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Spring Cleaning…Let’s get organized!!

Guest post by: Jennifer Loftus

Article Overview: Spring cleaning is often a common activity at this time of year. Besides the usual personal sprucing in the home, why not carry this positive approach to the workplace?

Spring Cleaning…Let’s get organized!!

Around this time of year, flowers slowly begin to blossom, and we start to feel warmer weather, pulling us away from the rather freezing and wet winter season. With spring approaching, we here at Astronology look forward to the seasonal sentiments of growth, renewal, and, of course, the end of a very cold winter. Spring cleaning is often a common activity at this time of year. Besides the usual personal sprucing in the home, why not carry this positive approach to the workplace?

Clear Up That Clutter!

Have you ever heard the phrase, “a cluttered desk is a sign of a genius”? To many, this expression describes their exact situation right now. To some, their messy desks are organized…they can pull any paper they need from their desk’s paper-mountain in a matter of seconds. Others go by the old adage, “A cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind” and thus, to avoid the appearance of a haphazard worker, they keep their desk as organized as possible. Whichever side of the desk organization spectrum you stand on, almost everybody can remove some of the clutter on their desk. Here are some tips from About.com’s Management Site for tackling this task in a quick and effective manner:

• Be motivated to want to improve your desk organization skills:
o Simply put, if you don’t want to be organized, you’ll find excuses as to why you aren’t practicing organizational habits.

• Use three simple words: Keep, Toss, Move.
o Keep three containers….The “Keep” container should include information you really need. The “Toss” container should have information that you don’t need. The “Move” container should include information you will arrange and file away soon.

• Start with the oldest information.
o Start with the oldest information…it should be the easiest to sort since everything is old news.

• Evaluate each piece by piece.
o The instant you have a paper in your hand decide right at that moment where it belongs. Once you place it there, do not remove it (unless it’s in the move pile).

• Ask if you really need it.
o As you’re organizing, ask yourself, ‘Do I already have this information somewhere else?’ And most importantly, ‘Why do I need this?’ Answering these questions truthfully should assist in placing information in the right container.

• Be severe.
o If you really don’t need it, toss it.

Once you’ve finally tamed the “desktop monster”, try to keep your desk clear with regular maintenance. Whenever any paperwork appears in your inbox quickly classify where the paper belongs. If it’s something that you have to take care of at a later or date, or later that day, keep the paperwork organized via an accordion file that has a pocket for each day of the week. Make sure to check and take care of the paperwork in this accordion file daily so that its contents don’t dated and get out of control.

Get Rid Of That E-Clutter!

A majority of people are not aware that most email programs provide users with tools to help organize their email. These tools, if used accurately, can help in systematizing that jungle of an inbox! For starters, most email programs include a filter or routing rules feature that will sort your e-mail for you. To utilize this tool, first take a few days to notice any e-mail patterns, such as those e-mails you don’t really read right away, what e-mail you consider spam, etc. Develop the routing rules based on your own experiences, or check online or talk to your organization’s IT consultant for information in regards to your e-mail program. Here are some features to look for:

• Filtering by key phrases and e-mail addresses,
• Classify and marking by bolding or coloring, and
• Create canned replies.

Feng Shui, Anyone?

For the spring cleaning enthusiast, why not consider including feng shui into your office space? On Mike Z. Wang’s The Spiritual Feng Shui website, Feng Shui is described as, “the idea or practice, if you will, of living in harmony with the natural world. Though the spaces that you live or work in differ, the principles of Feng Shui remain the same.” The literal translation of Feng Shui is, “’wind’ and ‘water.’ It is a traditional art of living based on a philosophy strongly rooted in spirituality. Here are some tips for those interested in arranging their work space for a more harmonious environment:

• Sit in a commanding position
o Facing the entrance of your work area means that you are supported from the back and open from the front.

• Bring in the waterworks
o Apparently water features will keep you in harmony with your desires and motivate you to meet your goals.

• Keep that Entrance Clear
o Obstructions in your doorway will block the flow of positive energy.

• Arrange for Inspiration
o Is clutter the first thing you see when you sit down to work? Try to arrange your office space so that unnecessary things are out of sight.

• Rearrange Often
o Even though office space can be limited, rearranging your office space will promote alertness. Why not move your inbox every few months, or other small items in your possession?

• Showing off a Little Can Help
o Depending on your space, placing an award or diploma in a familiar location will remind you of what you’ve become adept at and can bolster confidence to reach beyond.

• Balance is Key!
o Use an equal amount of light and dark colors, hard and soft surfaces.

Related Articles
  Hooray – It’s Spring!
  Personal Growth: How Are Your Resolutions Holding Up?
  “Twelve Major Benefits For Being Well Organized, According To Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach”
  Getting Started with Productivity
  FITNESS AND HEALTH ARE BUZZWORDS ON THE CORRIDOR OF LEADERSHIP:

Article Tags: appearance, clutter, cold winter, containers, desk organization, exact situation, genius, messy desks, old adage, old news, organization skills, organizational habits, seasonal sentiments, spectrum, spring cleaning, time of year, weather, wet winter, winter season, winter spring



Related Forum Posts
Re: Are entrepreneur women more organized than men? - [quote="Anelly":1j4nnd51]So, I'm curious to find out your opinion about differences between women and men entrepreneurs. I heard that usually men are more disorderly, having messy desks. Is this true? On the other hand, researchers said that those who have a messy desk are having a well organized mind, good ideas and very inventive. What about the women?[/quote:1j4nnd51] Hi Anelly, I think it's more of a question of the individual. However, I will say that my desk at work is clean (it's company policy), while at home it's covered with loose paper and other stuff. I'd like to think of myself as an organized person and even in all the clutter at home, it's my "organized chaos" and I still know where everything is placed.
Re: Are entrepreneur women more organized than men? - [quote="mbrand2222":ur764lg1]More organized clutter, Tanny? I like you more every day![/quote:ur764lg1] My husband has his own room, kind of an office, I try to stay away of this room, the door is always closed, out of sight our of mind. I am the organized one.
Re: Are entrepreneur women more organized than men? - This strand has really made me think. After self examination I think I am a closet slob. My desks (home and work) are always very neat and tidy. Nothing is even crooked on them. If it is, I have to make it line up with the edges. (obsessive compulsive?) Yet.......don't look inside. Whole new story there. I hate filing so I tend to throw everything in a drawer and then do it only when the situation forces me to. May chest or drawers and closets are the same way. I guess I only like to appear organized on the outside. I suddenly feel ashamed. Is this really bad? I guess I'm organized enough to keep everything running smoothly and the bills paid on time, so maybe that's good enough.
Re: Are entrepreneur women more organized than men? - Women are more organized than men, and it is tested. They took 4 groups, striate women, striate men, gay women and gay men. They gave all the same list of tasks to complete in one hour before going to work. On the list there were things like, making eggs for breakfast, making sandwiches, doing laundry, etc. The results were amazing the winners were the striate women, then the gay men, gay women, and last the striate men. Personally, my desk at work is clean (no clean policy here), it is well organized at home, but I stopped checking my husbands desk, I just can't look at it.
Re: Are entrepreneur women more organized than men? - More organized clutter, Tanny? I like you more every day!


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