"If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, then what is an empty desk a sign of?" »
These words have been attributed to the creative genius and physicist Albert Einstein. Whether he actually said that or not, his desk appears to have been buried under piles of books and papers. Similarly, Pablo Picasso painted while surrounded by a jumble of paintings. Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, is said to have deliberately kept his desk cluttered. The legends of geniuses with messy desks are too numerous to mention. As if to corroborate them, a recent study by researchers at the University of Minnesota concluded that a messy work environment is more likely to generate creative ideas.
Perhaps because such stories abound and run counter to The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and her KonMari method, people frequently ask Marie Kondo for confirmation. "But a cluttered desk is fine, right? " they say. "It stimulates creativity, right? »
Here is a little exercise to try. Start by mentally imagining your desk in the office, in your studio or at your workplace. Then answer these questions.
Honestly, do you feel positive about working here?
Does working at this desk every day really make you happy?
Are you sure you're giving full scope to your
creativity?
Do you really want to come back tomorrow?
These questions are not meant to make you feel bad. They are intended to help you know what you think of your work environment. To be honest, it doesn't matter which is better:a clutter-free desk or total chaos. The most important thing is that you are aware of the type of environment that brings you joy at work, that you know your own criteria for joy. Tidying up is one of the best ways to find out.
Many customers who have used the KonMari method to tidy up their homes end up with a simple, bare interior when they're done, only to realize a little later that they want more decor. This is where they start adding accents that they like. Often, it's only after tidying up that people realize what kind of environment sparks their joy.
But a major difference between our home and our workspace is that at work, people can see us. At home, hardly anyone sees our clothes or our books, even though they are strewn on the floor. But an office is a shared space, which is the difference between a tidy office and an obvious messy office for everyone. Surprisingly, this fact has a far greater impact on our working lives than most people realize.
Several studies of employee workplace ratings have shown that the tidier a person's space is, the more likely others are to see them as ambitious, smart, warm, and calm. Yet another study showed that these people are seen as confident, friendly, hardworking, and kind. The list of adjectives makes these people sound like real winners.
The results of these studies can be summarized in three single points. A tidy desk allows for a better assessment of our character and ability. It increases our self-esteem and increases our motivation. As a result, we work harder and our performance improves. Seen in this light, storage seems like a pretty good deal, doesn't it?
It's not just our desks that need tidying up. We are also overloaded with non-physical clutter. In particular, modern technology has generated digital clutter in the form of excess emails, files and online accounts.
According to a study, a typical office worker spends about half of their day dealing with emails and averages 199 unopened emails in the inbox each day. An average internet user has 130 online accounts per email address. The average office worker wastes two hours and 39 minutes a week on ineffective meetings. The cost of these unproductive meetings amounts to more than $3.7 billion a year. Lost productivity due to forgotten or incorrect passwords amounts to at least $420 per employee per year. In a company that employs 25 people, that's over $10,000 a year.
Many people feel defeated at the mere suggestion of tidying up. "I can't make time for this!" I am already far too busy,” they protest. Others say, “I have tried it before. I sorted through all my documents and now they are just a mess. »
Many people don't believe they can find joy in their work. “I'm stuck in pointless meetings all day. Tidying up will never change that,” they insist. In fact, it's tidying up that brings joy to work.
THE KONMARI METHOD AT WORK
Since the age of 5, I have been fascinated by storage. I pursued this subject throughout my school years and took my first steps as a tidying consultant at 19 while still in college. The KonMari Method was born out of my experiences of teaching people how to tidy up.
My approach has two distinct characteristics:it's simple yet effective, ensuring you'll never go back to clutter, and it uses a single selection criteria:choose what sparks joy. When you ask yourself, Does it spark joy? we reconnect with our inner selves and discover what is truly important to us. The result is a lasting change in behavior that puts life on a positive path.
Of course, not everything at work can be evaluated on whether it brings joy. There are company rules to follow, perhaps superiors who make decisions that impact our work and colleagues with whom we collaborate. Tidying up our physical workspace is also not enough to keep our jobs running smoothly. We can only truly instill joy in our professional life when we have all its aspects in order, including emails, digital data, work-related tasks and meetings.
I have witnessed how tidying up can transform many aspects of my clients' working lives. One client, for example, remembered her childhood dream while putting away her books and quit her job to start her own business. It was simply the result of considering everything in front of her and choosing to keep it in her life or let it go.
Tidying up is more than sorting and tidying things up. This is a major project that will change your life forever. This process will help you see how each task you do is tied to a joyful future. Ultimately, the real goal is to find out what brings you joy in your work so that you can perform at your best. Ready?
TIME
We can shorten our working days and add joy to our work if we learn to put an end to the clutter of activities. Activity clutter comes from the things we do that take up valuable time and sap our energy, but don't make a meaningful difference. On average, we spend less than half of our working day on our primary work responsibilities, with the rest of our time taken up with interruptions, non-essential tasks, administrative tasks, emails and meetings.
They can largely be categorized into three common pitfalls:
1. Overlearning Trap:
Winning rewards and being competitive is part of who we are, but it can easily derail us. When deciding how to spend your time, remember:don't trade an activity you enjoy for a reward you don't enjoy.
2. Emergency Trap:
Instead of taking the time to dive deep into our work and feel the joy that can come from tackling an important task, we move from one seemingly urgent task to the next. This leaves us with very little time to reflect or grow.
3. Multitasking Trap:
Multitasking reduces productivity by up to 40%. Those who multitask are usually the least able to do so successfully. The human brain can only think of so many things at a time.
