Hall of Fame: Category 2, Books
A selection from my “hall of fame.”
This category can spark big feelings. Books represent a compilation of knowledge, educational pursuits and aspirations. While there’s no magic number of books to keep, you may find it useful to ask yourself some challenging questions as you move through the second category in the KonMari™ Method. But let’s start with the easy books…
Similar to clothes, try starting with books that clearly stay. Marie Kondo refers to these as “hall of fame” books, books you revisit throughout your life. For me, that’s a well loved and underlined copy of “Catcher in the Rye.” Start here, then divide the rest into subcategories, and dig in with some questions.
Is it challenging to let go of books that you think you might read again someday? Will you? Maybe you will; most likely you won’t. Consider that the information is already a part of you.
If you have books related to courses you’ve taken, how often do you refer to them? Are you keeping the books because they were expensive? Is the information up to of date? (If you are a current student and may need to refer to them for final exams/certifications at the end of your program, check with your institution, others in your area of study for advice.)
Do you have an entire subcategory of books that sparks joy? For one client I worked with, it was cookbooks. She felt guilty about keeping a large collection. You may find that there is room to curate this beloved subcategory a bit. If you revisit each book to determine whether it still sparks joy, keep all the joy sparking books with confidence!
Do you have a pile of “one of these days” books that you bought and never read? Maybe their purpose was to bring an idea into your life, and they’ve filled that purpose. Read them as soon as you can when they come into your life (easier said than done sometimes), and then consider whether they belong in the “hall of fame.”
Are you comfortable with reading books in an electronic format or using the library? Your library may offer electronic lending of books. (I discovered this recently.)
General tips for the book category:
Take all books off the bookshelf. Tap the books gently to wake up their energy. The book category can be dusty. Wipe down dusty surfaces as needed.
Store and display books in a way that sparks joy. Does storing in a color coded way spark joy? Alphabetical? Sideways, backwards, whatever you love.
Check books for any items that may have been tucked inside, such as photos, notes, special bookmarks etc.
The first two categories, clothes and books, gave you information about who you are now. Maybe it meant rediscovering a part of your life that you want to welcome back or letting go of a part that you’ve moved past. It’s your story to write, your personal “hall of fame,” and you’re creating it one item at a time.