Clear your mind and clean up your desk!

From Monday to Friday your days are set for you. You get to your workplace in the morning, lay your mug down on your desk, look at your task sheet, crack your knuckles, and start the day.

Throughout the day you run into deadlines that must be met, new tasks arising and can’t seem to find your favourite pen. You know the one… the blue one you got from that event, the one that stands out amongst every other pen you have because it writes so well. But, unfortunately that pen along with your sticky notes and probably your notebook cannot be found because your desk is a mess.

There are so many reasons why you should maintain a tidy work space and keep your desk clean. If there is a lot going on around you, having clutter on your desk will overwhelm you. Utilizing the desk space, you have by placing some items into drawers or on shelves will reduce the stress that a messy desk will give you.

A study done by researchers at Yale conclude that the average person wastes up to 4.3 hours per week looking for papers. The time wasted trying to find task lists can be spent by completing tasks on the lists that you are unable to find. Trying to find these missing papers leads to frustration and more added stress. If you eliminate that stress all together, you will be saving time and energy.

Keeping your work space organized will motivate you to remember tasks and stay on track. Without clutter you will be more focused. This also means that you will amplify your creativity because you are focusing on the task itself rather than the deadline.

Have you ever thought about what a messy desk does to your professional image? Well let me fill you in on a little secret… it doesn’t look great. When your desk is messy it reflects your personal brand and how you present yourself to your company.

Here are some tips to stay organized

1. Utilize all desk space including drawers.

2. Sort out what you want to put in each drawer and whether you need organizers within the drawers.

3. Keep all stationery products in one place.

4. Only keep necessary items on your desk.

5. Get rid of anything distracting you from completing your tasks.

It’s simple: A clean work space = clear mind. A clear mind = productivity. Productivity = happy clients! I hope this article encourages you to clean up your desk, your favourite pen is begging you to.