How to Declutter Your Office
Spring is not quite in the air, though one of the flowering shrubs in front of my building is loaded with buds! This is the perfect time to start shedding layers of clothing as well as the clutter that has collected in your office during the past few months. Here are my thoughts concerning how to declutter your office. Remember this is a task that should be done periodically throughout the year.
It can be challenging to get started especially if the clutter has been piling up for more than a few months. This is when it’s important to take a step back. Create a simple plan of attack so that you don’t get overwhelmed and ditch this project. After you’ve identified the starting point (either desk or office), systematically go through the space to remove all the items for which you can make quick decisions. Once this pass is done, it will be easier to see the trees from the forest. It’s now time for a second pass which may take a little longer as the decisions may not be as fast. In any event, additional rounds may be needed. Be sure to take a look at the space after each pass so that you can see the results of your efforts.
This is the same approach that I shared with my client who owns a property management company which has been in business for decades. The office which was in desperate need of decluttering and re-organizing was chockful of stuff that needed to be discarded. Old desk chairs, bank statements from the ‘90’s, boxes overflowing with random items, printers and shredders that no longer worked, unwanted desk organizers and much more were taking up valuable space. Once my client and his team collected all the unwanted items, it was time to call in a junk removal company who hauled away almost of truckload of paperwork, furniture and assorted items. Now that this is done, I can work on re-organizing the files and supplies as well as create a plan for maximizing the floor space.
Don’t wait…schedule time for a decluttering pass or two in your workspace. It will also be important to focus on the common areas in your office should your staff will be returning in the next couple of months. If you have questions regarding how to declutter your office, let’s talk.