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It’s About Time Ruth Wong |
Take the time
to un-clutter
that deskSomeone recently asked me if I had any suggestions for him because he has trouble focusing on his work. He said it was difficult for him to focus on one task, let alone decide what to do next.
I gave the usual advice about taking some time each morning to review the day's work and write down his top priorities in order of importance, then make a plan to get them done.
But then I looked at his desk! It was cluttered and piled high with at least 3 inches of papers and stuff! He had been trying to work on top of that mess!
No wonder he couldn't focus. No wonder he couldn't figure out what to do next. With paperwork all in a jumble, how could he know what was there?
The solution? Take the time, make the time to un-clutter and sort the items on your desktop.
Professional organizer Barbara Hemphill has observed that on a typical messy desk, 40 percent of what's there simply needs to be filed or put away, another 40 percent can be tossed, leaving only 20 percent that actually needs action.
Can you imagine the mental clarity and space you will gain when 80 percent of what's on your desk is removed?
It's OK to keep today's work on your desk, usually on the left side, as most people work from left to right. But the other items need to be placed somewhere else.
Those things you're finished with should be put away.
Reference materials can be close at hand but off your desktop.
Future work can be filed in a tickler file by date, action or subject.
Tomorrow's work can be placed in a holding area, preferably off your desk on a credenza or adjacent surface.
If there is no adjacent surface, placing future work off to the side or rear of your desk may work.
Sure, un-cluttering and organizing may take an hour or so, but with the mental clarity and space you'll gain, you will get your work done faster and easier with less stress.
It's about time to un-clutter your workspace. It's time well spent!
If your desk isn't a mess, pick another area that is, such as the bathroom or kitchen counter, your purse, or car trunk. The 40/40/20 percent ratio may prove true there, too!
See you in two weeks!
Need more help?
Ruth Wong will be teaching the following classes at the University of Hawaii at Manoa:For the time-challenged: "How to Manage Time and Get Things Done" (PO7328), Sept. 20.
For the desk-challenged: "Organize Your Workspace for Greater Productivity" (PO6329), Oct. 4.
For packrats and procrastinators: "Overcoming Roadblocks to Getting Things Done" (PO6330), Oct. 4.
Cost: $45 per class; register for all three (P096331) for $120.
Call: 956-8400.
"It's About Time," by Ruth Wong, owner of Organization Plus, runs the fourth Friday of each month. Contact her at "It's About Time," care of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813; or e-mail features@starbulletin.com
