Book SummaryJoy at Work, by Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Joy at Work

Drowning in a sea of workspace clutter, endless emails, and back-to-back meetings? Joy at Work offers a lifeline. Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein adapt Kondo’s KonMari Method to transform your professional life through the intentional tidying of your physical space, digital environment, time, and relationships. This guide explores how workplace tidying addresses today’s overwhelming professional challenges by applying methodical, joy-based decision-making to every aspect of work.

Kondo is a renowned tidying expert and the author of the best-selling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. The book, which encouraged readers to only keep items that “spark joy,” started a global decluttering movement and spawned a Netflix series. In this book, Kondo...

Joy at Work Summary A Philosophy of Tidying

In this section, we’ll discuss why tidying matters in professional contexts and outline the basic principles of the KonMari Method. These principles set the stage for the practical applications that follow.

The Case for Workplace Tidying

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed at work, whether by the clutter in your office, the neverending flood of emails, or back-to-back meetings that eat up your workday. According to Kondo and Sonenshein, tidying has the power to transform your work life, leading to greater productivity, joy, and job satisfaction. (Shortform note: Studies suggest that feeling overwhelmed by work has become the norm. According to the American Psychological Association, 77% of Americans reported being stressed out by work in 2025, with about six in 10 (57%) indicating they experienced burnout due to work-related stress.)

The authors point out that clutter, both digital and physical, overwhelms your brain and makes it harder to enjoy your work. Research shows that messy environments affect both individuals and organizations. On an individual level, clutter increases cortisol (your body’s...

Joy at Work Summary Practical Tidying Tips

The KonMari Method requires that you decide what to keep before you determine where to store it, creating lasting order by ensuring everything serves a purpose. Instead of tidying by location (for example, drawer by drawer), Kondo’s approach requires you to tidy by category, which builds your decision-making skills as you progress through each category. This section explores the authors’ tips for tidying different aspects of your work life, from your physical workspace to your inbox, time, and professional networks.

(Shortform note: The category-first approach contrasts with systems like the OHIO method (Only Handle It Once), which emphasizes immediate decision-making for individual items. Cognitive research suggests category-based sorting creates “choice architecture”—a structured decision-making framework designed to enhance consistency and reduce cognitive strain during organization.)

How to Tidy Your Physical Workspace

When you tidy your physical workspace, the authors recommend beginning with items for which you have sole responsibility, and focusing primarily on your own workspace instead of...

Joy at Work Summary 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...

Shortform Exercise: Tidy Up Your Physical and Digital Workspace

Kondo and Sonenshein present several strategies for decluttering your physical and digital workspaces to create an environment that supports productivity and sparks joy. This exercise will help you apply the KonMari method to your professional environment.

Think about your current physical workspace. What aspects of it make you feel stressed, overwhelmed, or distracted? List at least three specific issues that interfere with your ability to work joyfully and efficiently.

Shortform Exercise: Tidy Up Your Time and Relationships

Kondo and Sonenshein explain that applying the KonMari philosophy to your activities, decisions, and professional relationships can lead to greater fulfillment and effectiveness at work. This exercise will help you identify and address these less tangible forms of workplace clutter.

Consider your “activity clutter”—the meetings, tasks, and obligations that fill your workday. Name one specific activity that consistently drains your energy and explain why you think it feels burdensome.