Marie Kondo, the renowned Japanese organizing consultant, has transformed how millions approach tidying with her KonMari Method™.
Here are 10 key organizing principles inspired by her approach:
1. Keep Only What Sparks Joy
The cornerstone of Kondo’s philosophy is selecting items that truly “spark joy” when you hold them. Before discarding anything, take a moment to hold each item and notice your body’s response.
Items that bring a sense of happiness or positive energy are worth keeping; others may have served their purpose.
2. Tidy by Category, Not Location
Rather than organizing room-by-room, Kondo recommends gathering all items from a single category (clothes, books, papers, etc.) in one place.
This helps you see the true volume of what you own and make more thoughtful decisions about what to keep.
3. Follow the Right Order
The KonMari Method suggests a specific sequence for tidying: clothes first, then books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items), and finally sentimental items.
This order builds your decision-making skills as you progress toward emotionally challenging categories.
4. Fold Vertically for Visibility
Kondo’s vertical folding technique allows you to see all items at once when you open a drawer.
Items stand upright rather than being stacked, preventing forgotten items at the bottom of piles and making everything accessible at a glance.
5. Use Boxes for Organization
Simple boxes can create order within drawers and closets. Kondo often repurposes smartphone boxes, shoeboxes, and other containers as dividers, creating a custom organization system without purchasing specialized products.
6. Practice Gratitude for Items
Before discarding items, Kondo recommends thanking them for their service.
This practice acknowledges the item’s purpose in your life and makes parting with possessions more mindful and less wasteful in spirit.
7. Store Similar Items Together
Grouping like items creates natural organization and prevents duplicate purchases.
This principle applies from kitchen utensils to toiletries – when you can see everything you own in a category, you’re less likely to buy more unnecessarily.
8. Empty Your Bag Daily
Kondo suggests emptying your purse or bag every day, allowing items to “rest” and giving you an opportunity to remove unnecessary items that accumulate throughout the day.
This prevents bags from becoming disorganized catch-all spaces.
9. Visualize Your Ideal Lifestyle
Before beginning to organize, take time to envision your ideal living environment.
What activities would you do there?
How would it feel?
This vision provides motivation and guides your decisions about what belongs in your space.
10. Approach Tidying as a Special Event
Rather than viewing organization as ongoing maintenance, Kondo frames tidying as a special event—a transformative process that happens once and creates lasting change.
This mindset shift helps prevent relapsing into clutter by addressing the root of disorganization.
These principles reflect the core of Marie Kondo’s approach to organization—creating spaces that support joy and mindfulness rather than simply appearing neat.
The KonMari Method isn’t just about tidiness but about creating environments that nurture our best selves.
