I loved this book. In the spirit of full transparency, I should confess that I am a huge Gretchen Rubin fan.  I love her podcast, Happier with Gretchen Rubin, and I’ve read a bunch of her books.  I also struggle with keeping my house and my life organized, so I am definitely the demographic this book was written for. 

If you are like me and you have read a million books about organization or how to declutter, but still haven’t quite figured it out, I highly recommend this book.  If you haven’t read her other books, this book will still be helpful but reading The Four Tendencies and Better Than Before will give you more in-depth insight.

This quote from the book sums up Gretchen Rubin’s attitude about a lot of things.  She’s very non-judgemental and she’s all about finding what works for each person, whether it’s decluttering, parenting, or interacting with your co-workers.

“There are no magic, one-size-fits-all solutions for establishing order; we all need to do it in the way that’s right for us.”

In theory, there is nothing amazingly new or revelatory in the book.  She’s taken over 100 decluttering concepts, filtered them through her Gretchen Rubin lens (things don’t “Spark Joy” they “Energize”), and published them.  

There are some concepts in the book that seem so common sense, it’s ridiculous to include them. That is, until you read them and realize she’s been spying on you and she’s talking directly to you and why you have clutter.

For example:

• Donate Quickly– Well, duh?  Of course, I’m going to donate quickly.  As soon as I fill a bag to take to Goodwill, I take it and drop it off.  It doesn’t sit in my bedroom for weeks before I put it in my car and I NEVER drive around with it in my car for weeks only to unload it in the garage because I have the sports carpool and I need the room in the trunk for equipment.  It definitely doesn’t sit in the garage for another month or so before I remember it and then put it back in the car and drive it around for a couple of more weeks before I finally remember to take it to Goodwill.  Duh.  Of course, I know to “Donate Quickly.” Stop looking at me, Gretchen.
• Get Rid of Something as Soon as it Becomes Worthless– Again, duh!  I would never hang on to a broken chair bc I’m convinced I can totally fix it, my crockpot with the broken handle because it technically still works (even though I have three others), my first laptop bc I might someday learn how to replace the motherboard, or the multitude of clothes that need repairs that I’ve already replaced but I still am hanging on to them because I can sew and someday will have the time to repair them.  I would never do any of that, so why do we even need this chapter??? Stop looking at me, Gretchen.

These were not the only two that made me wonder if she was spying on me, but these two in particular stood out because I know she was thinking about me when she wrote them. Thank you for thinking of me, Gretchen.

She also introduces ideas that I have never considered, like the Endowment Effect.  This is the idea that we value things more once we own them, so we should be careful about accepting freebies from things like fairs or hand-me-downs from relatives.  It’s easier to not bring an item into your house in the first place than it is to get it out once it’s in and you’ve come to value it. 

She also says to Ask Yourself if Items are Moving Around.  The things you need and use move around.  Your clothes move from your dresser and closet back and forth to the laundry.  The dishes you use move from the cupboard to the table to the dishwasher and back again.  Even the seasonal items you actually use move once a year.  Look at the items that aren’t moving and get rid of them.  Simple, right?  But I never thought of it and now I look at my house with different eyes.  A lot of my Christmas decorations should be feeling very nervous right about now… because they haven’t moved in several years and their next move is going to be straight to Goodwill.

I had multiple a-ha moments throughout the book and took notes like a school girl.  Her concepts are clear and concise and easy to implement.  I love that the book is short, easy to read, and easy to refer back to.  I’m excited to share this book with you and hope that you find it as enjoyable and helpful as I did.