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Organization is a powerful weapon against stress on the job, and it begins with your desk. A survey of managers by the office label-making company, DYMO, found that more than half of employers equate an employee's organizational skills with job performance. A messy desk is a bottom-line factor for employers. According to the same study, it is estimated that every misplaced piece of paperwork costs a company $120, as reported by USA Today.
Applying smart organizational skills to de-cluttering your office can take only a few minutes a day, and reap long-term rewards. Here are ten ways to get rid of office clutter.
1. Assess your space. Do you have a closet or bookcase that can be used to store non-priority files, extra office supplies and background reports? Do you have space outside your office to store materials you do not need today or this week?
2. Take immediate action. Each day, resolve to remove one unnecessary item.
3. End your week with a ten-minute purge. For ten minutes before the end of your workweek, spend five minutes purging excess paperwork or old files. This will prevent clutter clusters impossible to clear out on a daily basis without high stress or too much time.
4. Organize and systemize. Organize paperwork, reports and other documents into files that are filed by a system of priorities. Place your top priority files at the front, and move them to the back when they are completed. Immediately file incoming materials into your organized files, or place at the center of your desk if they are identified as immediate priorities.
5. Remove personal clutter. Minimize or entirely remove your stock of personal photos and mementos.
6. De-clutter your computer. Organize your desktop files into computer file folders easily marked to help you move desktop files into those folders at the end of each workday.
7. Clear floor space. This will create a perception of more space, while also removing obstacles you, your employers or staff, or important guests from tripping over.
8. Don't become a dumping ground. If you are participating in a joint project, appoint a team member to become the central filing and paperwork resource. If a co-worker wants to leave a stack of papers for you to review, offer instead to visit your co-worker's office to review them there. This also presents an opportunity to take a break away from your office.
9. Learn from others. Visit other de-cluttered offices to pick up tips on how to best de-clutter your workspace. Notice how they use desk and floor space efficiently.
10. Keep it clean! Wipe down or dust shelves and desktops. Keep your computer clean using cleaning products especially designed for computer stations, keyboards and other technology products. Empty trash bins daily. Do not keep food items in your office that will create unpleasant smells. By using these organizational tips, you will see a boost in your job productivity.
Ruth Klein, America's De-Stress Diva™, is owner of the award-winning firm The Marketing/Time Source. With a master's degree in clinical psychology, Klein, is the author of the best-selling Time Management Secrets for Working Women and five other books on business and lifestyle topics. Sign up to receive Ruth's 7 Part Mini-Course on Branding and Productivity. http://tinyurl.com/25tqo5
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