PDF Summary:Joy at Work, by Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein

In Joy at Work, tidying expert Marie Kondo and organizational psychologist Scott Sonenshein reveal how decluttering your workspace—physical, digital, and mental—can dramatically boost your productivity and happiness. The authors apply Kondo’s KonMari Method to every aspect of your professional life, from your desk to your meetings, decision-making processes, and professional relationships. By teaching you to keep only what “sparks joy” or serves a clear purpose, they help you eliminate distractions, reclaim control over your workday, and rediscover meaning in your professional life.

In this guide, we’ll explore both the philosophy behind the KonMari workplace methodology with its focus on joy-based decision-making, and practical tidying techniques for physical spaces, digital environments, time management, meetings, teams, and professional networks. We’ll examine how individual tidying efforts transform both personal fulfillment and organizational culture, creating ripple effects that extend far beyond your desk. We’ll supplement the authors’ advice with insight on the psychology behind tidying, research on workplace well-being, and strategies from workplace productivity experts like Cal Newport (Deep Work) and organizational psychologist Stewart Friedman (Leading the Life You Want).

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Sentimental items might also include those that personalize your workspace. The authors explain how adding “joy-plus” touches—items that simply make you happy rather than serving a specific function—can significantly enhance your daily experience. These might include photos, plants, crystals, or thematic decorations that make your workspace uniquely yours. The authors suggest approaching tidying as interior designing, transforming it from a chore into a creative endeavor that expresses your personality and supports your working style.

(Shortform note: In addition to the authors’ argument that “joy-plus” items are a form of expressing yourself, research reveals that such personal touches serve as identity markers that can reduce burnout. Personal objects in workspaces often spark meaningful conversations with colleagues, help express professional identity in standardized environments, and create a stronger sense of ownership over your workspace.)

Establish Daily Rituals

The authors recommend establishing a daily ritual to maintain your tidied workspace and cultivate a positive mindset. They suggest starting each day with a brief cleaning ritual, wiping your desk and expressing gratitude for the tools that support your work. This simple practice can transform your workspace into a place that generates positive energy and enhances creativity. Kondo shares how her own brief morning cleaning ritual at her former company visibly improved her sales performance and professional recognition.

(Shortform note: Kondo’s tidying ritual functions as what psychologists call a “transitional cue”—a physical action that signals a mental shift between cognitive states. The cleaning routine creates a “trigger-behavior-reward” loop that helps professionals mentally transition into focused work modes, explaining why Kondo’s simple practice may have helped increase her productivity and performance. These boundary-creating behaviors are especially critical in blended environments like home offices.)

The authors write that these maintenance rituals serve as a bridge between the initial tidying festival and long-term habits, ensuring that your workspace continues to support your productivity and well-being. Dedicating just a few minutes each day to these practices can help you prevent clutter from accumulating and maintain the clarity and focus that comes with a well-organized environment. (Shortform note: With repetition, brief daily practices activate the brain’s procedural memory system. This means that tidying will eventually become automatic rather than requiring conscious decision-making.)

How to Tidy Your Digital Workspace

While physical clutter might be immediately visible and therefore distracting, Kondo and Sonenshein argue that less visible digital clutter can be equally overwhelming and disruptive to productivity. Emails, files, notifications, and virtual meetings create a significant mental burden even when hidden within devices. The authors’ digital tidying philosophy emphasizes gaining control over technology rather than letting it control your workday. They give tips for tidying documents, email, and applications.

(Shortform note: Neuroscience research confirms the authors’ concern with digital clutter, showing that virtual disorganization activates the same neural stress responses as physical clutter. Brain imaging studies show that cluttered digital interfaces overstimulate the part of the brain that handles mental conflicts, pulling energy away from the brain areas we need for focused, deep work. However, unlike physical clutter which has its limits, digital accumulation can grow exponentially, creating what psychologists term “cognitive pollution” that depletes attention and working memory more insidiously than visible disorder.)

Digital Documents

When tidying digital documents, Kondo and Sonenshein advise applying the same principles as physical paper: Keep only essential files and discard unnecessary ones. The authors also recommend that you organize digital files into a few main folders to simplify retrieval, and use search functions rather than creating complex hierarchies.

