Clearing the Decks: Test Driving Marie Kondo's Tidying Treatise

Have you ever noticed how big changes in life loosen the hold of long held habits, opening the door to more change?

To me it seems that change casts a spell over our lives, creating a window of time where the weave that holds the fabric of our choices together relaxes just a little, releasing an energy capable of blasting through 'baked on' life norms.

My current life changing event, moving from part time to full time work (via an absolutely blissful month break) has had me thinking about change, 'impact' and 'bang for my buck'.

In my usual style I waited until the last week and a half before 'new job kick off' to start thinking about change. I asked myself a key question:

 "What can I do NOW as a gift to future 'Super Busy' me to allow ease, relaxation and even more integrally, spare time into my nine to five life?"

Yes, more of my style comes in here, I really wanted to find a BOOK that would link my 'Big Change Spell' and real life action. 

More specifically, I wanted a book that would help me address a 'hard to shift' life habit; otherwise known as 'the lies we tell ourselves'.

My 'hard to shift' life lie is a common one: 

'I am just not an organised person'

In fact, if you went back and read over previous blog posts I bet you would find me writing this exact line (unsurprisingly I even of alluded to it in paragraph four of this post!).

What book could put me in a position to challenge this many tentacled foe? 

As a believer in serendipity, I did not question when my mind latched onto a conversation with my (more organised) sister about Marie Kondo and her globally influential book about tidying.

This was my book then, 'The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing' by the aforementioned Marie Kondo.

Marie Kondo's love note to tidying

I did not doubt that a book about tidying could help destabilize my lifelong lie. I have long believed that our thoughts create our world; so it is not much of a stretch to imagine how a dramatic improvement in our environment could alter our thoughts.

The book itself is a whirlwind of dramatic tidying advice; some of which I found quite confronting.
I mean the logistics of 'take ALL your books out of your bookshelf and put them in piles on the floor' boggles my mind. Couple that with the direction to touch all of them before deciding if they 'sparked joy' had me wondering why I had not started this project a month before. I simply did not have enough time to handle each of my belongings in a search for those that inspired a spark of joy.

Kondo is clear on this subject though; to get the true life changing benefits of tidying, it has to been done all at once. In what she terms 'A Special Event' tidy (love it).

What to do? 

Being a business minded type, I thought back to my 'Bang for Buck' goal and picked three home categories to transform using Kondo's method that would deliver me the most 'Daily Life' changing impact. 

The 'Bang for Buck' list:

• Clothes
• Pantry
• Linen Cupboard

These three would be the pioneer categories then, paving the way for the rest to come over a longer period of time.

The Book

Kondo's writing splits neatly between very specific 'how to' instructions and more whimsical passages detailing her origin story and thoughts on the impact of mindful tidying.

I found her brand of no nonsense advice and her uncompromising process, wildly motivating and completely 'doable'.

Who after all, is incapable  of moving smoothly through their home deciding what to discard and where to store what remains?

Add to this a constant and reassuring theme emphasizing the magical benefits that flow from serious decluttering and you have a book that gets you off the couch and striding purposefully towards your cupboards, garbage bags in hand.

Marie Kondo shines a light on 'letting go with grace'.

In the end though, it is the results that count. After much effort and many garbage bags, much letting go and some moments of rediscovery; was it worth it?

Do I feel lightened and open to new challenges? 

As I stare into my unbelievably organised and uncluttered linen press (which I have done at least eight times since finishing the process) I feel a tiny fluttering of a new idea as it enters my mind.

'My cupboard is organised.'

(Maybe then, so am I!)

While I don't think extreme 'letting go' is for everyone (at least at the outset) I can with all my heart recommend reading Kondo's book.

See the magic for yourself; and possibly (as in my case) some shelf space that is deliciously and wonderfully.... empty.

If you would like try the 'KonMari Method' her book is available from the following retailers:

Amazon US

Amazon Australia

KOBO

Booktopia.com.au

Happy reading, and dare I say, may your surfaces appear as magically as mine did! LMK

Word Power

There is never a time when we don't need at least a little inspiration and there is nothing with more power to inspire than words.

Written, spoken or even just thought; words create our world.

In a nod to the power of words, over the next month I will be reviewing books with real wordy grunt.

Books that force your chin up, raise your eyes to the sky and get your heart beating just a little faster.

So stand back, polish your glasses in anticipation and enjoy, as Little Miss Kindle presents.

 'Word Power'.

xoxo LMK


For similar reviews check out my 'Better Life Reads'

Because Compassion should always be Relevant.

There is never a time when Compassion is not important, there are however times when lack of compassion seems to abound.

It can be easy to forget the individual when the scale of an event is global. 

Maybe now is the time to mix wisdom and compassion on a scale that can dwarf the horrors in the world.

For me, I would love to see the wisdom and influence of the Dalai Lama be as much discussed as the words and brutality of those who think terror and torture are the answer.

There are many books penned by and about this wonderful man and I could choose many images here to promote, equally wonderful and life affirming.

