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Are you drowning in paper at work? Is your space littered with too many empty mugs or hand cream? Do you feel disconnected, unproductive and disorganized? Do you feel it reflects on you professionally ? Embrace your inner minimalist!
Create a vision of who you are and your professional performance with the décor in your space. Define what clarity looks like in your environment. Think of colors that are a reflection of your style. Keep minimal personal photos and knick knacks. Think through the books, the art, and even the awards you have placed in your office. In creating this vision you can make a list of adjectives you want to embody as you change this space.
Many companies have an existing record retention policy stating how long to keep paper records. But sometimes we can create rules for what you will keep and how long you will keep it if it is a rough draft, old budgets, or even a former employees previous paper. If you do keep the paper, decide if a notebook or file is a better location for you to find the information. Know what to keep and where to keep it! Create files for papers that are reference. The only paper that is on your desk is something you use all the time. Other paper can be easily accessed in your desk file drawer or credenza. Those files can be categorized by clients, administrative, financial and project. This is easier to access than alphabetical and easier to maintain as well.
Take time to maintain your minimalist style. Start and end the day with routines that reflect this. Bring your one mug to and from work in your professional looking bag. End the day with picking up the paper and replacing it in your project slots. Being decisive and definite about your style makes maintenance that much easier!
What does your office say to you?
Certified Professional Organizer and Family Manager Coach Ellen Delap is the owner of Professional-Organizer.com. Since 2000, she has worked one on one with her clients in their home and offices streamlining their environment, creating effective strategies for an organized lifestyle and help prioritize organization in their daily routine. She holds ADD and Chronic Disorganization certificates and specializes in working with ADD and ADHD adults and students. Ellen has been featured at The Woodlands Home and Garden Show, on ABC13 Houston, in the Houston Chronicle and regularly contributes to national blogs and publications. To learn more about her and her work, visit www.professional-organizer.com, tweet her @TexasOrganizer or become a fan on her Facebook Fan Page Professional-Organizer.com.
