Look at these two posts:
- Don't let a messy desk disrupt productivity from the coloradoan.com
- Declutter Your Desk To Improve Your Productivity from the Web Worker Daily
What can be done to solve the problem?
Both articles have excellent suggestions for getting organized, but I'd like to add a few of my own:- Don't buy into anyone else's system of organization. You need to organize your desk in a fashion that makes sense to you. If that means color-coding your files, then color-code your files. If that means shoving everything into a file folder, then file away.
Real life example: My DH and I have very different working styles. He likes to keep his work filed away and only take one sheet out at a time. A well-organized file drawer is essential for him. I'm more of an "out-of-site, out-of-mind" kind of person. I like to keep work visible. When I'm ready to file it away, I'm ready to forget about it. A cubby system works best for me with a separate cubby for each current project works best for me. - Lighting is essential. Choose the office lighting that is optimal for you and your needs.
Real life example: My DH likes it dark. If there's just a little light coming in, that's enough for him. (I think this may be partly because he does a lot of work on the telephone.) Too much light in a room gives him a headache. Again, I'm exactly the opposite. For me, brighter is better. When I'm working I open the windows and turn on all the lights. - The closet rule works for desks too. If you haven't acted on it for six months and it's not something that you need to hang onto for accounting reasons (such as invoices and tax return information), then you can probably toss it. Gone are those flyers you picked up at the local small business fair, that brochure on new office equipment that you never got around to purchasing, that product you bought and intended to review but never did.
- Comfort is key. Let's face it; you're not going to sit in your home office for up to eight hours a day if it hurts you. Is your chair comfortable, or do you perch on a metal folding chair? Is your computer at the right height, or do you hunch over your desk? Is your keyboard ergonomic, or do your wrists hurt after a half an hour of typing? Can you get to your desk without tripping over boxes of stored junk?
What about you? Do you struggle with a messy work area? If so, what do you do to tame the mess?
Leave a comment and let us know.
It is very distracting. This is why I decided last night I would take the morning off to attack the household messes before settling in to work after lunch.
Posted by: A. B. | September 14, 2007 7:59 AM | Permalink to Comment