To find a book that speaks to your wise inner voice, visit your local library or bookstore, or follow the link below to see Amazon's offering,

The Dalai Lama

Most of all, do something. Turn your focus to something brighter and kinder and better!

'Down the Rabbit Hole'.... Dive in if you dare as Holly Madison tells all!

If expectations fit like clothing, then this book would be a glove, albeit a glove picked up from the floor of a porn set....icky, sticky and unsavory. But what else would you expect from a book detailing life in the Playboy Mansion?

What you might not expect is for the book to also be sad and maddening, written as it is, from the perspective of a woman who is escaping from her own personal 'Stockholm Syndrome' past.

Full of juicy gossip and first hand revelations, Holly Madison (former 'number one girlfriend' of Hugh Hefner) pulls no punches in her memoir. While I cannot confidently say she tells it like it is, she certainly tells it like she saw it.

Sometimes self serving (Holly often describes her talent, work ethic and kindness - in contrast to others) and other times full of self recrimination, "Down The Rabbit Hole' attempts to explain, though never justify, how a small town girl from a healthy and happy Alaskan upbringing ended up believing herself in 'love' with a 76 year old man who treated her like a child.

A 76 year old man who happily and openly had sexual relations with other young woman (so long as they were not over the age of 28, that is!).

It is only late in the retelling that Holly really seems to grasp the reality of the strangeness of her time in the PB mansion, when she comes across a framed picture of her posing naked with her Bunny Contemporaries in a mansion room.
Remembering the shoot as being fun and playful and sexy and wonderful, she is surprised to see the picture now as explicit and embarrassing. At this time is seems that the 'Bunny Goggles' have finally and completely slid off and she can see the true sordidness behind the Bunny culture.

As a memoir, 'Down the Rabbit Hole' is biased and sometimes aggressive, but it is also brave and unflinching. Read it for the juicy scandal and the frankly astounding insight into life within the Playboy Mansion.

Holly may not always be lovable, but she is certainly always readable!

"Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a former Playboy Bunny' is available for purchase from Amazon.com via the following link:

'Down the Rabbit Hole' By Holly Madison

Happy reading!

'Wild' By Cheryl Strayed: Be Inspired to reboot your life!

Some books inspire you to cuddle up under and blanket and just read, other books have you itching to get outside and discover life; and wonderfully, some books do both!

Half way through 'Wild' I found myself daydreaming about adventures and epic life changing journeys I could make (many of them completely unachievable but equally compelling) in my own dusty, cobweb filled hiking boots.

Part of the attraction, for me, as well as for the author and trekker Cheryl Strayed, was the idea of being completely alone.

Alone to decipher the world and our place in it.

Who hasn't hit a wall in life and wanted to step outside of it to make sense of things, to decide what needed encouragement and what a full stop?

There are not many of us who have had the chance, or the courage, to take the first step of such a journey and I admit it is inspiring to read the memoir of one who did.

Cheryl Strayed hiked eleven hundred miles of the Pacific Crest Trail not only as a challenge to her physical body, but to put physical distance between herself and the tangled mess her life had become since the death of her Mother.

While not all Strayed's life choices make her a role model, her courage and tenacity (and her ability to live off $20 a fortnight) certainly do! I loved this book for the adventurous spark it lit in my belly and for the joy of watching someone 'get their stuff' together in the space of one beautifully buoyant and inspirational book.

'Wild' is available for purchase from Amazon.com via the following link:

'Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail.'

Other 'Buy it, Read it' Options:

Kobo Australia

Amazon UK

Amazon Australia

Make sure you enjoy the journey :)

South With Endurance: A Breathtaking record of survival and courage

When fate delivered the individuals to crew the good ship 'Endurance', it seemed that the hand on the tiller of life, had given an extraordinary opportunity to experience the last wilderness.

These hardy men were not to know however, that lurking in the not too distant future was a test of courage that would unfold over a year and a half, eventually stripping all away but the single minded belief that they would survive and return triumphant, home.

Two men emerged from this ordeal with their names etched into the conciseness of the time, one for making history and the other for recording it.

The value of the the contribution of captain, Ernest Shackleton, and photographer, Frank Hurley to the world both in terms of benchmark leadership and exquisite art cannot be easily described while reviewing a book; so I will try instead to describe the value of the book itself.

South with Endurance - An investment

• For those who are inspired by beauty and talent at its finest, then the photographs of Frank Hurley are reason enough alone to add this book to your collection. To put some context into these wonderful artworks, imagine this: Mr Hurley took these photo's on plates, in the ice, then stored them for later development. Which he did, without any fancy photo shop or other modern aids. My personal favourite, on page 161, highlights the plight of the crew as the wreck of the Endurance looms dark and twisted out of the bleak white of its' icy tomb.
• While the photographs themselves tell a story of hardship (and the glorious vision that is the Antarctic), the written story proves equally inspiring. The description that comes from these pages, is one of truly astounding leadership. That no man was lost, that hope was not lost during the ordeal should motivate any leader looking to bring a 'crew' together to achieve a purpose....even if it is only commercial survival that is at stake!
• As a 'Coffee Table' book, 'South with Endurance' has proved (for me at least) an uncommonly successful conversation starter. With wide ranging discussions (from photography to whaling to really annoying bosses) springing from a flip through its pages.

