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.