5 Items to Remove From Your Desktop

   

Flat surfaces seem to be magnets for piles of miscellaneous items.  Kitchen tables, tops of dressers, that chair in the foyer, and even your desk (!) can accrue "stuff" that really doesn't belong there.  Since it's my mission to help people organize their office spaces, here are 5 simple suggestions to help you get started on yours.
Begin by removing unnecessary items from your desktop, such as:

1. Things you do not use on a daily basis.  Keep the phone, computer, planner, stapler, a couple of pens, etc. but remove the rest.
2. Junk mail.  If you're not in the habit of sorting through your mail on the day you receive it, then get in the habit!  Immediately throw away any ads, coupons, credit card offers you know you won't use.
3. Outdated materials.  This includes notes from seminars or meetings, old brochures, ancient business cards, etc.  Anything with an expiration date that's passed, throw it out!
4. Knick-knacks and other companies' promotional items.  I know, you need the stress ball with your insurance agent's logo on it, but do you really need 6 of them?  I think not.  The ceramic angel you don't want to get rid of because your co-worker gave it to you 2 Christmases ago--remove it from your desktop!  You probably don't even like angels.
5. And finally, trash.  So obvious, I know, but I wouldn't have this on the list if it wasn't happening.  Don't leave empty candy and snack wrappers on your desk.  Throw away the mostly empty Starbucks cup from last week.  Same goes for any half-eaten food (ick.).  Throw the trash away.

Take a moment to really look at your desktop now.  Are there any of the items from the list on it?  A cleared off desktop is a wonderful thing!  There will be less to distract you so you can focus on doing your best at work.  Short on time?  Tackle one of these a day and you'll have a "new" desk in only 5 days!  Get started, and good luck.

Causes of Disorganization

What really causes some people to be more disorganized than others?  As it turns out, there are many reasons why some struggle more with becoming and staying organized.  Here are a few of the causes:

• Environmental circumstances such as lack of storage space, inconvenient traffic flow, unpleasant work area
• Systemic factors, meaning trying to follow an overly complicated system, or one that is difficult to implement, or even having no system at all 
• Mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, avoidance disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and compulsive hoarding
• Physical challenges: impaired mobility, sleep disorders, and poor vision
• Beliefs and attitudes: "I'm a procrastinator--always have been, always will be." Also, the fear of being judged harshly by others. 

It's important to empathize with people struggling with chronic disorganization instead of judging harshly right away.  We never know what others are dealing with in their lives.

(source: NSGCD, Fact Sheet by Phyllis Flood Knerr)

5 Quick Tips to Declutter Your Office

Clutter. Ick. How does it appear, and why can't we seem to get rid of it once and for all?  We can!  With these tips and a bit of discipline (try it, it's not so bad), we can learn to control clutter and maintain a neat and orderly office space. 

1. Tackle one small area at a time.  Start with a desk drawer, or even a section of it.  The benefits of starting small are twofold: working on a small space allows you to see results instantly, and the time commitment is minimal.  Ten minutes here and there adds up.
2. Organize when you clean.  Cleaning and organizing are not the same, although the two are sometimes lumped together.  While you're dusting is a great opportunity to toss out or relocate items that are no longer useful to you, or that have strayed from their assigned home.  Putting things where they belong not only helps you get organized, it's less you have to dust around.  Yay!
3. Purchase organizing products only if you know what you're going to use them for.  Yes, I too have been guilty of buying a tool at Office Max not because I really needed it, but because it was so cute!  Stop that.  I have broken myself of this habit, so don't convince yourself that the pretty box with the beach scene will solve your organizing challenges.  The only way to solve them is to declutter your space and implement a system that is simple and logical for you.
4. Don't be shy about using empty wall space or the back of your office door for storage of items you use but don't need to access every day.  Look in office supply stores and online for a myriad of choices in this area.  It's ok to keep items if you use them--this is not clutter, but make sure each item has a permanent home in your office.
5. Set aside time each day to declutter until it's done.  Don't be tempted to dump stuff into a box in the corner of your office in the hopes that you'll get to it soon.  No, you probably won't.  The best way to declutter is to start small (see Tip #1!) and to keep going until you're happy with your space.

 

 

Want to Increase Productivity? Leave Your Office!

