Take 10 Minutes to Clear Off Your Desk
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Take 10 minutes to clear off your desk. That’s it.
This simple action, on a daily basis, can have a profound impact on both your productivity and your mental clarity and focus.
Let’s be honest.
Simple doesn’t always mean easy.
There are two parts to creating better systems. The first step is to create the system. The second step is to maintain the system. When creating a system, the goal is not to create a perfect system, but just a system that works for now. We expect systems to change and grow with us and we will not know what is working and what is not working until we put the system into action.
The first step is two-parts:
Part 1: You need to have an organized workspace, where everything has a home.
This includes offices, home offices, and "office areas" that may be located in a shared space in the house, such as the kitchen or living room.
Common categories that need homes:
Supplies: pens, pencils, pencil sharpener, scissors, tape, stapler, box cutter, file folders, post-it notes, printing paper, chargers, printer, scanner, shredder, etc.
Incoming Mail
Incoming Paperwork
Incoming School Documents, Forms & Permission Slips
Paperwork that needs Action
File System for both Active Files and Reference Files
Getting organized can be a daunting task. Below are some options if you feel overwhelmed doing it yourself.
Ask if any friends are also trying to get organized. If you find a friend who is, ask if they want to do it together. Schedule a call where you will both organize for a set amount of time, such as 45 minutes. If you have not finished when the time is up, schedule your next call.
There is a great accountability website called FocusMate. Schedule a session on FocusMate to organize your office. If you are not finished in one session, make sure to schedule your next session before signing off. If it's on the calendar, it's much more likely to happen.
Invite a friend over who is naturally organized to support you.
Hire a Professional Organizer. While I know this is an investment, it will speed the process along and may lead to a more functional system. Once the system is in place, you will have a much easier time maintaining it.
Part 2: You need to have systems set up to manage all the information in your life.
Common System Categories
Email
Calendar - Date and Time Specific Tasks
Lists - Lists should be broken down into categories that help you know where and when to take action. Sample lists include:
Projects
Next Actions - May be broken down by location such as At Computer, On Phone, or Uninterrupted Time.
Agendas - Titled with the name of a person or organization
Shopping - This should include all items that need to be purchased, including online and in-person.
Big Picture - This may include Monthly, Quarterly, and Annual Goals, as well as what you want to prioritize by category.
Notes - Where you capture information that you want to be able to reference at a later date.
I recognize that setting up these systems can be overwhelming. If you are doing this on your own, I recommend working on one system at a time. You can also hire a Productivity Coach to help you create and implement your systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Okay, you are a systems pro. Now what?
Let's get started on creating the new habit of clearing off your desk at the end of your workday.
Set an alarm on your phone as a reminder.
Label the alarm with a call to action, such as "Clear Off Desk."
You can set up this alarm so that it will go off on all workdays.
On an iPhone, if you hit the snooze button, there will be 9 minutes until the alarm goes off again. Since this is at the end of your workday, set the alarm for about 10 minutes before you want to get started. This will allow you to snooze it once and finish up anything you are in the middle of.
Give yourself a little slack. If you have a hard stop to your workday at 5:00 pm, plan to clear off your desk at 4:40 pm. It's inevitable that something will pop up.
Handle each item on your desk one at a time. Don't worry about what you handle first - just pick something.
Common items that need to be cleared:
Hand-Written Notes
These need to be added to the appropriate system, based on what the note says.
Papers that need action
This needs to go into the physical "home" you created for it.
This may also need to be added to one of your systems, such as your calendar and/or a list.
Papers that need to be filed
File it!
Items that belong in other spaces
If the item belongs in another space within your home or office, put it away now.
If the item needs to be dropped off somewhere, put it by the front to bring to the car with you. Then add to your calendar when and where you are going to drop it off. You may also want to set a phone alarm to remember.
If you need someone else to pick it up, text or email them now to see when they are available. Then add this to a list, such as "Waiting For". It may make sense to have a designated space (basket, bin, bag, shelf) close to the front door, that is for "transition items". This would create a home for items that are leaving but have not left yet.
Books / Magazines
If you are done reading them, put them away.
If you are in the process of reading them or referencing them, you need to create a home for this specific purpose.
Make sure to close the loop. The goal is to clear your space and start fresh in the morning. Not just make neat piles.
As you are clearing each item, if the task related to the item takes 2 minutes or less, do it now.
If you fall behind, it may make sense to spend a bit longer and get caught up. Then you can start fresh.
PRO TIP: If you struggle with the Sunday Blues, this is one action that you can take that will help. Knowing that you are starting fresh on Monday, will help you feel in control and on top of things.
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
To manage incoming mail: Open all mail as soon as it comes in. Recycle or shred all envelopes, junk mail, and catalogs. Put mail that needs to be reviewed into a physical inbox. Have a regular time each week on your calendar to review the mail and take action.
Additional Resource
I highly recommend that you check out FocusMate (focusmate.com). It's a simple and inexpensive way to add accountability to your life.
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.