De-clutter your work desk regularly, getting rid of things you don’t actually use. This includes equipment, paper, plants and even furniture that’s doing nothing. Put misplaced items back to their designated space. Designate spaces for supplies and references if you haven’t already. Free nearby spaces which are cluttered with things you don’t actually use. Put those things out of reach, fill the space with other things.
A good idea is to remove every single item on your desk and think about what you actually need. Repeat this monthly. Put everything back to its place at the end of the day. Repeat this daily. If you find that you need to fetch something daily, put it closer.
Disagree this follows. Works different for me. I’m with apocryphal Einstein, “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?” If my desk is clear, it’s a sure sign I am being real unproductive and procrastinating hard on something. When I am on a roll, the papers pile up.
One place I worked had a clear desk policy. Desk had to be totally empty every night. I hated it. Got nothing done. Quit that gig to go work somewhere they cared more what I got done than how my desk looked.
TrE still has a good point if you define “clutter” in terms of how hard it is for you to find an item, regardless of what the desk looks like to an outside observer.
Keep your work desk productive.
De-clutter your work desk regularly, getting rid of things you don’t actually use. This includes equipment, paper, plants and even furniture that’s doing nothing. Put misplaced items back to their designated space. Designate spaces for supplies and references if you haven’t already. Free nearby spaces which are cluttered with things you don’t actually use. Put those things out of reach, fill the space with other things.
A good idea is to remove every single item on your desk and think about what you actually need. Repeat this monthly. Put everything back to its place at the end of the day. Repeat this daily. If you find that you need to fetch something daily, put it closer.
Agree.
Disagree this follows. Works different for me. I’m with apocryphal Einstein, “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?” If my desk is clear, it’s a sure sign I am being real unproductive and procrastinating hard on something. When I am on a roll, the papers pile up.
One place I worked had a clear desk policy. Desk had to be totally empty every night. I hated it. Got nothing done. Quit that gig to go work somewhere they cared more what I got done than how my desk looked.
Other people vary!
TrE still has a good point if you define “clutter” in terms of how hard it is for you to find an item, regardless of what the desk looks like to an outside observer.
Fair point. Works differently for everyone, but at least one should reflect on the state of their desk once in a while.
I do not understand your need to post this comment anonymously.
IIRC there’s someone who has admitted to regularly using the Username accont just because they can’t be bothered to make their own.
One approach is to split material on your table (and your inbox...) in three categories:
to be done (inbox)
waiting for input/response/time
for reference