Minimizing your Workspace: 12 Ways to Clear the Clutter

For a long time my desk was covered in stuff. I was so unorganized and unkept that it sometimes became hard to deal with. I would only clean when the junk piled too high. This was a real problem and is one that many professionals face.

So what is the problem with clutter?

a. It is visually unattractive, making the eyes distracted and unfocused when working.

b. It is counter productive, not being able to find needed documents and work items can really slow down your efficiency. If you are spending more than a second looking for a pencil on your desk, I am talking to you.

c. It makes a bad impression when associates, clients, and customers are in your office.

Here are some tips I have learned (and use) to keep everything un-cluttered.

1. Don’t Eat in Your Office. Something I used to do a lot was eating in my workspace. For one, if you are eating on the job you need to prioritize your lifestyle a little bit. There is such a thing as too much work, even for workaholics (I feel your pain). It also causes more instant garbage in your space.

2. The Inbox. Have every piece of paper that runs through your office go into an inbox. At a designated time of the day, clear it out, processing everything within it.

3. The Outbox. Same concept. Have everything going out in a singular place. Then process it all at once.

4. File Cabinet. A file cabinet or case is almost a must in an organized office. When anything comes in it should end up in here, the trash, or being sent to someone else. Making a list of all the types of papers that come across your desk is a good idea. turn those into File Categories.

5. No Nick Knacks. Those cool little metal balls you got at the county fair, your lucky Buddha statue; they are all cluttering up your work space and providing nothing but distractions for you. At most, a family photo is sufficient but even that should not be your best photo because then it will distract your eye too much.

6. Dispose of Hardcopies. Many new documents that come your way do not need to be kept in hard copy. Scan them into your computer and discard the original. (Don’t do this with legal documents!)

7. Go Paperless. Modern technology has it’s advantages. Now you can securely make payments and money transactions online without any paper to clutter your area. The less paper coming in and going out in the first place, the better.

8. Throw Out Packages. Every time I get a new business toy I feel I should save the box for some reason. Then it ends up laying on or next to my desk until I step on it. Then I end up throwing it out anyway. Packaging should be taken care of promptly.

9. Have Drawers. Even if your desk does not have any drawers, you should buy a small unit to set next to or behind it. Your camera, extra cords, stationary, notebooks, etc. are some of the worst causes of long term clutter. They need to have a place tucked away and not on a surface.

10. Clear Every Day. When you are finished with work, or even as you are working, clean up the surfaces of your work space. Make sure by the end of the day everything is cleared off.

11. Use a Laptop. Portable computers are the wave of the future. They are becoming more popular for a reason, their size and portability allow for maximum efficiency and convenience. They also take up less room on your desk. And if you don’t want to work at your desk… Well, it is called a laptop for a reason.

12. Move Excess Objects. That bulky printer/faxer/copier/scanner/turntable, your computer speakers, books you are reading, etcetera, all need to get out of the way. Use different shelving or space below / next to your desk to store such things. They are physical and mental clutter.

These are just a few suggestions. What are some other thing you do to keep it clean and uncluttered?

Photo by emdot