A cluttered workspace – whether at home or at work – can be a major productivity killer. If your desk is constantly messy or your filing system is a disaster, you might be unknowingly holding yourself back. Sometimes old habits that we may not even realize we have are getting in our way. If any of these five habits sound familiar, it’s probably time to do things differently!
1. Filing Documents Under “Miscellaneous”
Throwing documents into a “miscellaneous” folder, either paper or digital, might seem convenient, but it quickly turns into a black hole of lost papers and documents. Instead, create clear, specific categories that make sense for your workflow. Think “big bucket” folders which can be subdivided if necessary. For work: HR, Finance & Accounting, Projects, Sales & Marketing, etc. For personal: Finances, Medical, Insurance, Home, etc. If you’re struggling to come up with a name for your file, think about the first word that comes to your head when you will be looking for that information. That’s probably the best place – perhaps with some refinement – to store that document.
2. Ignoring Incoming Mail and Paperwork
Piling up unopened mail or delaying decisions on incoming documents only leads to chaos. Set aside a few minutes daily to sort, file, or discard new paperwork immediately to prevent clutter from building up. Particularly for a home office space, have a shredder handy to quickly get rid of those unwanted credit card offers and anything else that might have financial or medical information that could lead to identity theft!
3. Using Paperwork as a To-Do List
Stacking papers as a reminder to complete tasks may seem logical, especially if you depend on the visual cue that paperwork creates to remind you to take the required action. However, when you begin piling papers on top of papers, you lose that visual reminder. Not only does it create visual overload, but it can lead to lost or forgotten documents, and consequently, delayed or forgotten action! Instead, use a task manager, planner, or digital reminders to track important actions.
4. Overloading Your Desk Drawers with Supplies
A desk drawer crammed with extra pens, sticky notes, and office supplies only adds to the mess. Your workspace should only contain what you use on a daily basis – laptop/desktop computer, phone, a few sticky notes and pens, or whatever you reach for often. Everything else – extra boxes of paper clips, notes, pens, copier paper, etc., should live in a separate supply area like a closet or shelving.
5. Hoarding Old Cables and Outdated Tech Accessories
Keeping a tangled mess of old chargers, cables, and obsolete gadgets “just in case” takes up valuable space. When a tech item is replaced with something new (phone, tablet, etc.), let go of all the old accessories that came with the old item. Regularly review your digital accessories and discard anything that’s outdated or no longer needed.
Breaking these bad habits will help you create a more efficient and stress-free workspace. Clawing through the clutter every day just slows you down and interferes with your focus on more important things. By developing better organizational practices, you’ll boost productivity and enjoy a cleaner, more focused work environment!
