I loved this pretty hard. It’s nice getting advice from a recovering slob, since I am a slob myself. Her “formula” for decluttering acknowledges that you don’t always have a lot of time, interruptions happen, and it can be really discouraging when things initially look worse as you try to declutter. So her method focuses on making sure things start looking better immediately. (No dumping all your clothes in the middle of the floor. Sorry, Marie Kondo.)

Her order for tackling a space is to start in a highly visible area and do the easy stuff first:
1. Trash
2. Easy stuff (stuff that belongs somewhere else—put each item away immediately)
3. “Duhs” (stuff you already know you want to donate)

Then you can start making decisions about the stuff that is left, now that you see how much space & how many items you have to work with. Because you can’t keep more than the space (or shelf, or container) can hold.

Now, some readers complain of redundancy, saying that she just goes to different areas of the house and applies the exact same steps. But I thought that especially when she is talking about kitchens and storage areas and clothing, there needed to be a specific discussion because those spaces have unique challenges.

I also appreciated her suggestions about how to be an effective, non-jerk helper when you’re dealing with someone else’s clutter. (Like with your own kids, or if someone asks you to help them, or if a relative passes away or moves into assisted living.)