Joy at work

By Engr. Carlos V. Cornejo

This book, “Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional Life” by Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein is about decluttering and tidying up our bedroom closet or office table and acquire the habit of order for good.

Coauthor Marie Kondo, famous for her previous book ‘The Life‐Changing Magic of Tidying Up,’ created the ‘spark joy’ movement with her KonMari Method. Kondo’s KonMari Method is best known for decluttering bedroom closets. If you were to use the KonMari Method to tidy your bedroom closet, you’d start by taking all your clothes out of the closet and putting them in a pile in the middle of the room (organizing all your clothes at one time allows you to compare each item and create a comprehensive list of categories so that you can reserve a space in your closet for each category). Now, pick up one piece of clothing at a time and ask, “Does this spark joy?”

If a piece of clothing brought you joy in the past, but that joy has faded, thank the item for fulfilling its purpose and discard or donate it. The act of thanking the object for being useful at a time in your life makes the discarding process less stressful. Many of Kondo’s clients believe there are few clothes they are willing to part with, but end up donating two‐thirds of the clothes in their closet.

After using the KonMari Method to declutter your closet, that old feeling of overwhelm is replaced with gratitude, since every item you see in your closet is a source of joy.

But how can you use this method in your office? You can’t throw out an expense report or work manual just because it fails to spark joy!

Tidy Your Physical Workspace with the Modified KonMari Method

Gather books, papers, miscellaneous items (gadgets, office supplies, etc.), and sentimental items (memorabilia, gifts, etc.) in the middle of your office and while focusing on one category at a time, ask: (1) Does this spark joy? A book you love to see on your bookshelf when you walk in your office, a pen you love to write with, or a picture of your family. (2) Will this item contribute to a joyful future? A manual you will use to complete a project, which could lead to a promotion. (3) Is this item necessary to do my job? A book of industry standards, expense report, or stapler might not bring you joy but you need them to complete your job responsibilities.

Books, papers, miscellaneous items, and sentimental items that don’t answer “yes” to any of the three questions get discarded or donated. Commonly discarded items are: (a) Books you bought with enthusiasm but are no longer excited to read. (b) Documents you can scan and store in the cloud or old revisions of important documents you no longer need. (c) Excess office supplies (pens, pencils, rulers, etc.). (d) Awards and pictures that no longer spark joy.

Now you are left with the critical few items that spark joy, contribute to a joyful future, and are necessary to do your job. It is now easier to divide your stuff into categories and reserve storage space for each category (i.e., small box in your desk drawer for USBs, upright filing cabinet for papers, etc.). Keep items out of sight (if possible) to minimize distraction.

When a new item enters your workspace, put it through the three‐question filter and make discarding items your default decision.

When you take control of the clutter in your physical workspace, you will feel more in control of your work life, which will increase your joy at work. By keeping the things that are necessary for your job, contribute to a joyful future, and spark joy, you are surrounded by items you are

grateful for. The goal of tidying is not just to reduce stress, but to help you discover what you truly value.