Clutter, Clutter, Everywhere!

"De-clutter" has become one of the catch phrases of the 21st Century. We de-clutter our homes and we de-clutter our relationships. How about de-cluttering our office? Maybe you're already a pro at this. You keep your office very organized and neat, and you can find everything you need. Excellent! But, if you're one of the many people who have the best intentions for organizing and getting rid of clutter, but seem to just never be able to do it, try the following steps and see if they help. Really make an effort to keep up with these practices for at least a month. You'll see the many benefits of de-cluttering your office, and it will be easy to stick with it.

First, go through everything and get rid of the stuff you don't need. Yes, this is a big step and it will take gigantic effort, but it's a necessary thing to do and you'll be glad you did. Are you keeping little slips of paper with phone numbers or other information on them? Maybe they are sort of piled in a corner? Do this - get a Rolodex and record each of those phone numbers or pieces of information and file them alphabetically. Then every time you get another business card, or tiny piece of paper with information, put it in the Rolodex. You can do this in a spreadsheet too, or online if you subscribe to a service that lets you keep contact and other information in your account. Or in your hand held device. This is a hard thing to do and keep up with, but it's huge if you can accomplish it and stick with it. I will save you a great deal of clutter, and frustration.

What other stuff do you need to get rid of? Pens that don't work, literature that you are never going to use, magazines with articles you've been meaning to read (pull out the article and put it in a three ring binder), outdated memos (if you need to save them, put them in a binder too), empty soda cans and food containers, old bank statements (three ring binder or file). Look around and see what's there that is not needed anymore or that you need to save, but you don't need lying around on your desk. Binders are great ways to keep old paperwork organized, and you can label them.

For projects that you're working on, keep colored folders to put all pertinent information in. This way you won't end up having everything in one confusing pile that you have to sort through over and over. Every time you print something having to do with a certain project, or receive a memo or make a note about it, put it in the color-coded folder so you can reference it later without wasting time.

Your home office will help you function better if you control the clutter. Being able to put your hands on papers and files that you need, not having miscellaneous piles of unknown stuff everywhere, and having a neat workspace will increase your productivity.