(Shortform note: AI-powered file management systems like Microsoft Copilot and KondoCloud naturally implement Kondo’s “fewer folders” principle by automatically analyzing content and usage patterns to organize documents. While these tools eliminate the decision fatigue that often prevents digital tidying, they represent a philosophical shift away from Kondo’s emphasis on conscious curation. As AI assumes organizational responsibilities, professionals must balance the efficiency of algorithmic sorting against mindful awareness and control of their digital possessions.)

Email

Kondo and Sonenshein emphasize taking control of your inbox to prevent it from dominating your work life. They recognize that email is a significant source of workplace stress and clutter for many professionals. They advocate implementing a daily processing system to avoid accumulation. When deciding which emails to keep, consider their necessity for future tasks, their potential for inspiration, and whether they spark joy. As with digital documents, use a simplified folder system, aiming for 10 or fewer folders including subfolders.

(Shortform note: While Kondo focuses on organizing email, Cal Newport, author of A World Without Email, argues that email itself is the problem. He argues constantly checking email fragments attention and reduces focus. He advocates reducing the amount of email you send and receive by redesigning underlying work processes rather than just changing email habits. Newport proposes replacing what he calls the “hyperactive hive mind workflow” with more structured systems like task boards that compartmentalize communication, office hours for addressing questions in batches, and explicit processes for work coordination.)

Applications

The authors recommend reducing apps to only those essential for your job, those that aid job performance, and those that genuinely spark joy. Organize remaining apps into categories based on frequency of use or purpose, while regularly reviewing and deleting dormant apps to maintain your focus and optimize device performance.

(Shortform note: This minimalist approach doesn’t just enhance productivity—it also strengthens your digital security. Each permission granted to apps creates potential vulnerabilities in your privacy armor. Apps routinely access sensitive data including location, contacts, and microphone access, exposing you to risks ranging from data being sold to third parties to identity theft and financial fraud. Research also shows that official permissions and privacy policies fail to reveal the true extent of data collection, with many apps harvesting information far beyond what they explicitly request from users.)

How to Tidy Other Aspects of Work

Beyond physical and digital spaces, Kondo and Sonenshein extend their tidying philosophy to other crucial aspects of professional life, including time management, meetings, decision-making, work teams, and your broader professional network.

Time Management

Kondo and Sonenshein identify “activity clutter”—unnecessary meetings and tasks—as a primary factor diminishing work satisfaction and productivity. They highlight three psychological traps affecting time management:

1. The overearning trap (working toward goals that don’t align with your values)
2. The urgency trap (prioritizing urgent tasks over important ones)
3. The multitasking trap (decreasing productivity due to divided attention)

(Shortform note: While Kondo and Sonenshein focus primarily on time allocation, each trap can also be understood by considering how it affects your energy. The overearning trap depletes your emotional reserves when you pursue goals that don’t align with your values. The urgency trap exploits your natural stress responses, creating unhealthy cycles of adrenaline-fueled productivity. And the multitasking trap wears you out faster since jumping between different tasks is mentally draining. By considering not just how you spend your time but how activities replenish or drain your mental, emotional, and physical energy, you can design workdays that maintain sustainable energy levels rather than leaving you exhausted.)

To effectively evaluate your tasks, the authors recommend organizing all activities into three categories—core, project, and developmental—and evaluating each based on necessity, immediate joy, and potential for future joy. Tasks failing to meet these criteria should be discarded when possible. They suggest examining who benefits from each task by asking yourself: “Who receives value from this work? My organization, my colleagues, my customers, or myself?” This helps you identify and eliminate tasks that don’t contribute to important outcomes. The authors encourage embracing the power of saying no to tasks that don’t align with personal or professional goals, allowing you to reclaim control over your time and workload.

How the KonMari Method Makes the Eisenhower Matrix More Sustainable

This task evaluation approach shares similarities with the Eisenhower Matrix, a time management tool that categorizes tasks by urgency and importance. However, Kondo and Sonenshein add another dimension by incorporating the concept of joy.

Research in positive psychology suggests this joy-based evaluation creates a more sustainable approach to productivity. When we filter tasks through both logical criteria (necessity/value) and emotional criteria (joy), we engage both the analytical left brain and the emotional right brain in decision-making. Studies from the field of neuroeconomics show that emotionally satisfying choices lead to greater motivation and persistence, explaining why incorporating joy as a factor in task selection often results in higher quality work and reduced procrastination compared to purely rational approaches to time management.

