During interviews, reporters often say, “I’m sure everything in your life must spark joy for you.” For years, I couldn’t tell them the truth that in my work, this isn’t always the case.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up was first published in Japan in 2010. I was still in my twenties, and somewhere deep inside, I believed that because my message was all about sparking joy through tidying, I had to be Happy Marie, always full of joy. My image of the ideal work life was to relinquish any tedious jobs that didn’t spark joy and choose only those that I loved and that connected straight to joy. I thought that every moment at work should be fun.
When I was writing and promoting my book, I really did enjoy my work. Responding to interviews for magazines and television and speaking to large crowds were all new and interesting, and it was thrilling to see book sales rising day by day. But this lasted only until it was no longer possible to forge ahead by my own efforts alone.
Book sales continued to rise, topping one million copies and then ten million. The KonMari Method spread to other parts of the world. I was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, moved to the States, started up our company, hosted a Netflix series shown in 190 countries, and even got to walk the red carpet at both the Academy Awards and the Emmy Awards. But as my connections with other people multiplied and the work I was given began to surpass both my volition and my capacity, the pressure and stress sometimes reached a point where my work life didn’t always spark joy.
Gradually, I learned how to manage this situation, and I now feel much more comfortable being in the public eye. But to reach this place, I had to overcome plenty of challenges along the way, including in my relations with others and in bridging the gap between reality and my ideal. Writing this book has given me a chance to reflect on the road I have traveled, to reexamine the ups and downs and my mistakes, reminding me that work is not only a way to support my family or contribute to society, but also a channel for personal growth and development.
Over the last decade, I have become far more aware of the value of working with others. Before, I thought that success was something I achieved on my own. Now, however, I am humbled by and grateful for our many amazing collaborators, including our employees in Japan and America, our business partners who work with us on different projects, the KonMari consultants who are active worldwide, and the many fans of the KonMari Method who have embraced our philosophy. Although a little late, I have been learning “on the job” that achievements at work are built upon accumulated effort and in cooperation with others.
Our company vision is to organize the world—to help as many people as we can to finish tidying up and choose what sparks joy for them so that their lives spark joy. We want to spread this vision worldwide. That may sound like an impossible goal, but we’re quite serious about achieving it. Just as I spent over two decades developing the KonMari Method to address the difficulties of tidying, we intend to work toward this vision, step by step, for as long as it takes. Joy at Work represents a big step toward realizing that dream.
I am profoundly grateful to everyone involved in this project, including my coauthor, Scott, our editor, Tracy, and our agent, Neil, as well as the many clients who shared their tidying stories; my husband, Takumi, whose unstinting professional and personal support is invaluable; and my family. I wish all of you who have chosen to read this book a work life that sparks joy. If what Scott and I have shared here helps you do that, it would make me very happy.