Joy at Work summary

So what exactly is the famous KonMari Method? Simply put, it means removing anything in your environment that doesn’t fall into at least one of three categories: things that spark immediate joy, things that provide functional joy, or things that will lead to future joy.

To know if something fits into one of these categories, visualize every last detail of your ideal workplace. How does this ideal workplace look? How does it make you feel? Visualize what items are in your workplace and where everything goes. Ask yourself: What emotions do I feel when I’m working or taking a break at my desk? Once you’re intimately familiar with your ideal workplace, it’s time to start tidying up.

So, with books and papers sorted, it’s time to move on to the final two categories in the physical realm of your workspace. This time, we’ll gather up all of your items into one place, and we’ll go through them piece by piece.

The key message here is: The next stages of the KonMari Method involve supplies, or komono, and sentimental items.

At this stage of the process, you should have only the most essential items in your workspace – with everything in its own designated place. The author recommends using dividers and small boxes that fit within drawers to keep everything organized. This way, your USB sticks can have their own spot – separate, but within the same drawer as other devices and electronics.

At this point, your desk should be clear of any papers or supplies. After all, a desk is a work surface, not a storage space, right? Plus, having your desk completely free of any clutter will be great for approaching your work with a clear, undistracted, and uncluttered mind.

How much of your job description concerns email? If email is even mentioned at all, it’s probably not one of your primary responsibilities. And yet, for many of us, this task can seem never-ending and all-consuming.

As part of your digital tidying-up, it’s time to change the way you approach email, as well as the other distractions that come with having a smartphone.

So far, we’ve talked about decluttering your workspace and digital devices. But to really tidy up your work life, you need to look beyond your physical surroundings. Finding joy and harmony in what you do also requires a schedule that’s free of clutter and wasted time. 

Just as you can spend too much time on emails, you can also waste away entire weeks by going from one unproductive meeting to another. Or, maybe you find yourself constantly tending to the needs of others, leaving you with little time for your own work. Well, now’s the time to get all this activity clutter under control.

Let’s face it, some meetings are unavoidable. But that doesn’t mean we can’t do something to make those meetings more worthwhile. If you find a regular meeting to be unproductive, then other people are probably unhappy too. So why not work together to tidy up your meetings and make them more joyful?

The key message here is: Reevaluating your meetings and teams can also add more joy to your work life.

Finding joy at work isn’t all about tidying up your immediate surroundings. It’s also about nurturing a healthy work environment. While some of this may be out of your control, that doesn’t mean you can’t do your part to ensure that your environment is as joyful as possible.

The key message here is: There are plenty of ways to keep your work life joyous in the long run.