Kondo and Sonenshein also suggest incorporating daily joy and scheduled downtime into work routines. Activities that spark joy enhance overall work satisfaction, while downtime is crucial for creativity and productivity. For example, start your day drinking coffee from your favorite mug, take five minutes to catch up with a colleague whose company you enjoy, listen to music that helps you work and makes you happy, or take a short walk outside periodically throughout the day. The authors emphasize that these small moments of joy, when deliberately integrated into your daily routine, create cumulative positive effects on your work experience and performance.

(Shortform note: Studies suggest that brief scheduled breaks significantly improve work quality and productivity by working with our body’s natural ultradian rhythms—the 90- to 120-minute cycles of peak energy and performance followed by natural dips. This approach creates a compounding benefit; each strategic pause allows mental processing and physiological reset, helping you maintain steady productivity throughout the day instead of burning out.)

Meetings

Meetings are often cited as one of the biggest time drains in the workplace. Kondo and Sonenshein argue that not all meetings are necessary, and recommend regularly evaluating meetings using the following criteria to make sure they need to happen: whether they’re relevant to your job, contribute to your ideal work life, and bring joy. The authors recommend, when possible, to only attend meetings that meet these criteria, while also considering the organization’s needs and expectations and what you can contribute to a meeting. If you decline to attend a meeting, do so politely by requesting a clear agenda or offering a brief explanation for your absence.

(Shortform note: When assessing meetings, it’s also helpful to recognize that different meeting types serve distinct purposes: Decision-making meetings establish direction and require authority; information-sharing meetings distribute updates but could often be asynchronous; creative collaboration meetings generate innovative solutions; and relationship-building meetings strengthen team cohesion. By categorizing meetings by their primary function rather than treating them as generic time commitments, you can apply the authors’ joy criteria more strategically—keeping meetings that truly serve their purpose while identifying which formats best support each objective.)

When you do attend a meeting, focus on being fully present, prepared, and respectfully engaged. For meetings you lead, be respectful of other people’s time: Ensure clear objectives, include only essential participants, encourage active participation, and maintain strict timeframes. The authors also recommend concluding meetings by summarizing achievements and outlining next steps to reinforce purpose and accountability.

Designing Meetings in Monochronic vs. Polychronic Cultures

While Kondo and Sonenshein emphasize the importance of efficient, focused meetings, it’s also important to consider cultural nuances. Monochronic cultures—which focus on doing one thing at a time and sticking to schedules—are predominant in North America and Northern Europe and are more likely to strictly follow agendas and view tangents as inefficient.

On the other hand, polychronic cultures—which are comfortable with multiple activities and flexible timing—are common in Latin America, the Middle East, and Southern Europe and are more likely to prioritize relationship-building and adapt the agenda to emerging priorities. Effective meetings, especially when working with global teams, will accommodate both approaches rather than imposing a single cultural standard.

Decision-Making

According to Kondo and Sonenshein, making choices consumes a lot of our mental energy in the workplace. They identify three types of decisions we make daily and recommend how to approach them to manage decision fatigue:

1. Low-stakes decisions: The majority of daily choices that are typically made automatically but can collectively drain mental energy (like what to wear or where to eat lunch). The authors recommend automating or minimizing these decisions when possible (creating routines for daily choices).

2. Medium-stakes decisions: Common choices with direct impact on work quality and efficiency that are often overlooked, like how to structure a presentation or prioritize weekly tasks. The authors recommend creating efficient systems for handling these types of decisions by using templates or decision frameworks.

3. High-stakes decisions: Rare but crucial choices that require considerable mental resources (like accepting a job offer or launching a major project). The authors recommend reserving your mental energy for these decisions.

(Shortform note: Modern workplaces often prioritize data-driven analysis, especially in high-stakes decisions. However, intuition is also a powerful tool, particularly for experts with extensive experience in their field. Research by psychologist Gary Klein shows that experts often make effective snap judgments through unconscious pattern recognition developed over years of practice. This gut feeling is not mystical, but rather the brain’s ability to process complex information below conscious awareness. In high-pressure situations with limited time, intuitive decisions—especially from experienced professionals—can sometimes be better than lengthy analysis. However, in unfamiliar or highly complex situations, data-driven approaches are still preferred.)

To further simplify your decision-making process, eliminate unimportant choices, delegate decisions where appropriate, and limit options to prevent decision overload. Kondo and Soneshein say that rather than seeking perfection in every decision, aim for “good enough” solutions, recognizing that you can adjust many decisions later if needed.

