Uncluttering the Clock - [website] Published: 23rd of Feb 2011 by: (c) Staff Training Reporter
One of the main reasons we lose time and focus during the day is because of cluttered workspaces and sloppy systems (like the multi-coloured frame of post-it notes around your computer screen) for keeping organised.
In a clear, organised environment workers are able to produce their best work because there’s nothing to distract their attention or slow them up.
Think of it as if your external surroundings were a reflection of the inside of your head.
When your thoughts are all cluttered, like the morning after a sleepless night, it becomes increasingly difficult to string a few sentences together and you’d probably be better off staying in bed for all the effort you’ll be able to muster that day.
The same can be said for an office with no order or apparent logic. We get held up trying to locate files and documents we’ve misplaced, find things inexplicably missing, become easily distracted and sometimes don’t even know what we’re meant to be working on!
And no, I’m not talking about Alzheimer’s – although you would be forgiven for thinking that if you’d begun reading this post from the middle – but something as simple as a cluttered office.
It stands to reason, then, that maintaining a spotless, organised workspace is in your own interest if you want to have a more productive day.
Decluttering could actually be the thing that enables you to reach the sales target you’ve been aiming for or meet the deadline you’ve been worrying about.
Here are a few ideas you can use to help make a cleaner workspace at home or at the office:
Every day when you are finished work, pack everything back into its designated place. Whether it’s a paperclip, stapler or cell phone charger it should have a place where it belongs. In this way every morning that you come into work the day starts off on the right note with nothing left to be done from the day before.
Organise your books by category – this saves you time when you need to reference one quickly and also neatens up your work environment. If there are any books you can no longer make use of, get rid of them! Never horde things just for the sake of it – it often gets out of hand before you even realise it.
Try to reduce the amount of paper you use. If you can make the note on a text document on the computer, all the better. Not only are you helping preserve the environment but you’re also lowering your company’s costs and eliminating all that unnecessary clutter.
Get rid of the Post-Its. To-do notes stuck all around your PC screen might have seemed like a good idea at the time, and admittedly the neon-coloured pages may make your computer look like it’s hit a little acid, but sticky-notes are often overlooked, fall down and get walked into the next department and generally are an unreliable way of organising yourself.
For more tips like these see our blog on how to have a more productive day called 10 Useful Time Saving Tips.
Another great time-saving article for in the home, office and on the computer is available here at Zenhabits – The Essential Time-Saving Guide for Busy People.
(c)Matt Wood
Staff Training
Real Solutions for Real People
Matt is employed by Staff Training, a soft skills training company dealing with these topics and issues on a daily basis. You are welcome to re-use and/or re-publish this article, but please ensure that this final acknowledgment paragraph and link accompanies it. Thank you! The Staff Training team. www.stafftraining.co.za
