Clutter in your Workspace : 8 Suggestions to get on top of clutter

Most people have a work space... a place or area where they carry out specific activities such as work or hobby. 

A work space could be an office at home, an office away from home, a desk in a room in the house, the garage, an area in the kitchen, a sewing room, an area where your business/hobbies are carried out... it could be anywhere.

It's very easy for clutter to build up in your work space, especially if you are very busy and have lots of demands to deal with each day.

Here are 8 suggestions to get on top of clutter rather than be swamped by clutter:

1. take a few moments and look around your work area and get a real feel for what needs to be done
2. begin by throwing rubbish away -- put things in the bin that need to be in the bin.  A few minutes doing this often can make a huge difference
3. put things away in their right place -- if you have papers that need to be filed, spend a few minutes doing it; if you have books lying around, put them where they belong; if you have coffee cups and other items that belong elsewhere, put them where they belong.  In other words, do a quick tidy up
4. after you have tidied up... clean the area.  Chances are your work space hasn't been cleaned for a while especially if lots of clutter has accumulated
5. take a few moments to write down what your needs are in terms of getting on top of clutter -- think about what is really bugging you, what would make such a difference if it no longer existed.  You could, for example, desperately need more adequate storage space (or even some storage space); it could be that you need to reorganise the area that you work in; or perhaps your computer is so cluttered with e-mails, too many icons on your desktop, no system for organising documents or files (computer clutter is so common -- and that is something I experience more often than I want to)
6. look at your list and prioritise everything you have written -- what is your first priority, and then your second and so on
7. begin to sort out your first priority -- if it is storage space that is required, start looking around for shelving, cupboards, draws, files or whatever else is required.  This may take awhile to completely achieve but it is important to begin to take action on your first priority.  If your computer is a mess with clutter -- start with your email and begin to get it organised.
8. remember you don't have to do everything at once.  Most of us don't have that time to devote hours and hours solely on eliminating clutter.  If you do, that is great and I encourage you to go for it!  But if you are pressed for time... just make a start.

And once you start to eliminate clutter, it's amazing how the momentum continues... sure, one thing leads to another and at times it feels like you will never get to the end of it.  Believe me, you will get to the end of it.  And this in itself will provide you with an incentive to keep organised, tidy, and on top of things as much as you can.

The sooner you begin to take action on your clutter, the sooner it will disappear and you will feel more energetic, motivated, productive... and a whole lot better!

Do you experience work space clutter?  Click on the comment link below and share your thoughts about, and suggestions for, getting rid of work space clutter.

Best wishes
Jeanne

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Comments

[Bill Baumgartner]

Jeanne,

Thank you.
This is a great post!

Having clutter in my life can be a real time-waster, keeping me from achievement,... if I let it!

Let me share a few simple things I do to keep on top of my computer e-mail, to keep the clutter manageable.
1. I never go to bed with more than 10 messages in my inbox. 2. I make Folders for my saved e-mails. (If you don't want to delete a recent e-mail, but don't have time to read it right away, file-it for later).
3. I Unsubscribe from senders that send e-mails more than twice a week...unless they are part of my fav-5,.. (actually favorite 3).

Thanks again,

Bill

[Jeanne May]

Hi Bill...

Thanks for your comments about my post! And thanks also for your tips on computer clutter. It's really good hearing what other people have found useful because clutter is something everyone experiences at some point in their life.

Best wishes
Jeanne