Increase your productivity by creating a clutter-free and organized office

By Lisa Assetta on Tue, Jun 15, 2010 at 9:00 am

Start by taking a step back and really look at your workspace. What does your desktop look like? Do you have adequate writing space or are the surfaces covered with paper and other random items? What does the floor surrounding your desk look like? Do you have room to stretch your legs or are there electrical cords and boxes of old files stashed there? What is on the walls you look at every day? Something inspiring, fun or useful or are they littered with an outdated calendar or items that used to reflect you?

Make a decision to take a new look at your office space. See it how others see it. Imagine your improved workspace and place “organize my office” on your To Do List. Decide on a priority area: desktop, floor, or wall. Designate a specific day and time on your calendar each day or week to start making changes. Even 15 minutes a day spent clearing and organizing can make a difference. Start with a small area in your priority area first. Once each priority area is organized, your enhanced office environment will inspire you to continue with what’s lurking in your desk drawers, file cabinets and supply closet!

Ask yourself these 3 questions about each item as you organize in your priority area:

Do I need it?

Do I love it?

Do I use it – NOW?

If the answer is 'yes' to all three questions, keep it and place it in an appropriate place. If the answer is 'no' to any of these three questions, recycle, donate, sell or trade it. If an item is broken or unusable and cannot be recycled, dispose of it responsibly.

Make it greener: Use local businesses and resources to recycle, donate, sell or trade items you are not using. Help keep good stuff out of landfills by joining the Tampa Freecycle ™ Network at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/freecycletampa.

Happy Organizing!

Lisa

Lisa Assetta owns and operates Office Assistance Plus and is the office organizing, productivity consulting and green office resource for Tampa Bay. Contact: 813.760.6198 or visit http://www.officeassistanceplus.com. If you have an office organizing challenge, please comment on this post. We would like to hear from you!

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Walking into a cluttered office first thing in the morning is a sure way to derail the motivation you need to start your day and get things done. It’s simply not a good feeling to walk into a space that looks like it was hit by a hurricane! A cluttered and disorganized office creates anxiety and can prevent you from accomplishing your tasks and goals.

In my last post, I talked about the importance of a To Do List to help you get more done. That is just one part of an overall plan to increase productivity. Another is to create an office that is calm, clutter-free and organized — exactly the way you want your thoughts to be throughout your day in order to be most productive. An organized office will invite you in, give you control of your space and motivate you to get to work. Another important benefit: an organized office will reflect a positive image about you to others.

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