I have been following Marie Kondo’s simple, clear rules for a decluttered life since way before they were written. My mother was an early adopter of order, and I the apple from her very organized tree.
But I have learned a few tricks from this modern-day “Marie Poppins,” who has turned decluttering—what I have called brooming for decades—into shelf help, an art form with a legion of newly neat devotees. Her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, is a literal how-to-heave-ho, and I recommend it for anyone who struggles with the material excess of living in a privileged society. (Thanks to Ms. Kondo, I kiss my old socks goodbye.)
What I love most about her method is the respect she suggests we show our soon-to-be-departed possessions. If they don’t “spark joy” in our hearts, as she puts it, then we should pause to acknowledge our memories together and let them spark joy for someone else.
To show you how serious my respect for Ms. Kondo is: if I ever get a tattoo, it will say, Spark Joy!
Curtis is an acclaimed author and actor
- Meet TIME’s Newest Class of Next Generation Leaders
- After Visiting Both Ends of the Earth, I Realized How Much Trouble We’re In
- Google Is Making It Easier to Remove Personal Info From Search
- Oil Companies Posted Huge Profits. Here’s Where The Cash Will Go (Hint: Not Climate)
- Column: We Asked Hundreds of Americans About Abortion. Their Feelings Were Complicated
- A Short History of the Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of the Marcos Family
- Long-Lasting Birth Control Is Already Hard to Get. Advocates Worry It May Only Get Worse
- Who Should Be on the 2022 TIME100? Vote Now
