Cease the moment! Today is National Clean Off Your Desk Day. It’s the perfect opportunity to carve out some time to clear the clutter off of your desk. Here are some steps to get you started:
- Start with the papers right at your fingertips. It’s always best to start organizing with your most current papers. Gather them into a pile and start going through one sheet at a time. Make decisions about each piece as you go. Every time you delay a decision, you build clutter.
- Create temporary files. If your files are all over-crowded, get a file box and create new temporary files so papers can be put somewhere. Remember, everything needs it’s place. One of the biggest organizing mistakes is taking the time to go through papers and then just putting them into another pile! Here’s some more information on how to create temporary files.
- Pare down on office supplies. Take a close look at how many pens, pencils, rolls of tape, sticky notes, etc. you have at your desk. Keeping too many supplies can add considerably to the clutter. Frequently do a supply check to refill or eliminate what you keep right at your desk.
- 3-Way Toss. Divide what you toss into three categories: Trash, Recycle and Shred. Make it easy to fling the papers into something with a wide opening. Quickly tossing can help cut down on the time the project will take.
Take time on this designated day to clean off your desk. You will be amazed how much more productive you can be if you just spend a little time to focus on getting organized!
One of the most important parts of having organized paperwork is the willingness to file. Most people have an aversion to filing because they fear they will never see their papers again. At Chaos To Order we have had great success teaching our clients to at least get the ball rolling by creating temporary files. With these temporary files, no decisions are permanent and you can change labels and categories easily. We recommend 1/3 cut reinforced manilla file folders. Take a 3×3 sticky note and stick it to the label of the file folder. Using temporary files takes away that feeling of “I’m not sure if this is what I should call this” or “I will only need these papers until my meeting next week”. If you create a temporary file, it will at least get the file made. Often we get so caught up in how we are going to label or color code files that we never get to the papers and they stay in the pile! Start today, create some temporary files and you will reap the time-saving and organizational rewards of having your papers filed rather than piled!
This designated day presents the perfect opportunity to carve time out of your busy schedule to clear the clutter off your desk. Here are four tips to get you started:
Start with the papers right at your fingertips. It’s always best to start organizing with your most current papers. Gather them into a pile and start going through one sheet at a time.
Start Fresh. If your files are all over-crowded, get a file box and create new temporary files so papers can be put somewhere. Remember, everything needs it’s place. One of the biggest organizing mistakes is taking the time to go through papers and then just putting them into another pile!
Pare down on office supplies. Take a close look at how many pens, pencils, rolls of tape, sticky notes, etc. you have at your desk. Keeping too many supplies can add considerably to the clutter. Frequently do a supply check to refill or eliminate what you keep right at your desk.
3-Way Toss. Divide what you toss into three categories: Trash, Recycle and Shred. Make it easy to fling the papers into something with a wide opening. Quickly tossing can help cut down on the time the project will take.
Take time on this designated day to clean off your desk. You will be amazed how much more productive you can be if you spend time to focus on getting organized!
One of the most important parts of having organized paperwork is the willingness to file. Most people have an aversion to filing because they fear they will never see their papers again. At Chaos To Order we have had great success teaching our clients to at least get the ball rolling by creating temporary files. With these temporary files, no decisions are permanent and you can change labels and categories easily. We recommend 1/3 cut reinforced manilla file folders. Take a 3×3 Post-It note and stick it to the label of the file folder. Using temporary files takes away that feeling of “I’m not sure if this is what I should call this” or “I will only need these papers until my meeting next week”. If you create a temporary file, it will at least get the file made. Often we get so caught up in how we are going to label or color code files that we never get to the papers and they stay in the pile! Start today, create some temporary files and you will reap the time-saving and organizational rewards of having your papers filed rather than piled!
Cease the moment! Today is National Clean Off Your Desk Day. It’s the perfect opportunity to carve out some time to clear the clutter off of your desk. Here are some steps to get you started:
Loading ...