January – Clean Off Your Desk

Have you ever wondered what is all that stuff piled on your desktop? Are you suffering from the PHD syndrome – piled high and deep?

If your New Year’s resolution is to get organized, then start by tackling that messy desktop during  National Clean Off Your Desk Day! Yup… there is a special day devoted to desktop clearing. This day was originated by Anne Chase Moeller, the daughter of Mr. Chase of the Chase’s Annual Events—the very book where special events are listed.  Anne often helped in her father’s office where she had to work at his incredibly cluttered desk. In order to create a place where she could function, she would spread a cloth over his chaos and then do her work. When she finished, she would put her things away, including the cloth and leave.

The end of 1982 she declared that he would clean off his desk at least once each year. Naturally, being in the business, they entered National Clean Off Your Desk Day into the record book for the second Monday in January, and the rest is history.  The record book has since been sold to a larger publisher, but the event is still celebrated each year.  It is a great time to get a fresh start for the new year.

Desktop management is critically important to your well-being – physically, mentally and psychologically. It is extremely difficult to concentrate on a particular task when bombarded with myriad piles of paper. The only papers that should be on your desk are the ones you are referring to at that particular moment. The only miscellaneous objects should be ones you use all the time, except for a few special mementos and a living plant.

Against popular belief, a messy desk (and a messy office) is not a sign of a creative mind. A cluttered desk often leads to a cluttered mind and clutter interferes with efficiency. Clutter slows productivity. It is simply the by-product of indecision. Consider the desktop and immediate area as prime real estate. It is neither a storage depot nor a junk table.  Stacks of papers do not create the busy look. It is unprofessional; your credibility is at stake whenever a visitor enters your office, even if you and your staff are the only visitors. Subconsciously, you are affected by your surroundings. Clutter creates lost information, missed opportunities, tasks undone and decisions unmade.

The key to paper management, and ultimately organization, is processing—a decision-making procedure. Use a layout area or dedicated file cabinet for current projects. You will find that your desktop remains clear, yet your papers are within easy reach. At the end of the day, take 15 minutes to clean up and put projects-in-process in a filing system. Jot down a few notes in your day planner that will help you get a good start on tomorrow’s tasks. Systematically purge to keep control over the filing system.

Desktop management does not need to be complicated. Remember that 80% of what you find during the processing of clearing your desk is too old to deal with, expired data, illegible due to food stains or just not as important as you thought several months ago. So let’s begin. Roll up your sleeves and put on some inspiring music. This is a journey and it is up to you where your are going and how far you travel. The long-term goal is “a place for everything and everything in its place.”

Are you interested in learning the steps to clear off your desk and increase productivity? Check out the Desktop Management TipSheet. It is a small price to pay for increased control over your environment.

Your possessions and paperwork reflect everything you have ever been or hoped to become. There is a strong attachment to those things that symbolize your personal vision. The clue that the “stuff” is out of control is when you begin to experience more grief than joy. It takes 21 consecutive days to develop a habit. You are the one in control. Don’t let paper influx from the information highway take over the desk top again. This is your space to work.

Clutter hides the treasures that actually bring forth delight and inspiration. There is a direct correlation between the environment and well being.  All our senses are alert to what is around us. We breathe, feel, smell, see and react to our environment through psychological and biological responses. Experts strongly suggest that we take a close look at what the environment is communicating. We can produce harmony and comfort within our home and office, which ultimately will be reflected in the work we perform. All it takes is a concerted effort, a commitment and a willingness to change.

If your goal is to simplify your life, discover peace and comfort in your surroundings, and create positive energy, it is wise to do everything in your power to create a personal paradise. Your health, prosperity and happiness are dependent upon a true balance within your life.  In order to manifest your goals, hopes and dreams for the future, you need to make changes today.

Need help?

• Check out Desktop Management TipSheet
• Call Judith Ann at 860-747-8962
• Send an email – click here.