How does it happen? I moved into a condo…setup my office….all neat and tidy…then over the years work happened…and what I got was clutter!
We all have it….unless you are OCD! Admit it…who doesn’t have a junk drawer in the kitchen…that would be un-American…right?
We get busy with our day…have our hands full…drop a stack of papers in a spot…thinking I’ll put that up in a bit…that stack keeps accumulating and before you know it…you have CLUTTER! If you are on the run with kids…work…and life how can you not have some clutter somewhere? My house is usually tidy…but my closets and my office have become quite disorganized over the past year.
Have you ever had a party and not enough time to pick everything up….where does the stuff go? In a closet…under a bed…in a drawer…just for one night (of course)! Before you know it that one night turns into days…weeks…months….sometimes years until you look for something you can’t find…
CLUTTER is like kudzo…once it starts it becomes a pest and a royal mess!
Traveling on a weekly basis can bring havic to any home office….at least it has to mine! Many of my friends think I am organized…but I know better. When I am coming in and out of my revolving door as a business traveler sometimes I may only be home to get a change of clothes! When I get home for a day or two, I sure don’t want to spend time cleaning up my office!
So what is this woman to do to turn a state of clutter into a place of serenity? I know that clutter drives me nuts…I find I’m less productive during my work day.
My first concern is….how long will this take? I have places to go…people to meet…work to complete! I can’t spend a week cleaning my office….do I do a little each day or should I just take one day and “Git er done” as Larry the Cable Guy would say…which would mean…burning the midnight oil!
Now I have a sense of dread….how I wish I were traveling this week…I think this is called…PROCRASTINATION!
My decision is made around my personality so I have decided that in order to not be stressed, I will divide the work into several time periods so I can get back to my daily work that needs to get done.
OVER THE NEXT 2 MONTHS: Three to four hours each weekend I will to go through the two large closets in my office and de-clutter…toss, shred, hauled off or move to a storage unit.
IMMEDIATE: What is critical to work efficiently – Clear my desk, create a good workflow, and file the clutter that is visible.
Today’s work!
1. Attend to the most critical email first
2. Remove all papers from my desk that have collected over the past month or sooooo….to the floor
3. Go through each item and place in a pile according to use – Daily, Monthly, Toss, and File
4. Reorganize my desk drawers with most used objects
Have you ever looked at your clutter and then reflected on your life? Clutter doesn’t always come from being lazy or disorganized…it can come from living a life that is overwhelming…demanding…toooo much for you! Are you moving at a pace that doesn’t allow a breather or a break. This can happen from a stressful event, being overwhelmed or adjusting to a new job…a new baby, a new routine…or caring for someone who needs you 24/7. So when you look at that clutter…take a breath…embrace the life that you are living…give yourself grace to gradually straighten up the mess…because when you do…you will begin to see the space you need to regroup and move forward.
Here is the before….stay tuned for the after!
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