Like many sheltering in place, I have aspired to use this “down time” to tidy my office. And yes, I have read Marie Kondo. But my next reading recommendation, goodbye, things by Fumio Sasaki, out kondos Kondo.
Fumio Sasaki, a writer in his thirties, lives in a tiny studio in Tokyo with three shirts, four pairs of trousers, four pairs of socks and not much else. He claims there is happiness in having less.
As I look around my office, or my house, I would like to have less. But I should also point out that Sasaki is a bachelor with no kids (kids = things). He lives in Tokyo, where there is a convenience store on every corner and excellent public transportation (= no need for a car).
While I am certain that things do not bring happiness, I also feel that Sasaki’s thorough-going minimalism is, for most of us, pure fantasy.
But go ahead and fantasize – there are 70 tips in the book for saying goodbye to things….