When we think about workplace productivity, we often focus on finding the perfect app, planner, or organizing system. But one of the biggest productivity drains is something much simpler: the habit of keeping things “just in case.”
Every item we keep that no longer serves us creates a little more friction in our workday. It may only take an extra few seconds to sort through an outdated file, move a stack of papers, or search past old materials, but those seconds add up. More importantly, they interrupt your focus and make it harder to find what you need when you need it.
Here are ten of the biggest “just in case” clutter culprits:
- Old paperwork you think you might need someday.
- Instruction manuals for products you no longer own.
- Office supplies that no longer fit your current equipment. (do you really need that package of blank CDs?)
- Technology cables and chargers for devices long gone.
- Conference handouts you’ll “read someday” (you know you won’t…)
- Business cards from people you barely remember (or really have no idea at all who they are…)
- Marketing materials from completed projects (keep ONE copy)
- Old notebooks you’ll probably never revisit (will you even remember what’s in them?)
- Promotional freebies you don’t actually use (“free” isn’t really free – and they’re taking up space and getting in your way.)
- Broken or outdated equipment you’re convinced you’ll repair someday (or sell, or pass on, etc., etc.)
So why do we keep these things?
Our brains are wired to avoid regret. We imagine the one unlikely scenario where we’ll desperately need that old charger or file, and suddenly it feels too risky to let it go. We also tend to overvalue things simply because we own them, while convincing ourselves we’ll eventually get around to reading, fixing, or using them (check out the Endowment Effect.)
The irony is that we’re preparing for an imaginary future while creating friction in the present.
Every unnecessary item increases the time it takes to search, decide, clean, and organize. Visual clutter competes for your attention. Mental clutter drains your energy. Your workspace begins working against you instead of for you.
Instead of asking, “Could I ever need this?” try asking:
- How likely is it that I’ll need this?
- If I did need it, could I replace it or find it easily?
- Is keeping it creating more friction than letting it go?
Productivity isn’t about doing more. It’s about making it easier to do what matters most.
When you dial down the friction in your workspace, you make it easier to find what you need, easier to make decisions, and easier to focus on meaningful work instead of managing clutter.
The next time you’re tempted to keep something “just in case,” remember this: every item you choose to keep should earn its place. The less friction you create today, the more productive you’ll be tomorrow.
Want to Dial Down the Friction?
If your team is spending too much time searching, sorting, switching gears, and struggling to stay focused, it may not be a motivation problem—it may be a friction problem.
In my signature presentation, Dialing Down the Friction: A Smarter Way to Get the Right Stuff Done, I show audiences how to identify the hidden sources of friction that quietly steal time, energy, and attention every day. Participants leave with practical, immediately applicable strategies to simplify their work, reduce overwhelm, and create systems that make productivity feel easier, not harder.
Whether you’re planning a conference, leadership meeting, or professional development event, let’s talk about how Dialing Down the Friction can help your audience work smarter, reduce stress, and accomplish more with less effort.
