Feedback Form
Home Features Mastermind Forums About Advertise Blog Network Contact Be An Author

Clear Your Clutter to Increase Personal Efficiency

Clear Your Clutter to Increase Personal Efficiency
Free Download - Fostering Staff Creativity To Enhance Productivity By Millard MacAdam
Name: Email:

Uncertainties about what lies in store for us are magnified when we live and work in clutter which causes varying degrees of disarray in our lives.

Look around your office. Do you feel uncomfortable, a little stressed, and very frustrated by the disarray and clutter around you as you do your work? In clear view are there parts of different project here and there on your desk, console and even on the floor under the consoles? Are unread magazines and newspaper clippings beginning to cascade out of your over-flowing in basket?. Did a pile of correspondence “to do’s” catch your eye on both sides of the screen for your computer?

Think to yourself, “Isn’t working in this clutter a dumb way to start off each day?” Make a personal commitment to do something about clearing the clutter around your working space. Take your first action step by picking up and reviewing a couple of articles on the subject and quickly review a couple of books on the topic of organizing your home and office space. You will unlikely fine nothing really new in the reading but it will “dust off” for you some valuable anti clutter principles you’ve probably known about but that have been gathering cobwebs in the far regions of your mind.

Here are some tips for taking the journey of Clearing the Clutter in your life at home and at work.

FOCUS ON FEELING BETTER. One way you can nurture your emotions is to take control over your immediate environment. You can feel more secure when you gain and maintain control over the environments you live in at home and work. By reducing clutter and getting organized, you can create a more orderly world for yourself. .

DISTINGUISH THE IMPORTANT VS. THE URGENT. The first step toward creating order and clearing the clutter in your home and work environments is to ask yourself, “What’s really important to me in terms of controlling my own space?” When we can’t control what’s going on around us, we can do all we can to clear the clutter to better control the most productive arrangement of the space, the things and the tools around us at home and work. Reacting to the “tyranny of the urgent” tends to contribute to a trail of clutter in our lives. A byproduct of clearing the clutter is that in discarding or giving away unnecessary things we find that the stuff in our lives isn’t really so important anymore. What we really desire is more discretionary time to invest in relationships with family members and friends and time for ourselves to relax, study, and pray. Avoiding the “tyranny of the urgent” and clearing the clutter are critical steps toward buying yourself additional discretionary time!

GET STARTED NOW by setting a specific time for your “clearing the clutter” campaign. Don’t wait until you have found an “ideal” way of organizing things. Don’t try to cram in your clearing of clutter in between other tasks or you will just get more frustrated. Commit an hour a day to go after a specific area such as your desk, bedroom closet, kitchen counter, or work bench and you will be on your way to enjoying the optimum organization of your personal space.

HONOR YOUR UNIQUE WORKING STYLE. We are all different and things should be organized in ways that allow our natural work styles to function best. An example is a totally clear desk does not work for me. I like to have the materials for current coaching and consulting clients in vertical files or notebooks where I can see them. When I think of something beneficial to a client I can go right to their file or notebook and drop a note or article related to them in their file.

CUSTOM ORGANIZE YOUR SPACE AND DESKTOP. My files are kept in four main locations, desk top, a hanging day and month drop file in my desk, console hanging files next to my desk, and archives in shelves and file cabinets in a nearby storage area. My desk top files are labeled, color coded and arranged along the back edge of my desk facing a wall. They are next to my in basket. My hanging console files are quickly available to me on the left and right hand side of my desk, which form a U shape with my desk top. My computer is on the wall behind me on a console that goes wall to wall, with printers and a copier easily accessed on each end of the console. By turning my chair around from my desk I can move easily over to my computer as needed.

One of the clutter industry’s gurus, Julie Morgenstern authored a book called “Organizing from the Inside Out. Her space maintenance theory is SORT, PURGE, ASSIGN, CONTAINERIZE and EQUALIZE. Here is how to apply her strategy. Begin by sorting the clutter into several piles.

1. Things to file - Insurance policies, warranties, contracts, etc.
2. Things that require action – Correspondence, bills, proposals, etc.
3. Things for other people – Thank you notes, greeting cards, articles, etc.
4. Things that are pending – Invitations, tickets, and other items needing future attention.
5. Things to purge by throwing or giving them away – Needless things should be the largest pile!

The decision to purge can be difficult or even avoided. It is a major problem for many of us because clutter is the result of postponed decisions or procrastination. Avoid purging and the “stuff” in your home and work environment will come around again and again to clutter your mind and your environment. As a life-long “keeper” and “clutter” person, I speak with authority. I urge you to grit your teeth and PURGE what you don’t really need!

SELECT PROPPER EQUIPMENT. The key to a clutter-free lifestyle is to have a place to ASSIGN and put everything important. This calls for selecting and using the right file holders, tool holders, containers, book shelves, cabinets, computer programs and electronic equipment to support the efficiency and pleasure of your work and leisure at home and your professional responsibilities at work.

