Summary of Art Of Manliness Podcast Episode: Mastering Work Life Decluttering | Scott Sonenshein on Art of Manliness Podcast
Podcast: Art Of Manliness
5 min. read
— Description —
Learn how physical clutter can affect your mood and cortisol levels Discover tips from Scott Sonenshein on decluttering your workspace, inbox, and phone to create a more productive and joyful environment Say no to things that dont matter and focus on higher-stakes decisions for maximum impact.
Mastering Work Life Decluttering | Scott Sonenshein on Art of Manliness Podcast
Table of contents
Key Takeaways
- Having physical clutter around us increases cortisol levels and makes us moody
- “People who are tidier are viewed by others as more intelligent, harder working, and also kinder” – Scott Soneshein
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When it comes to removing work-related physical items, ask yourself:
- Is this item necessary for my job?
- Is this helpful for my future?
- Does it spark joy?
- “If you answer yes to any of those three questions then an item is worth keeping” – Scott Sonenshein
- “You don’t want your inbox to get bigger than what you can scroll on the screen because that creates visual cues of overwhelmingness” – Scott Sonenshein
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“Only have apps on your phone that are again are necessary, helpful for that joyful future, or spark joy” – Scott Sonenshein
- Silence and turn off notifications so you’re in control of what you want to do instead of your phone controlling you
- “When you say no to things, you’re making space to say yes to things that matter more” – Scott Sonenshein
- “Focus on the higher-stakes decisions that are going to be the most impactful and try to either eliminate, outsource, or delegate decisions that have lower-stakes” – Scott Sonenshein
Intro
- Scott Sonenshein (@ScottSonenshein) is a professor of business and management, and he is the co-author of Joy at Work
- Host: Brett McKay (@brettmckay)
Books Mentioned
- Scott’s first book was Stretch: Unlock the Power of Less -and Achieve More Than You Ever Imagined
- His latest book is Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional Life which he co-authored with Maria Kondo
Working With Maria Kondo
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Scott’s first book was Stretch: Unlock the Power of Less -and Achieve More Than You Ever Imagined
- Maria Kondo read Scott’s book and reached out to learn more about the ideas behind it and how she could apply the lessons to her life
- At the end of their meeting, they decided that they should write a book together
- That’s why they co-authored Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional Life
- The book is broken down into two parts: Organizing your physical space and organizing your digital life
- That’s why they co-authored Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional Life
- At the end of their meeting, they decided that they should write a book together
- Maria Kondo read Scott’s book and reached out to learn more about the ideas behind it and how she could apply the lessons to her life
Reasons To Tidy Up
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90% of Americans believe that physical clutter harms them
- Having physical clutter around us increases cortisol levels and makes us moody
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When we clean up our clutter, we feel that we have more control over our lives
- We’re also more productive because we aren’t wasting our time looking for things
- “People who are tidier are viewed by others as more intelligent, harder working, and also kinder” – Scott Sonenshein
- Clutter can be a form of procrastination (having too many meetings, things to do on our calendar, etc.)
Organizing Your Physical Life
- Things you can tidy up in your workspace: books, paperwork, office supplies, electronic devices, cords, product samples, personal care items, food, etc.
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If you’re having trouble getting rid of a sentimental item, like a child’s painting, one study showed that taking a picture of it will make the removal process easier
- “Taking a picture of that sentimental item tends to give yourself permission to discard the physical item when it no longer sparks joy for you” – Scott Sonenshein
- When it comes to removing personal physical items, ask yourself, does this spark joy or not?
-
When it comes to removing work-related physical items, ask yourself:
- Is this item necessary for my job?
- Is this helpful for my joyful future?
- Does it spark joy?
- “If you answer yes to any of those three questions then an item is worth keeping” – Scott Sonenshein
- Most paperwork can be digitized, shredded, or discarded
Organizing Your Digital Life
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Since digital storage space is almost endless, it’s tempting to keep everything
- However, that clutter creates downstream effects (like finding the photos you need)
- Try to not have more than 10 folders in your email
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Scott sticks to 3 email folders:
- Current Projects
- Saved Work
- Records
- “I think people need to be less afraid to delete messages that they’re no longer going to use” – Scott Sonenshein
- Think of your email as your desk, it’s not a space to archive all of your work. Keep only what’s necessary.
- “I think people need to be less afraid to delete messages that they’re no longer going to use” – Scott Sonenshein
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“You don’t want your inbox to get bigger than what you can scroll on the screen because that creates visual cues of overwhelmingness” – Scott Sonenshein
- It doesn’t have to be zero but keep it limited
- Try to batch your email uses
- Unsubscribe from email lists that you haven’t used in a while
- People are very resistant to change, even when introduced with a more productive system
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Also, try to declutter your smartphone screen
- “Only have apps on your phone that are again are necessary, helpful for that joyful future, or spark joy” – Scott Sonenshein
- Silence and turn off notifications so you’re in control of what you want to do instead of your phone controlling you
- “Only have apps on your phone that are again are necessary, helpful for that joyful future, or spark joy” – Scott Sonenshein
Additional Notes
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Be careful of activity clutter (having too many events or activities)
- You may be using it as a way of procrastinating on your most important work
- To find out how you’re spending your time, make a task-pile: A list of tasks you’ve done throughout the week
- “When you say no to things, you’re making space to say yes to things that matter more” – Scott Sonenshein
- “Focus on the higher-stakes decisions that are going to be the most impactful and try to either eliminate, outsource, or delegate decisions that have lower-stakes” – Scott Sonenshein
- If you want to build a connection you have to be genuinely interested in people and help them
- If you get asked to join a meeting, make sure the organizer has an agenda. If they don’t, politely suggest they send out an agenda so everyone knows what needs to be accomplished.