But...Does It Spark Joy? - SBJ Consulting, Inc.

March 19, 2021

In continuing with our theme of examining how our own responses to certain events impact the outcomes we eventually face, today we’re going to create a little magic by tiding up – KONDO style!

Yes, I’m talking about Marie Kondo, author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, which has sold over 11 million copies in 40 languages and has turned into a seriously addictive Netflix series, which I may have recently binge watched. Towering in at 4’7”, this 36-year old powerhouse has an estimated net worth of over $8 million and she’s credited with sparking joy and transforming lives worldwide. Therefore, her methods must have some validity, right?

At the root of her tidying method, she implores her clients to touch an item and ask: does this spark joy?

If the answer is yes, it should look and feel a little something like this…

Okay, Stacy, that’s all well and good, but what does this have to do with examining how our responses impact our outcomes?

To that I say: wouldn’t you like to have that feeling of joy throughout your day? (Minus the glitter sparkles maybe, I get that.)

Marie’s system is all about decluttering and tidying. Let’s explore 3 of her principles so we can declutter and create tidier outcomes for ourselves.

Make sure it sparks joy
- Are you drained by certain daily tasks? – What can you outsource, drop or swap?
- Do you surround yourself with positive people? – How can you redefine your support circle?
- Is your work space tidy? – More than likely you’re still working in less than ideal pandemic-affected circumstances. What can you physically change about your work space to make it more tidy, less cluttered and more joyful?
Make sure you follow the right order
- Are your days so full that at the end of them you ask yourself what you’ve accomplished, only to find out it was a lot of little things – none or few of which were the highest impact items for your business or your life?
- It’s not the easiest place to start, but can you identify and tackle the priorities that matter the most – yield you the biggest impact on your revenue and business/life goals? Start there and do them in priority order.
Make sure the items you keep are those you want to bring to your future
- Is there a process that needs to be revamped? – What can you change in the “that’s how we’ve always done it” category that could inform better process moving in to the future?
- Are there unfinished tasks or conversations that need to be settled and resolved before you can move on to better outcomes in the future?