3 Strategies for Efficiently Decluttering Your Office
Spring cleaning is not just for your home – it’s also for your office! Spring brings with it a sense of renewal and a need to refresh the space around you. This makes it the perfect time to review your company’s procedures and to tackle your office clutter. Whether you work from home, have a small cubicle, or corner office, these office organizing strategies will work for you. Try this NYC Professional Office Organizer’s strategies and you’ll get high marks on the office spring cleaning test.
Strategy #1: Start small. Looking at your entire workspace may create a sense of despair as you don’t know where to start. Think small…one task that can be done in 15 minutes or less. Pick a starting point – either the easiest or the most bothersome spot. This might be your middle desk drawer or multiple pen holders on your desk. Once you have successfully tackled this first small area, recognize your accomplishment and enjoy the feeling of satisfaction that will ensue. Schedule additional time in small chunks to continue decluttering your space. You progress will be evident which will motivate you to move through the remaining areas of your office.
Strategy #2: Overhaul your systems. While the piles on your desk or clutter on the top of your file cabinet are obvious targets for spring cleaning, give thought to the systems that are no longer working effectively. Some of the physical clutter that has piled up may be the result of a policy that is no longer tailored to your company’s current needs. For example, the volume of documents that need to be shredded no longer fit in the one container designated for them. Another area to focus on is your company’s file server. This is a good time to make sure that everyone is following the same document naming and filing protocols.
Strategy #3: Try the 1-2 decluttering approach. Start by systematically going through your space and getting rid of all those items for which you can make decisions in seconds. This phase of the 1-2 punch can be completed very quickly. After you’ve cleared this first round of stuff, it’s time to take a second pass at your workspace. Ask yourself when you last used a specific item. If you can’t remember, it’s time to let it go. There should be very few items that still need to be addressed once this pass is completed. For those remaining stragglers, be critical of what you keep and only hold onto materials that will improve your productivity.
As you start the spring cleaning process, keep these organizing tips in mind. You’ll immediately boost your productivity and feel better in your space once you have “cleaned” your office! For more tips and hands on strategies, reach out to this NYC Professional Office Organizer.