Whether you’ve read the book or seen the Netflix series, you’re likely familiar with Marie Kondo’s decluttering technique, the KonMari Method. What she calls the “The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing” focuses on tidying by category and discarding any item that doesn’t ‘spark joy’.
Millions of homes around the world can be seen implementing this technique on social media but what happens with the space where so many of us spend the majority of our time? The office. By applying the guidelines of the KonMari Method you can tackle tidying up your workspace so even your work sparks joy!
Organize One Category at a Time
Instead of looking at your workspace as a whole, which can be overwhelming, pull items by category and then organize. For example, start by pulling out all your books and magazines at one time.
Once you’ve collected them all in one pile, you can sort into three piles, keep, donate, and toss. Marie advises against reading a book when you are going through this process as it will cloud your judgment. Don’t hold on to things for “someday”, as that typically translates to never.
Change Your Relationship with Necessary Items
You’re probably wondering, okay fine that’s clear for some items but what about practical items that are never going to “spark joy” for me? Well let’s consider your stapler, for example, an item that offers a necessary utilitarian need, but no one is looking at their stapler and saying “that brings me so much joy”.
Instead, you need to change your relationship with such items and thank them for the service they provide to your life. Or you can donate your simply utilitarian stapler and get a super cool one like our bright lime green ones that do spark joy every day!
The Three Caveats of Paper
In general, the KonMari Methods calls for all loose papers to be discarded. However, there are three exceptions to that principle.
If a paper is actively in use or a part of a project you are currently working on.
If it’s needed for a limited period of time, i.e. a receipt you will need to expense or submit to accounting.
If you need the paper indefinitely, i.e. insurance or tax documents. If you follow those guidelines, you’ll avoid having piles of paper cluttering up for desk or workspace.
Create Dedicated Spaces
One of the biggest hindrances of keeping a space tidy is not having specific places to put things back in once you’ve used them. Creating dedicated spaces for every item allows you to avoid pileups on your desk counter. Whether its using files or boxes, Marie advises starting with storage solutions you have around you instead of going out and spending money on fancy methods of storage. If you follow these easy steps, you can tackle the clutter and tidy up your workspace.
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If tackling your workspace isn’t the only thing you’re up for addressing this year and you’re ready to try out a new career, take a look to see our open opportunities all across the country.
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