Ask The Expert
Q How can I become more organized and clear the clutter from my desk?
Expert: Mary Ann Pate
A At the start of the New Year, many people start thinking about getting organized. Part of that process involves getting rid of the "clutter" in their lives and managing their work spaces more effectively.
Clutter takes on different forms, the two most common being paper and electronic information. Here are some tips on how to reduce both.
Keep your desk top clear. Designate a place in your office for your project or action files. It is important to clear these files off your desk and put them in a place that is easy to reach when you need them. Pulling out one item at a time to work on and putting it back when you are finished is now easy.
Look at other items on your desk and determine if they really need to be there. Clear off as much as you can. You will find eliminating physical clutter will often help clear up mental clutter!
Make decisions on papers when you first read them. According to Barbara Hemphill, the author of Taming the Paper Tiger, clutter is "postponed decisions." If you make a decision to keep or discard when you first look at an item in your paper or email inbox, you will be reducing the buildup of clutter. Look at it, decide to keep it or not, and move on.
Keep only what you need. If you cannot think of a specific need for a document you are planning to keep, you should rethink your decision. Making better decisions up front will cut down greatly on clutter. There are some items such as documents that have tax and legal implications, but statistics show that 80% of what is saved is never looked at again. The cost of your time, filing cabinets and everything else that goes into keeping unneeded documents is high. Start saving now.
If you don't have a retention policy in your company, you need one. This will ensure that everyone understands what needs to be kept and what can be tossed.
Once you have eliminated the "clutter," it is important to look at how you are using the space in your office. Here's how:
Manage your space. When you are sitting in your desk chair you should be able to reach those items that you will need regularly throughout the day. Anything in that space that is not used often should be moved elsewhere. Can you reach your project files? Do your drawers hold staplers, tape, pens and other items you use often? If not, it is time to pull everything out and organize.
Do you have the right furniture and cabinets? Are they laid out to utilize the space well? Once the clutter is eliminated, you should be able to decide how best to utilize the space, what furniture to use, and what arrangement will help you become most productive.
About A Timely Solution
In addition to consulting services, A Timely Solution offers customized productivity workshops, based on clients' needs that include one-on-one follow-up sessions. Mary Ann Pate has presented to many business professionals and community organizations. She works with executives, professionals and small business owners to help them become more productive by getting organized. Detailed information is available at www.atimelysolution.com.
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