We've all been there sitting in our office, whether our work space is in our home or in an office we commute to; feeling stuck. We look at the piles of paper, books, personal items and decide to just check email to keep ourselves busy, so we don't have to think about the mess. The disorganization becomes overwhelming but we tell ourselves that same old lie, "I really do know where everything is". The average office employee spends 1.5 hours looking for things a day.
Start small with just one pile or section of your workspace. Toss any trash, gather personal items that need to be taken home or put in their correct spot and sort loose paperwork. Once you've got the momentum going, cleaning your work space will go faster than you think. And the results will leave you breathless! You'll feel lighter, more clear-headed and less stressed. Not to mention the time you'll save in finding things you've misplaced.
To stay on top of an organized workspace, set a weekly appointment with yourself to clean your desk area. Maybe every Friday, the last 15 minutes of the day to tidy up so that you'll start work Monday with a clean desk. Don't make piles but instead set limits. Create zones, for example: a workspace for your computer, library for your books, storage area for supplies and filing area for your archives. What are you waiting for?! Set an appointment with yourself to organize your workspace. You'll thank yourself and be so glad you did.
