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The days are getting longer, the weather is getting warmer, and your workspace seems to be filled with clutter dating back to early Fall. All sure signs your workspace might be due for a good Spring cleaning. It doesn’t matter if you work from home or in the office, keeping an organized workspace is very important in order to work efficiently. It’s not always easy to pay attention to cleaning and organization when you’re worried about important deadlines, which is why your work area can quickly pile up with a mountain of useless junk. Along with the obvious benefit of having a more organized physical space, a more organized work environment can help your mental focus, too. Mental clutter can pile up when you have too much going on, and a dysfunctional space will only add to the stress. When working in a disorganized area, it is normal to feel as if you’re on information overload or that you can’t focus on priorities.
Consider these 7 tips for a cleaner start to the new season and a more efficient and productive you!
File That Paperwork
Paperwork can get out of control when you are in a hurry. Spend some time going through your paperwork. File important papers away and be sure to shred any personal documents that are no longer needed. Use a filing system for all loose paperwork and keep folders for any paperwork that you’re working on at the current time. Deal with any new paper that comes in right away, instead of leaving them on your desk for later, so it does not get out of hand.
Clean All Surfaces
Now that you can actually see your desktop, it is the perfect time to take advantage of this opportunity to clean the surfaces underneath your old mess with your favorite cleaner. Also, don’t forget to clean all your desk items such as staplers, pens, pencils, tape dispensers, boxes of paperclips…you get the idea.
Digitize Your Business Contacts
Get a list going of all your business contacts somewhere on your computer, such as your address book in your email or a folder on your computer’s desktop. Keep track of their business name, phone number, mailing address, email address(es), web address, and photos. No need to toss out their business cards that may be piling up on your desk, but file them where you can access them quickly if needed. A well-designed business card will have all their contact information readily available.
Clear the Digital Clutter
Your physical workspace isn’t the only thing that needs cleaning. Your computer’s hard drive can get just as cluttered as your work desk. Take time to go through your e-mail inbox and delete emails you know you won’t need or at least file them away. Clean up your computer desktop and delete old files or back them up to an external drive. You obviously never want to lose important work, so take some time to back up your files on a regular basis.
Organize Supplies
Your work supplies should be gathered in one section of your desk. Keep them in that area or a dedicated drawer. You might be getting tired of seeing them scattered around your desk all the time anyway.
Don’t Stop at Cleaning Your Desk
Areas around the room usually need to be cleaned. Sweep or vacuum the room around your desk. Do your windows and baseboards need washing? These areas get overlooked often, which is why they’re likely due for a cleaning. Besides, don’t you want a nice clear view outside when the weather gets nicer?
Clean Regularly
If the whole process of spring cleaning this time around took a while or was somewhat of a burden, it might mean that you let things get out of control this past year. Do a periodic cleaning of your workspace to prevent that from happening again. Once you have an organizational system in place, you can spend less than an hour per month keeping everything organized and clean.
This may seem like quite a list but give yourself a week to get through it all and experience the benefits organization can have on productivity, morale, focus, and workplace happiness. You’ll thank yourself later when you’re able to find everything you need quickly and efficiently. I’ve always believed a stress-free worker is a productive worker.
Happy cleaning!
