Feeling Lost in Your Career? Try the Marie Kondo Method

Oksana Selendeeva

Founder and CEO of CODDY

Founder and CEO of CODDY, an international programming school for children (180+ cities, 24 countries). Ranked among Russia's Top 250 CEOs'23, winner of EY “Business Women” '22, finalist of EY '19, '20.

Expert of the company CODDY

Working on projects at CODDY, I often come across people who feel a bit stuck in their career. Burnout, constant fatigue, that frustrating sense of "what's next?"... And, honestly? I’ve been there too.

Let me share my story. A few years ago, I set out to build something meaningful—a strong team and a company that educates, inspires, and empowers. And I did it! CODDY grew into a community I’m proud of. The school was thriving, the results were fantastic… but deep down, something didn’t feel quite right. It was like an itch I couldn’t scratch, a vague sense that something was missing.

Eventually, I had to stop and ask myself one straightforward, yet incredibly challenging question—“Is this what I really want?” Spoiler alert—it was harder to answer than I imagined. Figuring out what sparks joy versus what simply drains your energy? Not an easy task.

How to "Declutter" Your Career

One day, I stumbled upon a method that truly clicked for me. You’ve probably heard of Marie Kondo’s “spark joy” philosophy for tidying up your life. Well, imagine that—but instead of clothes and trinkets, you’re evaluating your career tasks.

Here’s how it works. You take your daily work activities and sort them into three categories:

• Promoters—the tasks that inspire and energize you. You do them with a smile.
• Detractors—those that sap your energy and leave you feeling drained.
• Passive—neutral tasks that don’t significantly impact your mood or energy.

The idea is to keep a “joy log” for a few weeks and review it to see patterns. What makes you happy? What frustrates you? Then, using these insights, you can take steps to realign your career path.

My Personal List

To make this work, I had to get brutally honest with myself. Here’s what I discovered.

Promoters (the tasks I love):

• Talking with students and their parents.
• Creating new ideas for courses and projects.
• Writing articles or blog posts.
• Brainstorming with my team—that’s where the magic happens!

Detractors (energy vampires):

• Handling finances and paperwork. Essential, yes. Enjoyable, no.
• Endless negotiations or partner discussions that don’t lead anywhere productive.

Passive (meh):

• Filling out internal forms, approvals, and similar admin stuff.
• Routine organizational tasks.

What this list taught me is that I’m most fulfilled when I’m being a creator—dreaming, inspiring, building. I also realized that these “side quests” beyond the standard workday, like mentoring or helping with events, light me up the most. And that’s okay!

Why It’s Worth It

This simple exercise—shuffling tasks between metaphorical shelves—allowed me to see myself more clearly. What excites me? What exhausts me? It’s like creating a career map that shows not only where you are but where you want to go.

I also introduced this method to my team at CODDY, and it’s been such a hit that even our newest members are using it to figure out what they love. Sometimes the answer isn’t obvious, but when you take the time to truly listen to yourself, things start to make sense.

Give It a Shot!

If you’re feeling lost in your career, I’d encourage you to try this approach. Be bold. Be honest. Don’t worry if what you love doesn’t match the “norm” or your previous expectations. Our differences are what make us—and our careers—unique.

I’m still in the process of “tidying up” my own career—searching for joy, balance, and opportunities to do something meaningful. It’s a work in progress, but it’s also what makes this whole process feel real.

I hope this story inspires you to start your own little adventure. And if you feel like sharing your discoveries, come find us at CODDY. Together, we might just spark some joy in our careers!