EQUALIZE YOUR DAILY CLUTTERING. Take the last 15 minutes of your workday to EQUALIZE the inevitable cluttering moves you make during the day by organizing for the next day and cleaning up your desk and office clutter. Do the same thing at the end of your day at home. Make it a powerful, positive and productive habit and you will experience the joy of dialing living in relatively clutter-free environments at home and work!





Clear Your Clutter to Increase Personal Efficiency - To learn more about this author, visit Millard MacAdam's Website.

Like this article? Share it with your friends

Article Feedback
 Article Feedback No article feedback found.
  Leave Your Feedback
article feedback

Article Feedback
George Ludwig
George Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website


To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us.

About The Author


Millard MacAdam
(Visit Millard's Website) Dr. Mac shares with business owners the practical knowledge and insights he gained as a small company CEO. He founded Sycamore Ranch, Inc. when 27 and as CEO led his partners and a staff of 100 for 16 years in developing and operating the 50 acre recreational facility. Years later, he integrated what he learned from his Doctoral program at USC with his practical business experiences and began consulting. For four decades Mac’s coached business owners in mastering and applying "how to" leadership and managerial skills for: Hiring and retaining only the top ten percent producers; Optimally deploying and supervising staff to maximize their personal motivation; Developing high integrity leadership teams; Facilitating mutual performance accountability and peer coaching processes; and, Integrating his Intentional Business Integrity Process into their company operations. Mac has served leaders in manufacturing and high tech companies; accounting, banking and insurance enterprises; medical and health care organizations; service and retail oriented businesses; as well as educational, governmental and non profit organizations. Q&A ProActive Leadership 888-648-5552 or MacAdam@PALConsulting

Millard MacAdam is a Platinum author on EvanCarmichael.com
About The Author

View Author Blog
View Author Blog

View Author Video
View Author Video

Free Downloads


Millard MacAdam's

Complete
List Of
Leadership
Articles

Name
Email
Author's Free Downloads
Intentional Leadership Integrity Icon Intentional Leadership Integrity
ACES Research Report Icon ACES Research Report

More Millard MacAdam
Hire Only The Best People
Fostering Staff Creativity To Enhance Productivity
Your Car As A Virtual Office
Proactive Sales Force Development
Get Well And Stay Well Maintain An Alkaline Body pH
Assessing Team Effectiveness A Key to Enhancing Productivity and Profitability
Comprehending and Strengthening Your Staffs Conscience and Productivity
Affirming Others Builds Trust and Motivation
Identifying Dangerous Interpersonal Communication Problems
Intentional Business Integrity
Free Downloads


 
 
 


Evan Elite Authors
David Acheson  
Leanne Hoagland-Smith  
Anne Barr  
Evan Elite Authors

Become An Author
Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details.
Become An Author

Evan's Latest Video
Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media
Evan's Latest Video

Business Opportunities
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"

How to Start An Online Business

Click Here To Learn More
Business Opportunities



Evan's Newsletter
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
Name:
Email:
Evan`s Newsletter

Free Downloads
Eneterprise Readiness Icon Eneterprise Readiness
Managing the Unimaginable Icon Managing the Unimaginable
5 Step Action Plan Icon 5 Step Action Plan
Business Plan Sample Icon Business Plan Sample
FREE Twitter Background in PSD Icon FREE Twitter Background in PSD
Free Downloads - Complete List

Entrepreneur Tools and Guides
Top 50 Blogs For Startups To Watch In 2008
Top 50 Blogs For Startups
Top Blogs To Watch In 2008
 
Top 50 Franchising Blogs
Top 50 Franchising Blogs
Top 50 Franchising Blogs
 
Entrepreneur Tools and Guides

SEO For Africa
SEO For Africa
Chadulu L Group Dodoma (Ipagala), Tanzania,
Chadulu L Group
Dodoma (Ipagala), Tanzania
SEO For Africa

If I Were A Startup...
Razor Suleman, $143k to $5.4 Mil in 5 years
Razor Suleman
$143k to $5.4 Mil in 5 years
Frank Cianciulli, $2.3 to $7.5 Mil in 2 years
Frank Cianciulli
$2.3 to $7.5 Mil in 2 years
If I Were A Startup... - Complete List

Famous Entrepreneurs
Ted Turner, TBS
Vera Wang, Vera Wang
Vera Wang
Vera Wang
Famous Entrepreneurs - Complete List

Entrepreneur Advice
Donald J. Trump, Trump University
Donald J. Trump
Trump University
Brad Feld, Venture Capitalist
Brad Feld
Venture Capitalist
Entrepreneur Advice - Complete List

Popular Articles
(Premium Authors)

     Great Integrity is Necessary for Great Marketing
By Jody Gabourie
     Timing and Your Marketing Plan
By Jody Gabourie
     How To Figure Out Your Solutions And Benefits
By Jody Gabourie

Have A Suggestion?
Toronto Salsa Classes / Toronto Salsa Lessons Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
Have A Suggestion?

More Evan Carmichael
More Information