I myself received this book as a gift from my parents and a wonderful gift it was!  

If you are interested in learning more about Ernest Shackleton or Frank Hurley, or purchasing this book, more works are available from Amazon.com via the following link:

'South with Endurance'

All books purchased in this manner will support 'Little Miss Kindle'.

Nelson Mandela: The Big and Bold story you only think you know.

When the incomparable Nelson Mandela Passed away, like many people, my feelings were mixed.
'Relief' was present, his suffering was over, but grief was there as well, deep sadness at the loss of such a wonderful and humane man.
While I was aware of the contribution of Mandela, I admit to ignorance over the more personal details of his life, I also admit to curiosity as to the making of the man.

How did someone live through oppression and abuse, and emerge the other side unbroken, whole and willing to forgive?

One thing I was not keen to do though, was read a tribute book...... I didn't want to read platitudes, just his story, and who better to tell the story than the man himself? Decisions made, I set out to read 'Long Walk to Freedom'.

'Long Walk to Freedom'.

The book is dense with information and (appropriately) historical detail and as a reading experience it is a little bit of a challenge.

 Normally a fast reader, I found myself dipping in and out of the book at regular but short intervals, not for reasons of disinterest, more to allow time to absorb the depth of information on each and every page.

A short way into the book I had the realisation, 'what I know about Mandela is probably less than ten percent of what I should know'.

I had also come to realise that it was no coincidence that this man transformed the face of South Africa.

As he describes the development of the African National Congress (happening in tandem with the ongoing and rapid demise of African rights and freedoms), Mandela also crafts us a clear picture of his political growth and of his personal qualities that, unwittingly perhaps, set him on such an extraordinary path.

Mandela is bold, articulate, proud and most of all determined to prevail. His determination seems to carry him past any natural hesitation a person might have before taking on an equally determined and infinitely more cruel government.

For this he pays a terribly high price.

I am not here however, to deliver a history lesson, just a book review.

'Long Walk to Freedom', is a masterful book from the mind of the man who mastered his natural compulsion to hate his oppressors.

Although it is indeed a long and 'mind consuming' read, I would recommend it as essential reading for all of us who admired the man from a distance.
'Long Walk to Freedom' takes the reader beyond the well known historical highlights of Mandela's struggle and eventual triumph and allows us to glimpse the making of the man.

This is surely insight worth having.

This wonderful and illuminating book is available for purchase through Amazon.com via the following link:

'Long Walk to Freedom'

'The Joy of less': Can less really be more?

'Minimal Impact' Art Print available from society6

'We are not what we own; we are what we do, what we think, and who we love.'

Francine Jay, author and blogger

If there was a written agenda for a meeting of over spenders, item one might read something like this:

1) Brainstorm ways to live well for less (and by 'well' we mean 'no visible reduction to our current standard of living').

and two;

2) Let go SHOPPING!

Just to avoid confusion, I will confess up front. I would be at the meeting, I would probably 'Chair' the meeting. I might have even sent the invites.

Despite my 'consumer' tendencies, there is something about the frugal approach that appeals and it is not the 'cheap' aspect of the movement, rather the minimalist ethos.

 Making do with what is beautiful and necessary, and jettisoning everything else.

So I have set out to find books that embrace the philosophy of simplicity and minimalism as opposed to the 'how to' of extreme couponing (which I have to admit is not even really a 'thing' in my country).

This search has been surprisingly difficult, for all the thousands of books in the market place on the topic of minimalism, very few seem well written and for those that tick this box, even less focus on inspiration and mind set and not on time consuming money saving 'tricks'.

While I am looking forward to sharing as many great books as I can find on this topic, I am going to have to content myself with sharing just one today, 'The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify Your Life 'by Francine Jay (an ironically long heading for a book on simplifying life ;).

Francine is a fellow blogger (see 'Miss Minimalist') and the conversational tone of her blog carries through to her book. Jay admonishes her readers to 'speak with' their belongings asking;

'What are you and what do you do? How did you come into my life?'

I love this suggestion; it seems a fun exercise that just might help those keen on reducing clutter really 'see' their belongings and the place they have in their lives; perhaps for the first time.

This is what Jay does best, helping us 'unpack' the emotions around owning and purchasing 'stuff'. While you may not love all of her minimalist ideas (is a no couch house really a great idea?), you will love the way she can make you think about your consumer and pack rat tendencies, after all, change happens first in our minds and then in our worlds!

For those of us who also like some practical tips with our dose of inspiration, Jay offers chapters on decluttering and simplifying every room in the house and tackles the tricky issue of dealing with heirlooms and sentimental items (if you are like me you will have cupboards devoted to these treasured but never seen items).

I am still on the hunt for more wonderful and inspiring books on paring back and simplifying life and would welcome any recommendations offered! In the mean time I am happy to give Francine Jay's uplifting and practical book my own tick of approval.


Francine's book is available for purchase through amazon, simply follow the link below to get started:

'The Joy of Less' By Francine Jay