This article by Meggin McIntosh, “The Ph.D. of Productivity”™ and Paper Tiger Expert, is a great start to getting your workspace organized. Meggin also recommends Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management, and you’ve got a great plan to get everything in your life organized — it’s not just for filing paper.
I agree with the premise behind Marilyn Paul’s book title: “It’s Hard to Make a Difference When You Can’t Find Your Keys.” Your workspace (whether it’s an office, a classroom, in a school, at a university, in your home, or anywhere else) is a place where you begin and conduct some of the work that allows you to make a difference. If your workspace is filled with clutter, you are not as free to think, create, and generate ideas that will have the biggest impact.
If your office and/or classroom have become cluttered, you can use the “Method of 9,” which is 8 Containers and a List, to rid yourself of this clutter. Implementing this method of clearing the clutter gives you a way to
* Stay on task;
* Make the decisions you need to make; and
* Restore order in your workspace;
…all with the purpose of letting you
* Create an area of peaceful, predictable productivity.
To get started with the Method of 9, here’s what you need:
1. A container labeled: Trash
2. A container labeled: Belongs Elsewhere
3. A container labeled: Recycling
4. A container labeled: But I Might…
5. A container labeled: Hazardous Waste
6. A container labeled: Shred
7. A container labeled: Give Away
8. A container labeled: Keep
9. A pad of paper for your List
Get these containers labeled and get started on your cleaning & clearing activity. Figure out where you need to declutter, pick up each item that is detritus, and put it in one of the already-labeled container (or make a note about it on ‘the list.’) You’re on your way!
Don’t be discouraged; be energized because you’re making progress. Remember, it took time (and no effort) for your space to become cluttered and it will take time (and some effort) for you to clear the clutter.
© 2009 Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., The Ph.D. of Productivity(tm). Through her company, Emphasis on Excellence, Inc., Meggin McIntosh supports smart people who want to be more productive so that they can consistently keep their emphasis on excellence. Sound interesting? It is!
**Keys to Keeping Chaos at Bay
Tags: Clutter, Declutter, Organize, Productivity, Trash
