Clear the clutter! Tips to organize your desk
When your co-workers and leaders see your desk filled with clutter and screaming of chaos, they do NOT think you’re doing a great job of getting everything done.
Likely, their takeaway from your messy desk is that you’re overwhelmed and disorganized, your systems are lacking or failing, and you’re probably not very efficient. Stacking loads of paper and other items on your desk doesn’t say, “I’m really busy and important”; it says just the opposite.
Imagine a workspace that is not just tidy, but also sleek and well-organized. Such a space not only changes how others perceive you, but it also enhances your own productivity and sense of accomplishment.
It’s a place where you can center your physical space, aligning your body and mind for maximum efficiency. With everything in its place, you can tackle tasks quickly and manage a heavy workload without wasting time searching through piles of paper. This is the workspace you can create for yourself.
Start by cleaning house
The first thing you must do to organize your desk is clean house! Do you have a lot of old junk that you’ve kept in a drawer? Do you have items you haven’t used in years? Get rid of the junk! It’s taking up valuable space that you could be using to be more organized and more efficient.
Go through everything in your workspace. If you no longer need it, it’s broken or unimportant—consider moving it to the “round file”! What’s that, you might wonder? It’s your trashcan: an all-important file you should be using! You want your desk to be a place of action, not simply storage space.
Organize your desk by clusters
One of the best techniques for organizing your workspace and becoming a more efficient person is to utilize the clustering method for items and tasks. This method encourages you to group items or tasks frequently used or performed together.
As you reorganize your desk, make sure you’re using all the space available, including every inch of space in your drawers! Take advantage of the space while determining which items should be placed.
You could utilize an entire drawer for pens, Post-it notes, envelopes, and notepads. Using the same method, you can also group everyday tasks to maintain focus throughout your day better.
Prioritize to-do tasks
The next step to organizing your workspace is creating and using a desktop “to-do” tray. This will help you prioritize your day as it evolves and quickly shift gears if needed.
Having a visual reminder of what still needs to be done is a fabulous motivator! Watching that tray become emptier and emptier as you expertly navigate your busy day is a great reward.
One key to maintaining a well-organized workspace is handling each piece of paper or email only once. This means not adding extra items to your to-do list by not completing every element of a task, doing the wrong task, or otherwise getting off track.
Read your assignments carefully, understand what needs to be done, and then fully complete the task. This approach will help you stay focused and determined, ensuring that you make the most of your time and energy.
More Resources:
Stack ranking for performance management: Does it have merit?
How to prioritize your work: Simple steps to keep on track
Quiz: How good are you at organizing?
