Praise for Small Office Mentors

"Our session with Elizabeth was indeed time well spent. Not only did she arm us with the tactics necessary to fight the daily time squeeze battles, she made us feel that we were once again in control of our own time – in AND out of the office.”

A Clean Desk – Is a Sign

By Elizabeth Verwey

An old joke is that a clean desk is a sign…of an empty mind! I used to laugh at that one. Now that I’ve helped other people clear their desktops, I know that they really can clear their minds – once they clean up more space to work!

An effective guide to follow is that if you use something daily, keep it on your desk. If you use it weekly, store it on nearby shelves. If you only use it monthly, store it out of sight. This can allow you to have the space to work on one project at a time – on a clear desk.

Plan a daily or weekly bit of time to clear up some messy build up. This is a worthwhile habit to develop. We can choose to clear up at the end of each day for fifteen minutes, or do it all in an hour at the end of the week. It takes 21 times to develop a new habit. It’s worth the effort. That would mean 21 days if you tried to develop the daily habit, or 21 weeks if you aim to develop the weekly clean up.

That’s half the battle, of course. You must also remember what projects you need to work on next. This can be tricky when things are out of sight. That’s when the old fashioned “to do” lists come into play. It does not matter if it is paper or electronic. What matters is that you record what you want to do – and when. The most effective “when” tool invented is the daily planner. Use it wisely.

Then, we need to find the files we are working on at this time. Establish an “active files” or “hot section” in the front part of the file drawer closest to your workstation. This is where you keep the files you want to reach quickly.

I encourage you to develop the habits you need to try working at a clean desk – even for a month. It helps you focus when there is one project at a time in front of you. Original ideas can bubble forth when there’s space for them. No visual distractions when you lose the jumble of papers and projects. Clarity allows space for inspiration. It worked for me.

Elizabeth Verwey of Small Office Mentors guides people to become more effective in their time and space management. Contact Elizabeth