These Marie Kondo quotes are the ultimate inspiration whether you are looking to create a clutter free environment or live a more intentional life.
The decluttering guru gained widespread popularity with her KonMari method, which introduced the world to the idea of keeping only things that “spark joy”. Her philosophy extends beyond just tidying up; it’s about creating a more mindful lifestyle by surrounding yourself with things that bring joy and meaning.
Since reading her book Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up (The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up) in 2016 I have been hooked – for me, it represented a real sea change in how to approach simple living.
Marie Kondo’s guidance lends itself well to being distilled into snappy, but poignant (and often refreshingly direct) quotes, which have been a guiding light for people across the globe who have followed her advice and used the KonMari method to transform their living spaces and their everyday lives.
25 Marie Kondo Quotes for Sparking Joy Every Day
Here are 25 Marie Kondo quotes to inspire you to declutter your home and embrace the idea of sparking joy in your life.
Marie Kondo Quotes About Clutter
1 “One of the reasons clutter eats away at us is because we have to search for something just to find out whether it’s even there, and many times, no matter how much we search, we cannot seem to find what we are looking for.” — Marie Kondo
2 “When surrounded by clutter, our brains are so busy registering all the things around us that we can’t focus on what we should be doing in the moment, such as tackling the work on our desk or communicating with others. We feel distracted, stressed, and anxious, and our decision-making ability is impaired.” — Marie Kondo
3 “Clutter has only two possible causes: too much effort is required to put things away or it is unclear where things belong.” — Marie Kondo
4 “Human beings can only truly cherish a limited number of things at one time. As I am both lazy and forgetful, I can’t take proper care of too many things.” — Marie Kondo
Find out about 6 easy steps to remove the clutter from your home.
Marie Kondo Quotes About Decluttering
5 “Start with clothes, then move on to books, papers, komono (miscellany), and finally things with sentimental value.” — Marie Kondo
6 “The process of deciding what to keep and what to discard will go much more smoothly if you begin with items that are easier to make decisions about. As you gradually work toward the harder categories, you will be honing your decision-making skills. Clothes are the easiest because their rarity value is extremely low.”— Marie Kondo
7 “The work involved can be broadly divided into two kinds: deciding whether or not to dispose of something and deciding where to put it. If you can do these two things, you can achieve perfection.” — Marie Kondo
8 “The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life.” — Marie Kondo
Read about 5 items to get rid of right now on the Home Decluttering Checklist.
Marie Kondo Quotes About Letting Go
9 “But when we really delve into the reasons for why we can’t let something go, there are only two: an attachment to the past or a fear for the future.” — Marie Kondo
10 “Letting go is even more important than adding.” — Marie Kondo
11 “To truly cherish the things that are important to you, you must first discard those that have outlived their purpose. To throw away what you no longer need is neither wasteful nor shameful.” — Marie Kondo
12 “The process of assessing how you feel about the things you own, identifying those that have fulfilled their purpose, expressing your gratitude, and bidding them farewell, is really about examining your inner self, a rite of passage to a new life.” — Marie Kondo
13 “Just because you dispose of something does not mean you give up past experiences or your identity.” — Marie Kondo
14 “Never discard anything without saying thank you and good-bye.” — Marie Kondo
Marie Kondo Quotes About Sparking Joy
15 “The best way to choose what to keep and what to throw away is to take each item in one’s hand and ask: ‘Does this spark joy?’ If it does, keep it. If not, dispose of it.” — Marie Kondo
16 “Through the process of selecting only those things that inspire joy, you can identify precisely what you love and what you need.” — Marie Kondo
17 “Discarding that which doesn’t support your ideal lifestyle creates space for treasured possessions to truly shine – and leaves room for future joy-sparking additions.” — Marie Kondo
18 “Now imagine yourself living in a space that contains only things that spark joy. Isn’t this the lifestyle you dream of?” — Marie Kondo
Marie Kondo Quotes About Living Life and Well-being
19 “No matter how wonderful things used to be, we cannot live in the past. The joy and excitement we feel here and now are more important.” — Marie Kondo
20 “Follow your intuition and all will be well.” — Marie Kondo
21 “As for you, pour your time and passion into what brings you the most joy, your mission in life.” — Marie Kondo
22 “Cherish the things you love. Cherish yourself.” — Marie Kondo
23 “Taking good care of your things leads to taking good care of yourself.” — Marie Kondo
24 “We amass material things for the same reason that we eat – to satisfy a craving. Buying on impulse and eating and drinking to excess are attempts to alleviate stress.”— Marie Kondo
25 “In Japan, we say that “words make our reality.” The words we see and with which we come into contact tend to bring about events of the same nature.” — Marie Kondo
Final Thoughts
These Marie Kondo quotes illustrate that her philosophy extends beyond decluttering; it is a guide to living a more intentional, joyful life. Her quotes prompt us to reflect on the relationship between our possessions and our well-being, encouraging us to surround ourselves with what truly sparks joy. I hope they bring you what you are looking for.
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this collection of Marie Kondo quotes. Feel free to pin and share this article, and come back soon to discover the latest posts!