Time to 'Kondo' your life and get decluttering

Marie Kondo’s first book was such a hit that her surname became a verb. With her second book set to lead to another global decluttering frenzy, Richard Fitzpatrick decided to ‘kondo’ his life.

A FRIEND of mine grew up in Rome, in Italy, in the 1980s. She lived in an apartment, with her family, close to the Vatican. Every New Year’s Eve was carnage in her neighbourhood, because of the tradition of lancio dei cocci — people throw old crockery out their sitting room window on the stroke of midnight.

The practice is believed to be cathartic. By smashing up raggedy and useless mugs and plates, you do away with all the evil and negative in your life.