I heard the following interview recently on NPR’s “Marketplace” program and wanted to share it. I know many people who, when just thinking about even trying to organize their financial life, feel completely overwhelmed by the task and thus avoid doing anything. As a financial planner, my job is to help clients make the task less daunting by providing a streamlined, organized way to view their holistic picture. Thus the interview’s main theme strongly resonated with me.

The interviewee, Liz Weston, takes inspiration from Marie Kondo, author of “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.” Ms. Kondo is the creator of Tokyo’s newest lifestyle phenomenon, which helps people clear their clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home—and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire. As Liz Weston describes, these same concepts for keeping a tidy home can also apply to help people “de-clutter” their financial lives, and leave them feeling much more in control of their personal finances. Ms. Weston’s original post on the subject can be found here.