THE DECISIONS
No matter what kind of work you do, you make thousands of decisions every day. Some researchers estimate that number to be up by 35,000. But a recent survey found that people, on average, remember making only about 70 of them.
As you consider your many work decisions, follow these simple steps:Forget the small decisions, sort and organize the medium decisions, and reserve your mental energy for the big ones.
Start with low-stakes decisions. If you don't think the outcome of a decision will make a difference, don't spend a lot of time on it. Next, collect all the medium and high stakes decisions you are currently facing or will soon be facing. The big issues usually pop up, and for most people there will only be a handful. These are decisions that will have a big impact on your work or life and are worth your time and energy. You now have some medium-stakes decisions left, and it's time to figure out which ones are really worth keeping. Be picky about what you spend your time and energy on. You may realize that what you previously considered an important decision should not be made or should be made by someone else.
SOCIAL MEDIA
One of the most important points in building a happy network is knowing what kind of connections you like. For example, some people enjoy being around friends and having fun together. Others prefer to have deeper relationships with just a few people. I fall into this last category. I'm not very good at keeping in touch and I feel more comfortable with fewer relationships.
Using the KonMari method, I looked at every name in my social network and only kept the ones that sparked joy. In the end, I was left with only 10 people, excluding my family and people whose contacts were essential for work. I was stunned by the number of names I eliminated, but afterwards my heart felt much lighter and I was better able to nurture those relationships I had chosen to keep. .
Just as you would to create a joyful lifestyle, choose what triggers joy and take care of what you decide to keep – you need to do both to build a joyful network. When you feel something is wrong with your network, see it as a sign. Believe that you can have a more fulfilling life and contribute more to the lives of others when you are comfortable. Then say goodbye with gratitude to any relationships you no longer need and nurture those you decide to keep.
MEETINGS
When you enter a meeting, you enter a shared space for collaboration, decision-making, and the exchange of ideas. Cherish this space and it will become a source of joy.
Rule #1:Introduce yourself. Really introduce yourself.
Sit up straight, pull yourself close to the table and radiate positive energy. Now is not the time to let your mind wander.
Rule #2:Come prepared.
If you feel you don't have enough time to prepare, you probably don't have time to attend the meeting either.
Rule #3:Put away your electronics.
Seriously, we see you all peeking at your phone. If you focus on the meeting, it will be shorter, more efficient and more pleasant.
Rule #4:Listen…really listen.
We should be able to learn from each other at meetings. It's quite difficult to do because we all like to talk.
Rule #5:Speak.
There are times when you have unique information to share. Focus on moving the conversation forward with new information, a different perspective, or getting the discussion back on track.
Rule #6:Do no harm.
We are responsible adults. Blaming others, cutting them off or promoting oneself creates dysfunction.
TEAMS
Big teams can create big damage. Research shows that large teams are less satisfying than smaller ones. With so many other people around, chances are there will be a lot of overlap in member contributions, making it more likely that teams will become chaotic and disorganized. Plus, it's hard to stand out and see the impact of our own work with too many people around.
A larger team is also almost always slower. Trying to reach consensus with a large team takes a long time, and sometimes it's not even possible. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos lives by the “two pizza rule” – no team should be big enough to need more than two pizzas. Studies determine the optimal size for most teams of four to six people if they're trying to generate ideas, make decisions, or innovate.
Although teams can be a source of joy for all their members, too often they fall short of their promise. Know that the success of a team is everyone's responsibility, regardless of job title, seniority or tenure – and a privilege we can enjoy at work.
INSPIRE STORAGE
Scott Sonenshein's office was a mess. He had far too many books, even for a professor. He hadn't touched most of them in years. Piles of research papers stacked so high they blocked his view. His desk drawers rivaled a bad convenience store — snacks way beyond their vintage, old-fashioned office supplies in their wrapper. He even had a mysterious key; to this day it has no idea what it opens.
After tidying up his office, his colleagues were absolutely shocked. "Wow, what happened? " they asked. "Your office looks amazing!" They also wanted a space filled only with items they liked. Sharing his office was just the start. Sonenshein had higher ambitions for people to tidy up all aspects of their work.
While you can't force tidying up on others, you can inspire them by sharing all that you've accomplished. Tell your colleagues about your tidying up trip and fill the rest of the office with more joy. Teach your techniques to those who want to learn. Share how storage has transformed your work and your life – and you'll soon have others eager to transform theirs.
* * *
Tidying up comes as naturally as breathing to Kondo. It's so much fun for her. Still, not everything was easy to navigate. Her passion for tidying up began when she was 5 years old, but it took many years of trial and error to develop her method to where she is today.
The work is based on accumulated experience. By working, we grow. Nothing is exciting from the start. Even if something isn't right or doesn't feel right right now, if it's leading you to a future that elicits joy, then think of it as growing pain. If your professional life doesn't spark joy all the time, don't assume you're a failure. Instead, recognize the potential of this moment to bring you closer to your ideal, enjoy the process, and celebrate the fact that you are still growing. Be confident that you are creating a joyful work life right now through the daily process of gaining experience.
Kondo believes that tidying up is the first and most effective step towards realizing your vision of a joyful career. Finish tidying up your workspace, then get on with what you love. Joy at work gives rise to joy in life.
Adapted from JOY AT WORK. Copyright © 2020 by Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein. Used with permission from Little, Brown Spark. New York, New York. All rights reserved.
