Kondo vs. Vogt vs. Carver = Spy vs. Spy vs. Spy

Sadly, Mad Magazine stopped publishing new content in August of 2019 after 67 years! What a loss for Satire and the fictional gap-toothed Alfred E. Neuman, (E. for Enigma) who appeared on EVERY cover. (Sorry Oprah, O Magazine was NOT the first to do this!) The Spy vs. Spy cartoon, a wordless cold war parody spoof, was always one of my favorites. "What's the point?" my teen brain would question, "Aren't they exactly the same, just different colors?"

In this same vein, I am grateful that so many books have been recently written about Organizing and Simplicity. There are three giants in this category, who approach the task to "tiding" very differently. Not unlike Mad Magazine's Spy vs. Spy (without the espionage) they have the same goals with different "colors" in their approach. And since there are three, I added a 3rd Spy to my Blog title.

Marie Kondo, the Japanese wonder woman whose book the life-changing magic of tiding up arrived on the American scene with great flourish in January 2015, just in time to keep our New Year's Resolutions. MariKondo advocates for the "Shock and Awe" method. Approach your project in a linear and specific type sequence. Start now, and keep asking yourself, while holding something, "does it spark joy?" If it does not, then let it go. Do not stop organizing until you are finished with every category.

Stephanie Bennett Vogt, a Concord, MA native whose book Your Spacious Self pre-dates Marie Kondo's book by 8 years! Stephanie argues that when you start editing your stuff, it can activate your "flight of fight" response. She advocates for a slow and steady approach to organizing, allowing for your and your feelings to become aligned. She even created an online course on Daily Om called A Year to Clear What is Holding You Back! To date over 151,000 people have enrolled in this course. Slow and steady wins the Stephanie Bennett Vogt race!

Courtney Carver was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, and embarked on a journey seeking simplicity from her hectic and BUSY life. (Busy is her "B" word.) She knew EVERYTHING would have to change for her to maintain her physical and mental health. She wrote soulful simplicity in 2017 to challenge our ingrained cultural beliefs that "more is more." Her story is compelling, and serves as a FOUNDATION of WHY for the Kondo or Vogt approach.

Yes, I have read all three. And while it is nice to have a prescribed approach, or a daily goal, or your "why" the best thing to do is pick one area and JUST START! #juststart