Don’t let the excuse “spring cleaning has passed” to allow your desk and office space to clutter. Cluttered work space can lead to unprofessional work situations such as lost time, missed deadlines and tardiness. Even more interesting, a tidy work area improves productivity. Here are some tips to keep your work space in tip-top shape:
1. Block out cleaning time. Schedule time, and I mean put it on the calendar, to reorganize and erase the clutter. Play beat the clock and put as much away as you can in a short amount of time.
2. Remove personal items such as food containers, knickknacks, magazines, books and electronic devices, that are not work-related.
3. If it is broken, throw it away. If you know something is junk, toss it. If it doesn’t work, it is junk!
4. Return things that aren’t yours. It’s easy to let staplers and folders from across the office call your desk home. But remember, all of these things are taking up valuable space that you need on your desk.
5. Don’t keep a paper unless you actually need it. Remember the Internet! If you can easily find information online, you don’t need to keep a hard copy. There’s no point in saving a piece of paper you know is trash.
6. Wipe away dust. Clean and wipe away dust and crumbs with a simple multi-surface cleaner and paper towels.
7. Do a five-minute “evening tidy-up.” Don’t tackle anything ambitious, but just stack up folders, put your pens away, shove the chairs into place, etc. Just a few minutes of tidying can make your space look a lot better, and it’s a calming thing to walk into in the morning.