(Shortform note: It may be helpful to treat your decisions as experiments—try something, see how it works, then adjust as needed. This approach can reduce perfectionist anxiety since you’re not trying to make the perfect decision upfront, but rather learning and improving through trial and error.)

Teams

Tidying teams is about creating purposeful, joyful groups that enhance both individual and group effectiveness. When considering what teams you should be a part of, the authors recommend evaluating which teams will benefit from your unique skillset and align with your professional goals. By distinguishing between teams that leverage your strengths and those that don’t, you can make more intentional choices about where to invest your time and energy.

(Shortform note: You might not always get to choose what teams you’re a part of. But rather than just going through the motions, you can choose to engage deliberately—turn what feels like an obligation into a chance for growth and look for hidden opportunities within them. Ask yourself: What can I learn here? What relationships might prove valuable? What skills can I develop? Often, the teams we didn’t choose expose us to different perspectives, help us practice handling disagreements, and build important people skills.)

The authors emphasize that trust is an important part of any functioning team. Whether leading or participating in a team, encourage mutual support and open communication. Personal conflicts should be addressed promptly to prevent toxicity and maintain focus on collective goals. When disagreements inevitably arise, Kondo and Sonenshein recommend addressing them directly. They suggest encouraging diverse viewpoints, arguing that they lead to stronger outcomes while avoiding groupthink.

(Shortform note: In addition to having trust, teams are more effective when members have psychological ownership of their work. Studies show that when team members develop this sense of personal investment in their work, they transition from passive participation to active engagement. This feeling of “mine-ness” creates a powerful shift in mindset—people naturally protect, nurture, and enhance what they feel belongs to them. Team members with psychological ownership speak in terms of “our project” rather than “the assignment,” take initiative without being asked, and demonstrate higher commitment during challenges.)

Finally, the authors suggest keeping teams small because research suggests smaller teams are more productive and more satisfying for team members. The authors advocate following the “two-pizza rule” (if two pizzas can’t feed the team, it’s too large).

(Shortform note: The two-pizza rule was originally developed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who believed that small, autonomous teams could better innovate and test their ideas. Bezos implemented this rule at Amazon to limit teams to roughly five to eight people, ensuring they remained agile and focused. The theory has scientific backing, as research shows that coordination costs increase exponentially with team size, and larger teams tend to underestimate task completion times.)

Your Network

Kondo and Sonenshein approach professional networks with the same discernment they apply to physical objects, focusing on quality over quantity. They challenge the misconception that larger networks indicate greater success, emphasizing that meaningful connections matter more than accumulating as many contacts as possible. Research suggests humans can reasonably manage about 150 meaningful relationships, with most interactions coming from a small subset.

(Shortform note: Close relationships provide emotional support and reinforcement, but research by sociologist Mark Granovetter reveals that “weak ties”—our acquaintances and second-degree connections—often deliver the greatest professional value. These peripheral relationships typically move in different circles than we do, more effectively exposing us to novel information, opportunities, and perspectives we wouldn’t encounter through our inner circle.)

The authors recommend resetting your network to include only joy-sparking relationships, creating more time for meaningful interactions. Evaluate connections by asking three questions:

1. Which connections do I need for my job?
2. Which can help advance my work-life vision?
3. Which connections bring me joy?

(Shortform note: Network priorities evolve through your career journey. Early-career professionals often thrive with mentors who accelerate learning and open doors to opportunities. Mid-career individuals may benefit from strategic allies who amplify their influence. Late-career professionals often find fulfillment by becoming mentors themselves, contributing to their field through knowledge transfer and guidance. Recognizing these changing needs enables you to intentionally cultivate relationships that align with your current career stage and goals.)

The authors emphasize building genuine connections over passively maintaining a network of contacts. They suggest four ways to strengthen relationships you want to keep: First, be present when you talk with people—put your phone away, listen actively, and respond with questions. Second, find ways to help others do their best work, whether that’s sharing a useful resource or giving honest feedback. Third, don’t be afraid to be vulnerable with colleagues. For example, admit when you’re struggling with a project or share personal wins. And finally, be playful in your interactions—share a funny story, have an impromptu brainstorming session, or take a walking meeting instead of sitting in a conference room. These small changes can transform work relationships from transactional to meaningful.

