Today’s #TwoForTuesday writing prompt made me look over the list of books I’ve read since October, 1993 (when I started keeping a list) and select two books that encourage change.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying, by Marie Kondo

I read this book four years ago this month. It immediately inspired me to reorganize my dresser drawers. I changed the way I stored many of my garments. It made seeing and finding what I had easier.

Marie Kondo’s mantra is, “Does it spark joy?” If an item doesn’t bring you joy, she says it needs to go. I went through my clothes and some kitchen items asking myself that question, and it felt good to donate some things to Goodwill where they could bring someone else joy.

Reading the book a couple of months before a kitchen remodel helped me part with some pots, pans, and dishes that held sentimental value because they had belonged to my mother. One thing I learned was that I don’t need the chipped or cracked bowl to remember Mama’s potato salad, and I don’t need her beat up pots and pans to remember the delicious meals she lovingly prepared for us.

Ms. Kondo says one must tidy by category, not location. I tend to want to tidy a room and then move on to another room (or not move on, as the case may be.) She says to start with clothing, then books, then paper. I think that’s where the wheels fell off my wagon. Paper is the bane of my existence. As much as I recycle and try to depend on technology, I’m still overwhelmed by paper.

Four years later, I need to read the book again. I think it will encourage me to donate or discard some things that have accumulated since April of 2015. Why should I keep it if it can bring joy to someone else?

I plan to read this book again. After four years and the gaining of a few pounds, it’s time to sort through my clothes again, donate more books to a charity used book sale, and take that giant step into all that paper that seems to multiply while I’m asleep.

52 Small Changes:  One Year to a Happier, Healthier You, by Brett Blumenthal

I read this book 15 months ago. The idea is that you make a small change in your life every week for 52 weeks. At the end of that year, you’ve theoretically incorporated all those changes into your daily life and lifestyle.

The author says it’s easier to make small changes than major changes. Also, it take time to make a permanent change in your life. A study done by University College London psychologist Phillippa Lally found that it take an average of 9½ weeks to make a lasting change.

I might give this book another chance, even though the first change is a major one for me:  “Drink an adequate amount of water each day to maintain a healthy level of hydration.” Water is not my favorite beverage but, starting today, I’ll make an effort to drink more of it. The rule of thumb is:  “Drink the amount of water in ounces that equals your weight in pounds divided by two.”

Maybe that Week One change will inspire me to lose some weight. The less I weigh, the less water I need to drink! Week Two isn’t any easier:  “Get seven to eight hours of restful sleep every night.” I’m afraid to look at the third week.

Until my next blog post

Thank you, Rae, of “Rae’s Reads and Reviews Blog” for this month’s #TwoForTuesday blog post prompts. Visit her blog at https://educatednegra.blog/2019/04/01/two-for-tuesday-participants-4/ to read Rae’s blog in which she gave a link to her list of prompts for the Tuesdays in April.

Happy reading!

Let’s continue the conversation

In the comments section below, tell me about two books you can think of that encourage change.

Janet