Declutter your Office

The idea of living a simple, uncluttered life sounds very appealing. When we think about the amount of possessions we each have, it is daunting. These possessions are keeping us from living that simple and uncluttered life that sounds so relaxing and easy.

We find, especially in an office space, that too much “stuff” can distract you from your work. It’s possible that you could spend more time organizing your office than actually getting anything done in days’ time. However, getting rid of things can be hard. Whether they have sentimental value, they look nice, or had a specific purpose at one point, it’s likely that a lot of the possessions in your office can probably go. By getting rid of these things, you can be more productive, feel better in your work space, and feel more comfortable bringing clients and colleagues in to meet with you. For these reasons, we’re sharing a few ways to help you declutter your office.

1. Get rid of one item a day: If you get rid of or give away one item a day, every day, this should amount quickly. It’s easier to get rid of things by doing it slowly, as your mind will not see it as a major clean out.
2. Create a list of areas: If tackling your entire office seems overwhelming, choose one area to focus on at a time. Pick one drawer, clean it out, and then stop. Keep doing this until you’ve checked off all of the disorganized spots in your office.
3. Question: Stop and think about your possessions as you move through them. Ask yourself: would I buy this again today? If you can’t answer yes to this question, it’s time to get rid of it.
4. Set a time limit: Set a timer on your phone or computer for a short period of time, say 5 minutes. Organize and get rid of things for this entire 5 minutes. Then, be done. This way, your decluttering won’t eat up all of your day. Feel free to do this every day or every week until you get to a point where you feel that you have nothing more to get rid of.
5. Test it: this may seem like an obvious one, but if the possession you are considering no longer works, and you don’t feel like fixing it- get rid of it.
6. Remember the last time you used it: If you can’t remember the last time you used something, it’s likely that you don’t use it frequently enough to validate having it.
7. Free flat surfaces: Junk incites junk. We often dump our belongings on the flat surface closest to the door, and continue to do so throughout the day. Before we know it, it’s a mess. Make an effort to clear off flat surfaces. You can put things in bins or drawers, but getting them off of these surfaces will make a dramatic difference in how cluttered your space looks.
8. Create designated spots: Especially in our offices, we generally have a lot of papers. Create a filing or organization system to put these documents in right away. You can label them “to-do” or “FYI”, etc. so they always have a home.Good luck with your decluttering!