This article by Sherry Borsheim of Simply Productive, and a Paper Tiger Expert, is a great step by step approach to getting your desk cleared of clutter to ensure a more productive environment. Sherry always recommends Paper Tiger Filing System software for document management to help you find your paper files and other items again after finding a home for them.
It’s that time of year when we begin to move more outdoors, taking in the crisp fresh air and feeling a sense of renewal. Getting your office and home organized helps to bring that wonderful fresh feeling back into your life. It’s also the perfect time to access where you are with the commitments you made to yourself in January. Did you set out to be more active this year, be on-time for meetings and ahead of deadlines, or maybe you set out to be better organized? Take a close look around your office and honestly ask yourself these 3 questions:
1. “Where are the piles accumulating?”
2. “What items don’t have a home?”
3. “Is your Inbox on your computer overflowing with 100’s or 1000’s of emails?”
Your answers to these questions will give you a clue to where you are to begin your spring cleaning project. Most people only use 20 per cent of what they have 80 per cent of the time. So, let’s get moving and clear command central!
Day 1: Start with the Visible Piles First
To clear command central and to see dramatic visible results immediately, start with the top of your desk first. Most people will start with hidden piles in boxes or items in a drawer and after 2 hours they feel like they have not accomplished anything. Grab a couple of boxes and then take every single piece of paper off your desk and put it into box number one. Use the second box for other desk items, such as pens, CDs, paper clips and whatever else you have on your desk. Now pick up the first piece of paper and use the F.A.S.T. Principle ™ – File it, Act on it, Schedule it, Toss it. Handle each piece of paper in less than 60 seconds. Get rid of any nick-knacks that clutter up your desk.
Action Tip: Play your favorite music and set a timer for 1-2 hours.
Day 2: Always Work in One Area at a Time
When you walked into your office today, how did it feel to have a clear desk? Let’s continue the process by tackling the piles on the floor. Once again, use the F.A.S.T. Principle ™ – File it, Act on it, Schedule it, Toss it. Handle each file or piece of paper in less than 60 seconds. There’s no time for evaluating here. The object of the game is to get this done as fast as possible. Getting organized is a clarifying, cleansing way of connecting to what’s really important to you. You should enjoy the process and reward yourself along the way.
Action Tip: Beware of the cost of clutter – it costs time, money, and space to take care of things you don’t use. Play your favorite music and set a timer for 1-2 hours.
Day 3: Create Zones in Your Office
Think of your work area as different activity zones. Consider how you move things across your desk, what items you use most frequently, and what relationship materials have with different desk activities. Command central zones would be:
1. An In Tray for incoming mail;
2. An Out Tray for outgoing mail
3. To File Tray for papers to be filed
4. Project file zone
5. Reference file zone
6. Resources area
Action Tip: Group like activities together and label for quick and easy access.
Day 4: Conquer the Email Traffic Jam
Incoming email, not managed properly, can become a significant drain on productivity. The more email piles up, the less useful it is to the user & company. An empty Inbox is a delight to look at! It reminds users they are fully caught up. The purpose of an Inbox is a temporary resting ground for information and actions temporarily before they are read. Apply the F.A.S.T. Principle ™ from day one.
Action Tip: My definition of clutter is “Anything you HAVE or DO that does not enhance your life on a regular basis.
Day 5: Organizing is a Process Not a Destination
Congratulate yourself for taking action this week and clearing off your desk! Remember, organizing is a continual process of re-evaluating what your goals are, what activities you enjoy, what you don’t enjoy. Continually ask yourself these questions:
1. “Does it work?”
2. “Do I like it?”
3. “Does it work for others?”
Action Tips: Be willing to adjust your systems as your professional and personal life evolves. In order to clear command central, you start with the visible items first. Also, work in one area at a time and create activity zones in your office to increase efficiency and effectiveness. Don’t worry about mistakes and just keep learning!
About the Author
Sherry Borsheim, owner of Simply Productive, has been helping people to work smarter, not harder for years. She specializes in resolving paper, time and information management issues. To learn more about eliminating the paper pile-up and in vastly improving your productively, contact Simply Productive at 604-233-7076.
You can visit Sherry, access her free article archive and grab lots of free stuff at http://www.simplyproductive.com. Sherry lives in Vancouver, BC Canada with her husband (her high-school sweetheart).
Also check out Sherry’s Calm Your Choas special that will give you a JUMP-START on ORGANIZING your office, home and life. She will give you her trade secrets and steps to setting up your organizing systems, including recommending Paper Tiger filing system software for document management, to be organized and manage the paper files that you need to keep in hard copy format and other physical stuff in your life.
Published with permission.
Tags: document management software, Organize, paper filing systems, Paper Tiger "finding" filing system, Productivity, spring cleaning
