By Jessica Hoelzel
When your desk and surface areas in your office are covered with clutter, you can experience:Lack of clear thinking
Difficulty focusing
Lack of creativity
Lack of productivity
Feelings of being scattered
Frustration and overwhelm
Some people say they thrive in a mess, but the fact is the energy of clutter is distracting and draining. Many different pieces of paper, notebooks, publications, binders and other materials all hold the energy of the information they hold and where they came from. They pull you in different directions according to what you are meant to do with them. Even if you are “ignoring” them, or “trying” to work around them, they are crying for your attention and weighing you down with their burden.
Spring is a great time to give yourself the gift of a fresh start. Dig into the clutter, sort it out and eliminate what you don’t need. Then, store what you do need in an efficient way. For example:
Set aside about three hours to start (it will probably take longer, depending on how much stuff there is to go through; papers typically take longer than you think – 100 papers can be condensed in just a short stack)
Gather a bag for recycling, a bag for shredding, a box for things to go elsewhere (that don’t belong in your office), and a box for storage
Sort through your papers and materials, putting them in one of the above receptacles, and in piles by category. Label the piles’ categories with brightly-colored sticky notes
Once you have eliminated what you don’t need, decide on a system for what you do (filing drawers or portable box, trays, decorative boxes)
Keep what you need most often the most accessible. Store records in bankers boxes outside the office, if you can
Shop a store with lots of organizing containers and ideas to fine tune your system over time (my favorites are www.containerstore.com and www.target.com)
Stick with it - clutter is not something you clear and are done with. Things are constantly accumulating. But, if we’re diligent on a day-to-day basis about keeping it functional, we can keep the energy positive and flowing.
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1 comment:
I just came across your blog and read this last post. I have to say yes, yes, yes to all you wrote about how paper clutter can do all those things to you. I finally got on top of my paper clutter a year ago and there is no turning back. I keep my desk clear and clean and if I do set something done that I should have filed right away, I pay for it. One of my 7 kids or hubby will add something else to the pile and in a day or two it's a mountain. No kiddin'. I have learned that I must not allow myself to set even one thing down that could be put in it's home. Otherwise, I've got a HOTSPOT.
I believe I am going to enjoy reading your blog. I need to be reminded and encouraged to keep up with the clutter and I will get that here, I am sure.
I am also interested more in Fung Shui but don't want to feel bogged down by getting the info from a blog that has been going for years and has too much info to digest. I like to start slow.
Have a good day.
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