly enjoyed.
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-15733/... -
Listened to the book twice and now implementing her lessons. So far surprised at the amount of items I have parted with purely because they didn’t bring me joy. Looking forward to living a tidier and more simplified lifestyle.
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Once again I review this book based on what I feel it brought to our home. A new perspective on organization and cleaning.
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Excellent book. Bizarrely, the act of cleaning out all non-essentials has a serious emotional component.
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Best non-fiction I have read in a very very long time. A MUST READ.
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It is a bit over-rated. I guess is her way of approaching the topic, no crush you down as pack rat, just feel good, feel positive about decluttering.
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Cool
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Almost 40 years old and finally learned how to fold clothes properly 🤣
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One of my favourite organizing book.
How to organize from desk to computer folders. Also schedule 🤫 -
Some good ideas and nice thoughts on how to live.
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Does this spark joy? Marie Kondo, author of the bestselling book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, says these four words have to power to change your mindset. By asking yourself which things, activities, and relationships spark joy, and which don't, you can mindfully change your life.
This journal gives the writer a space to write a small bit each day on what sparks joy for them. Every year for the past 4 years, I have kept a gratitude journal. I have kept note of a few things each day that I am grateful for. As 2016 begins, I am excited to start this new journal for something different. . .For me, it sounds like I will be taking the gratitude journal up a notch. Marie Kondo says that if you are looking to make changes in your life, this journal can be used to help envision your ideal life. Ask yourself, what would make my job spark joy for me? What about my daily errands? My meals? My surroundings? According to Marie Kondo, "By imagining actual ways you can spark joy in your life every day, and then appreciating those things and events that do spark joy in you, you will make your life shine."
Life-Changing Magic is a beautiful journal companion to The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. It can also be used alone. It is set up to write 6 lines of what sparks you joy each day of the year--For THREE years. Interspersed throughout this simple journal are various Marie Kondo quotes and uplifting words geared to help you spark joy in your life. It would be a great journal to start the new year with a mindset of finding your own Joy Sparks in every day of your life. Then, in the next two years, you could look back at what brought you joy and see changes in your life as you write what brings you joy in the new year.A red ribbon marker helps you keep your page each day. If you are looking to implement Marie Kondo's methods and make changes in your life, I would recommend this beautiful journal as a tool to better your life and make the changes you need to.
Please note this book releases on December 29, 2015. It is currently available for pre-order from Amazon and other major booksellers. -
It didn’t “spark joy.” That’s why I’m marking the one-month anniversary of using my KonMari journal by throwing it away. At first I thought it would be a great way to record my progress in decluttering my living space and getting on track with my life. Instead, writing in it became a tedious chore I sought to avoid. Don’t misunderstand me. I love to journal. However, used to free writing as much as I wanted on whatever days I wanted, I now found my thoughts reduced to daily short snippets, forced to conform to one-third of a page in a small book. Rather than being inspired, I felt constrained by the pre-allotted space and trapped into a long-term investment by the three-year format. Add to that some rather dull and repetitive quotes. On a whole, it’s not apparent that the author put any real effort into the product. Of all the journals I’ve ever purchased, this one was definitely the least gratifying. I enjoyed Marie Kondo’s real books and still do, but this purchase was a big disappointment.