 
Have you ever noticed that offices can be distracting places?  Kind of like the hospital--just when you get relaxed and are about to drift off to sleep, someone barges in and you have to start all over again.  Most offices are teeming with interruptions just waiting to happen: co-workers who stop by for "a minute" to chat, ringing phones, it's too chilly (or hot) which makes it hard to focus, worrying about those piles of papers that are lurking in your peripheral vision, hearing the details of your co worker's cousin's (boring) wedding...distracting! 
I work from a home office when I'm not in somebody else's office helping them get better organized.  My office is in a separate room in the lower level of my house, and while I don't have any motor-mouth co-workers popping by, there are still distractions I have become disciplined to work around.  But for those times when I succumb to interrupting what I'm working on to go throw that load of laundry into the dryer, I've found that going to a coffee shop or bookstore to work actually works remarkably well.  Although there are people and noise in these places, I'm able to have laser-like focus and I wind up being highly productive!  Then I can go home and not feel as guilty about taking care of some household duties during my workday.  If you occasionally struggle with inefficiency at work, go work off site for a couple of hours.  A change of scenery is good for you--and your productivity!

Reference Lists--They're Great!

Do you have a mental list of things you want to do, start, finish or just keep track of?  Sometimes these things don't always fit the criteria for being included in your everyday To Do List, so they kind of float around hoping you'll remember them at the time that you actually need them.  Yeah, right. 

Suggestion:  create a Reference List folder on your computer.  Possible categories to include there are:  Favorite Restaurants or Restaurants to Try (for those times you want to go out but can't think of anywhere to go!), Websites to Check Out, Books to Read, Gift Ideas for Others, Gift Ideas for Me (when others ask what you want for your birthday, now you can check your list!), Birthdays, Personal Goals and Dreams, Places to Travel...this list of lists can go on and on.  Clear your mind by doing this, and have fun!

  

3 Quick Tips to Get Through a Pile of Papers!

Ever feel like you'll never get through that pile of paper on your desk?  It's one of the most dreaded tasks in your office, probably.  And if you don't deal with it, it just gets bigger and bigger.  Well, time to tackle your worst office fear!  Here are 3 tips that will make plowing through your paper piles easier:

1. Starting from the top of the pile, pick up each item and if it's trash, shred or recycle it.  If you need to keep it, decide where it goes and put it there.  Does it need to be filed?  File it now.  Is it something for a coworker to handle?  Delegate it now.   If it's an old magazine or newspaper, be honest with yourself about the likelihood of actually reading it.  If you know you're not going to, let it go.
2. As you're sorting through the papers, categories may emerge.  That's good!  If there are several papers pertaining to the same topic, keep them together until you get through and deal with them all at once. 
3. After you've filed, tossed, and delegated as much as possible, with what's left you can create a permanent home for each remaining category of items depending on what they are and how often you'll need to access the information.  It's ok to create a temporary file for tasks that will have a definite ending, as opposed to ongoing projects that will need a permanent file.

These are quick tips to help you clear off your desk a bit and to help you move through your paper piles.  It's possible that one of these days you'll want to seriously evaluate your workflow system and filing system to see if there are ways to become more efficient and productive.  Most people can benefit from improving their office organization, even if it's just a little bit.  After all, if you're not well organized, then the likelihood of the dreaded paper pile returning is pretty good. 

Five Uncommonly Known Causes of Disorganization

Many people who struggle with chronic disorganization feel bad about themselves because they think they should be able to get organized easily.  Some believe, or think that others will believe, that they aren't smart, or that they're just lazy and that's why they're struggling to get organized.  Not so at all!  Here are 5 reasons why you or someone you know may struggle with disorganization...so be understanding of yourself and others.  You may not know what others in your life are dealing with.

1. Life crises: health emergency, death of a loved one, job loss, trauma
2. Transitions: frequent moves, birth or adoption of a child, divorce
3. Beliefs/Attitudes: "I am a procrastinator--always have been, always will be", fear of being judged harshly by others
4. Mental Health Issues: depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive, hoarding disorder
5. Ineffective Beliefs About Possessions: valuing objects unrealistically, associating possessions with one's identity

Source: National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization, Facts by Phyllis Flood Knerr

5 of My Favorite Organizing and Productivity Websites

I visit a lot of websites in an ongoing effort to find useful, relevant, and interesting material to use in my newsletter, social media efforts, and communication with my clients.  While I'm always interested in finding new sources, I find that when I'm in a hurry or just don't feel like spending a lot of time looking for new material, there are a handful of sites that I know I can count on for what I need.  Here are 5 of them--check them out when you get a chance!

http://www.43folders.com/
http://www.dumblittleman.com/
http://www.sortingwithstyle.com/
www.evancarmichael.com/productivity
www.organize.com/office.html

Are You Visual? Try This Calendar...

I recently purchased one of these large calendars and I love it!  Many people have it on their desktop, which is a fine way to use it, but I hung mine on the wall right next to my desk and chair.  I use my iPhone calendar for when I'm out and about, and to keep track of personal and business obligations, and this has been very effective for me.  I love the large wall calendar since I can see the whole month at once--I didn't realize how valuable that would be until I actually experienced the convenience!  If you don't have one and you find yourself struggling to keep up with and remember appointments, or if you are a visual person and would like to see what your whole month ahead looks like in order to more effectively plan, I say go get one now!  Bonus: since it's already March, they're on sale!