(Shortform note: Even your closest workplace relationships will inevitably face conflict. Research suggests that minor disruptions—even simple rudeness—can damage your professional connections. The key difference between relationships that get stronger and those that fall apart lies in how you perceive conflicts. When you view these tensions as learning opportunities, you can transform potential damage into growth. Building an “emotional bank account” of positive interactions with your colleagues creates resilience when difficulties arise, allowing you to navigate conflicts constructively rather than destructively.)

The Exponential Power of Tidying

Beyond tidying the physical and digital elements that make up your day-to-day work life, the authors’ approach also helps you clear mental clutter so you can focus on your deeper purpose and positively influence the people around you. This section explores how to assess your overall work situation, maintain work-life balance, and find meaning in your role to create ripple effects that extend beyond your immediate workspace.

Assess Your Current Work Situation

If you’re dissatisfied with your job, Kondo and Sonenshein recommend conducting a thorough self-assessment before deciding to change jobs. You can do this by creating two lists: 1) what energizes you, and 2) what drains you at work, examining everything from core responsibilities and daily routines to workspace dynamics and colleague relationships.

Look for patterns in your dissatisfaction—specific meetings, tasks, or interactions that consistently diminish your enthusiasm. The authors emphasize that this inventory often reveals targeted adjustments to specific pain points that can significantly improve your work experience without requiring a complete career change, much like reorganizing your desk rather than moving offices. They recommend you consider changing jobs only if these focused improvements don't resolve your underlying dissatisfaction.

(Shortform note: This self-assessment process aligns with what psychologists call “job crafting”—the practice of redesigning your current role to better match your strengths and values without changing positions. Research consistently shows a positive correlation between job crafting and employee well-being and reduced burnout. The most effective job crafting combines three approaches: task crafting (modifying what you do), relationship crafting (changing who you interact with), and cognitive crafting (reframing how you perceive your role). Kondo and Sonenshein’s tidying framework provides a structured method for this transformative practice.)

Maintain Work-Life Balance

As your tidying practice deepens, you’ll become more discerning about how you spend time and energy across all areas of life. The authors recommend periodically evaluating your work-life balance by visualizing your ideal state—just as you did with your workspace—then adjusting your schedule accordingly. Work-life balance, like a tidy workspace, requires regular maintenance and adjustment as your priorities shift with changing career and personal circumstances. What works during busy project periods may need modification during calmer times, ensuring your professional tidying efforts support rather than undermine your overall well-being.

(Shortform note: Work-life balance isn’t static but naturally fluctuates through different life and career seasons. Research from organizational psychologist Stewart Friedman suggests that instead of seeking perfect equilibrium, we should pursue four-way wins across career, family, community and personal well-being. Rather than feeling guilty during high-intensity work periods or family-focused seasons, understanding these natural cycles helps us set realistic expectations and make intentional choices about which activities belong in our current season and which should be postponed, creating harmony rather than impossible balance.)

Find Purpose

The authors argue that every job contributes meaningfully to society when you connect your daily tasks to their larger impact—understanding how your work serves customers, colleagues, or broader community needs. A software engineer might find purpose knowing their code helps millions of users stay connected with loved ones, while a janitor might take pride in creating clean environments that boost everyone’s productivity and well-being. The authors suggest regularly asking yourself: “Who benefits from my work, and how does it make their lives better?”

(Shortform note: Younger workers are fundamentally reshaping workplace expectations around purpose and meaning. A 2024 Global Gen Z and Millennial Survey found that an overwhelming majority of these generations consider purpose essential to their job satisfaction and well-being. Organizations unable to demonstrate how their work contributes to something larger than profit face increasing challenges attracting and retaining top talent from these generations, who readily leave positions that don’t provide a sense of greater purpose.)

This shift in perspective creates ripple effects throughout your organization. When you approach work with a clear purpose and organized systems, colleagues notice your efficiency, positive attitude, and intentional choices, often adopting these practices themselves. This transformation becomes self-reinforcing as collective improvements enhance team productivity and workplace culture, making your own work environment more satisfying and effective.

(Shortform note: Research in organizational behavior calls this phenomenon “behavioral contagion,” where positive practices spread through social modeling. This ripple effect is particularly powerful with tidying behaviors because they produce immediately visible results that serve as environmental cues reinforcing the new norm. When implementing organizational change, start with “tidying ambassadors”—influential team members whose adoption will maximize this contagion effect.)