The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Kondō presents tidying as a spiritual and life-changing process. How did you feel about her reframing domestic chores in this way? Did you find it inspiring, off-putting, or something else?

2. What aspects of Kondō’s method did you find most and least helpful? Do you plan to incorporate any of her advice into your life?

3. Kondō promotes a dramatic one-time tidying event that tackles clutter in one fell swoop. Compare the KonMari method to B. J. Fogg’s Tiny Habits or James Clear’s Atomic Habits, books that recommend consistent small actions as the most effective route to change. Which approach do you find more realistic, and why? Can the sudden transformation Kondō describes coexist with the small-step habit formation the other authors advocate?

Encourage readers to reflect on how the book relates to their own life or work and how its lessons could help them.

1. How do you currently decide which clothes to keep—practicality, sentiment, cost, or something else? How actionable do you feel Kondō’s “spark joy” test is?

2. Kondō argues that several common household tips are unhelpful, including tidying by room, tidying a little each day, and using clever storage solutions.