Has your polished mahogany (or modular plastic) desk been buried for so long that you can't remember what your desk is made out of? If so, use these tips to clear yourself some space to work in, and stay on top of your most urgent action items.
Get it VERTICAL!
If you take a piece of paper and put it somewhere flat, it takes up almost a square foot of space. The instant that you put anything on top of it, you're halfway to compost.
When you sort your paper into a vertical sorter, you can fit more than two reams of paper into that same square foot of physical space that just one piece of paper occupies!
Try an escalating wire-sorter, which makes a visual to-do list out of multiple files. It "climbs" so the top of each file sticks up above the one in front of it and makes them all easily visible. Use several sorters to improve fingertip access to your information: People, Projects and Meetings. Does it really belong on your desk? The only things that are on top of my desk: computer monitor, desk caddy, phone and message book, and the stapler. Strive for nothing else on your desktop unless you're working on it that day.
Making Room on Your Desk
Ditch those coffee cups of pens/pencils and use one desk caddy, which spins around for easy access. If you took all the basic tools that fit in the desk caddy and spread them on your desk it takes up two square feet. The desk caddy footprint only uses eight inches squared.
If you like spreading out big projects, you can pick up the desk caddy, take it into another room, spread out your materials, and you've got an instant "office".
Desk Drawers Equal Action Drawers
Get an in-drawer tray organizer for your desk tools instead of a desk caddy. When you sit down at your desk, just leave the top 'bureau' drawer open so your tray is available while you're working.
In the second "bureau" drawer, keep a calculator, a tray for expenses, business cards, or stamps; all the things you use frequently.
My Action Drawer Categories: Business, Finances, Clients, Networks, Product, and Personal. Your categories are for the files that you're into on a daily basis.
Keeping Your Desk Clear
1. Don't let it land on your desk unless it's an action item. Keep an inbox for mail and a 'to be filed' sorter away from your desktop.
2. Keep your Action files vertical and labeled, so you can see what you need to do today.
3. When you finish with any piece of paper, move it out of your Action Zone. Put it into your file sorter, or recycle it.
4. Check out the cost-effective Home and Small Business File Kits that I use in my own business, which makes it easy for me to guarantee your satisfaction. www.organize.com
Enjoy getting control over your desk again!
If you like, sign up for more time-saving tips at http:///www.organize.com
10 Easy Tips for Digging Out Your Desk Today
by Eve Abbott, the Organizer Extraordinaire
Excerpts from her new book, "How to Do Space Age Work with a Stone Age Brain"TM
Copyright, Eve Abbott All Rights Reserved.
Eve Abbott's newest book is available online at http://www.organize.com. Remember to sign up for more of the Organizer Extraordinaire's time-saving tips. Enjoy free brain quizzes to help you work at your personal best!
We hear it every day."Buy this product, and simplify your... Read More
Chances are, most of you have a lot you need... Read More
I'm sure most of you have heard of Zig Ziglar... Read More
Decide When And Where To StartDecide when and where to... Read More
Parenting is always a challenge, but particularly so if your... Read More
Spring?. Fresh breezes through open windows, sleeping trees come awake... Read More
What do your storage spaces look like? Do you know... Read More
1) It's easy to have a good clear out: Not... Read More
Nature loves clutter. Just think of all the stuff that... Read More
What's in a Name?Everything.What do you do with all the... Read More
Obviously, productivity involves producing. Producing widgets, events, reports, sales. The... Read More
There are 3 kinds of clutter: Inner (between our ears);... Read More
Some people would say I'm the last person in the... Read More
(This is the third in a series of three articles... Read More
A daily journal will save you time, reduce stress and... Read More
It is 5:00 pm and Cindy has no idea what... Read More
Cleaning out can seem overwhelming -- especially if it's been... Read More
My mother is one of the most productive people I... Read More
I know I have a problem when I have to... Read More
The true definition of an organization is one that is... Read More
"Junkyard Wars," a TV series showed two teams of experts... Read More
It happens without warning. One day you notice your home... Read More
Are you overwhelmed by clutter wherever you turn? Here are... Read More
Do you feel like you are running around in circles,... Read More
'A well-ordered life is like climbing a tower; the view... Read More
Whatever your clutter problem the answer is the same: make... Read More
It happens without warning. One day you notice your home... Read More
In many of the companies I have worked in, there... Read More
In part 1, we discussed a system you could use... Read More
To make room for new things to come into you... Read More
One of the hardest things for most individuals working from... Read More
Do you use to-do lists? Do you find it satisfying... Read More
1) It's easy to have a good clear out: Not... Read More
For some reason, Americans think they have something to prove... Read More
Ever wonder how they do it? How a short-order cook... Read More
Individuals who are organized in their personal lives most generally... Read More
De-Cluttering our lives can be an extremely liberating exercise. There... Read More
It may be difficult to relate saving money with organization... Read More
Color-There Is No SubstituteIn anatomical illustrations you see the brain's... Read More
We hear it every day."Buy this product, and simplify your... Read More
The following procedures will insure an organized and well run... Read More
What does "time" have to do with getting organized? Everything!... Read More
Working for one of the top Marketers online (David Ledoux)... Read More
1. In terms of organization, what is the first thing... Read More
How many of us have enough time to do everything... Read More
I have a good friend whom (also being in the... Read More
Hasn't time flown? Already we're into the last quarter of... Read More
How to do keep track of all you have to... Read More
Technology has given us the tools to reduce routine tasking,... Read More
The National Association of Professional Organizers has dedicated January to... Read More
Get Organized - Organization Get Organized - Organization |