Sunday, August 14, 2016

‘Life-Changing Magic: A Journal: Spark Joy Every Day’ (Book Review)

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.