Take a look at your desk and really take it in. Can you see the table’s surface? Are there piles of paperwork with a ‘filing system’ only you’re sure of? Perhaps it’s time to do a little decluttering and clear your office space and in turn, keep your mind clutter-free. Here are a few easy steps to help you tidy up your office space so you can focus on getting your work done without being buried in an avalanche of paper!
STEP 1: THROW, SORT THROUGH AND CLEAR UP
Easiest way is to pop open a garbage bag and throw away all the rubbish on your table you’ve ‘been meaning’ to get rid of. For paperwork that needs to be recycled or shredded, put these in a cardboard box for the meantime and remember to remove the staples. When the dust has settled, do a quick dust and wipe of your table and get cracking!
STEP 2: FIND EVERYTHING A HOME
Your stationery is strewn everywhere and you’ve knocked over your pile of files for the fifth time and it’s only 11 in the morning! Give the things on your table a home. Get a stationery organiser for your desk to put all your pens and other stationery together. Put your papers away in a magazine organiser, anything as long as everything on your table has a ‘home’. A way to avoid clutter is to lessen the number of personal effects you have on your desk. Sure, the plastic cactus is cute but it’s taking up precious desk space!
STEP 3: FILE AWAY YOUR PAPERS
Grab some folders and organise all the papers on your table by subject, date or document type, however it makes sense to you. Look at all the paper on your desk and either throw it out, recycle, shred or file it away. The papers in your drawers must be tackled like this as well! When the dust has settled, label the files clearly to help you refer back to them the next time you need to.
STEP 4: BUSINESS CARDS
Alright, so you’ve deep cleaned your paperwork and discovered a treasure trove of business cards. Time to get tech savvy and download a business card scanning app and transfer all this information to your smartphone. Take a picture of the cards and note any extra details in the app. This might take some time so do this during the end of your shift or when you don’t have anything pressing to attend to. Afterwards, do recycle the cards and the next time you make a new contact, scan their business card, first thing.
Do all of these weekly and your table will stay clutter-free and the mess that’s your table won’t bother you anymore.
Reference: The Balance Careers
