Marie Kondo

Scott Sonenshein

Marie Kondo, author of the worldwide #1 bestseller The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and organizational psychologist Scott Sonenshein team up to bring joy to work. The workplace is a magnet for clutter and mess. Who hasn't felt drained by wasteful meetings, disorganized papers, endless emails, and unnecessary tasks? These are the modern-day hazards of working, and they can slowly drain the joy from work, limit our chances of career progress, and undermine our well-being. There is another way. In Joy at Work, bestselling author and Netflix star Marie Kondo and Rice University business professor Scott Sonenshein offer stories, studies, and strategies to help you eliminate clutter and make space for work that really matters. Using the world-renowned KonMari Method and cutting-edge research, Joy at Work will help you overcome the challenges of workplace mess and enjoy the productivity, success, and happiness that comes with a tidy desk and mind.

Organizing Your Professional Life

Joy at Work

Ivy X

Pretty standard advice, disagree with the network aspect. I feel like networks should be based on ability to separate closeness and importance in your mind. It doesn’t have to only be close people in your circle because you never know how someone will inspire

Ley Stanton

Honestly disappointed in this book after how much I enjoyed her previous two books. I think the first half of this book is great, a lot of helpful information for tidying your work space and digital life. The rest of the book focuses on things that are only applicable to those in leadership or have control over their work environment which is not the majority of people who will be reading this. I would have preferred more time spent on the actual tidying concepts and a section on being joyful even in an imperfect environment. The book makes it seem like you can tidy every aspect of your work life and that's just not feasible. I plan on tidying my digital life soon, I know I'm definitely guilty of hoarding files on my devices.

Find your focus – wherever you're working – with Joy at Work. Marie Kondo's first book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying, sparked a new genre of publishing and became an international bestseller. Now, for the first time, you will be guided through the process of tidying up your work life. Whether you are unexpectedly working at home or if you have a dedicated work space or office, if you properly simplify and organize your work life once, you’ll never have to do it again. In Joy at Work, KonMari method pioneer Marie Kondo and organizational psychologist Scott Sonenshein will help you to refocus your mind on what's important at work, and as their examples show, the results can be truly life-changing. With advice on how to improve the way you work, the book features advice on problem areas including fundamentals like how to organize your desk, finally get through your emails and find balance by ditching distractions and focusing on what sparks joy. Like how the key to successful tidying in the home is by tackling clutter in the correct order, Joy at Work adapts the inspirational KonMari Method for your professional life, taking you step-by-step through your working day so that you can identify the most joyful way to work for you. Once you’ve found order in your work, you can feel empowered to find confidence, energy and motivation to create the career you want and move on from negative working practices.

Anika | @chaptersofmay

Joy at Work is the kind of book inspires you to declutter and organise your professional life for long-lasting productivity and efficiency. I enjoyed the sections written by Kondo more than Sonenshein, which is a shame but doesn’t dampen my view on the tips and tricks that I’ll be applying to my work.

The book is filled with ideas that are easy to put to use and useful for a range of careers. It essentially encourages the reader to spark joy at work, whether that’s in an office, on the go, or at home. There are undoubtedly some concepts that won’t apply to every career or lifestyle, and some of the knowledge feels like the unoriginal self-help basics, but it’s an inspiring read nonetheless. If you’re already a fan of the KonMari method, I think you’ll enjoy reading the book’s advice. And the practical tips are ideal for those who struggle to find balance at work, or those who have trouble keeping their physical or digital workspace tidy. 

As a fan of organisation but a newbie to the world of Marie Kondo, I’m glad I read this book. It certainly did its job of motivating me to improve the way I work both at home and in the office. The stories and studies are interesting to read, and I look forward to seeing the results of putting them to use. 

Joy at Work Organizing Your Professional Life

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