Update Your Organizing Systems

Once you're "organized", it's an ongoing process that takes minimal daily maintenance.  However, if you find that some of the systems you've set up are not really helping you in your organizing endeavors, then you may need to make some adjustments.  This is fine!  I have to do this myself, and I find that as life gets busier I need to fine-tune things in my office occasionally. 
Over the weekend I did this.  I moved my filing cabinet from one corner to another (I can still reach it from my office chair), I removed everything from my desktop and put back only the items I really need on it, and I moved my whiteboard and large calendar to a more accessible place on the wall close to my desk.  Now I won't forget to write things down, darnit!  I also hung up some pretty pictures to inspire me...don't forget to include the little things that make a huge difference. 

Organize For Tax Time

It's possible you know someone who highly dreads this time of year.  Tax time.  Even though, like Christmas, it happens at the same time every year, some of us are usually still caught off guard.  What--I have to gather my receipts, update my mileage log, balance months of bank statements...already? Again?  Crap.  (Kinda like I am around the holidays--already? Again? Crap.)

Anyway, if your filing system for tax documents consists of a pile of papers stacked somewhere in your office, here are a few tips to make this year's tax time a little less painful.  Hopefully next year's, too.

• Systematically go through the papers and receipts and sort into relevant piles.  Different categories will emerge, so put like with like.
• Create a folder for each category: Income, Expenses, Receipts, Records (or use words that make sense to you so you'll know what goes in the folders and you'll use them)
• I suggest paper clipping together each month's papers inside of each folder--this way, if you need to find info for a certain month, you can do so quickly without having to rifle through the folder
• If you have an accountant that you'll be giving your info to, go ahead and add up the items in each category.  He/she will double-check your numbers anyway, but this can be a time saver for them.
• Throughout the year, use these folders!!  Don't make your life harder by procrastinating on this one. 

 You'll thank yourself next year at tax time, and you'll wonder why you waited so long to organize your tax documents!

Do You Need An Inbox?

Yes!  Many clients I work with either don't have one, or if they do, it's misused as yet another place to stack papers they're not sure what to do with.  Some inbox tips:

• It should live on your desktop.  It doesn't matter if it's on the corner or in the center--it just needs to be within arm's reach.
• Its main purpose is for gathering papers, reminders, notes from meetings, daily mail, and other info that isn't urgent, but that needs to be processed (filed, delegated, acted upon, trashed) in some way soon. 
• You must clean it out at least once a week!  That's the hard part for most folks.  But you defeat the purpose of the inbox if you just let stuff sit there.  Discipline yourself to make time each day or so to decide what needs to be done with each item in your inbox.  You'll notice an increase in your productivity--I promise!

Inboxes can be plastic trays or wicker baskets or even the lid of a cardboard box.  Whatever will work for you--just use one!  Here are some pretty ones from www.seejanework.com .

Organize Your Notes

My goal is to help people achieve the status of working in an organized office space.  Along my journey to do so, I've noticed several habits that those who are less organized share.  One of these habits is the over abundance of notes scribbled on scraps of paper, backs of envelopes, paper napkins from lunch, sticky notes, etc.  It's no wonder that important info is lost or forgotten!  Suggestions:

• if you take notes in meetings, use one pad of paper for this (use a different sheet for each meeting) and at the end of the day read over the notes, keep the important info you need, and toss the rest
• keep a notepad on your desk to take phone messages on or use it to take notes when you're on the phone
• lots of the scattered pieces of paper I've encountered on desks have names and phone numbers on them, so maintain a list of these people so that when you have time you can add them into your contact manager and input many all at once

Be aware of how you're gathering your information and try not to write notes in several different places.  This complicates finding it again, thus making your life harder than it has to be.  Give it a try!

Decide What to Keep, What to Toss

The beginning of a new year really is a good time to take stock of what's in your office and make some decisions about what to keep and what to toss.  Here's the catch, though: you really do need to get rid of some stuff, not just look at it and think about it.  Or "get to it later".  Whether it's going through papers that have accumulated on your desktop, floor, chair, bookcase, etc. or whether it's a box or two of miscellaneous items you've shoved in a corner, commit to tackling some part of it for a little while each day. 

To prevent this amassment from coming back (or growing larger if you don't completely eradicate it) during the year, tell yourself and accept the fact that you don't need to keep everything.  Let it go!  Make a conscious decision in this new year to decide what to do with a piece of paper or other item before you set it aside.  This time next year, instead of warily eyeing piles of whatever-the-heck in your office, you could be enjoying extra time doing something fun!  (ok, organizing is fun for me, but I realize most people hate it :-) )  Happy New Year!!