- Keep a trashcan within reach. And use it.
Get in the habit of never setting trash down on your desk. Keep it in your hand until it reaches the can.
- Ditch the things you rarely use.
Stapler, tape roll, pen cup with 15 highlighters… If you don’t use the item at least once a week, it belongs in a drawer. If you never use the item, it belongs in the supply closet so someone else can use it.
- Keep important items within reach.
Reach your hand out to the left, straight ahead, and to the right. This is what you can consider your desk’s prime real estate. Put the items that you use daily in this area, push items you use less frequently farther out of reach.
- Create a functioning inbox.
In the days of email and electronic memos, there is a lot less paperwork floating around. For the internal memos and incoming papers, make sure that you set up a system to keep up with important items so they don’t end up lost in the paper shuffle.
- Go digital.
Scan any paperwork that you are keeping to “refer back to it later.” You can organize digital paperwork much easier than actual paper, plus it takes up much less space.
- Clear your desk every afternoon before you leave.
You don’t have to create a hospital-grade sterile environment every day, but if you clear your desk and give it a quick wipe down, you will come to work with a fresh start, which feels great.
- Get some help with the dirty work.
Hiring a local Winnipeg cleaning service to clean your office on a regular basis can actually inspire you to keep your desk picked up. The cleaners can only thoroughly wipe down the areas of your desk that they can get to, so piles of paperwork and stacks of clutter means that dust will likely accumulate. Your allergies will thank you for clearing that clutter.
What tip do you use to keep your desk free from clutter? Leave us a comment!