Tis the season to get organized! Clutter can build up on your desk quicker than your kids can turn a new remote control vehicle into a pile of parts. If you're finding yourself moving papers around on your desk simply to reach your mouse, you may have a clutter problem. What about beneath your desk? Is it a would-be fire hazard? If this sounds like you, here are several tips to help your get your wires and work under control.
- Tackle the wires – There are two good options here: one economical way is to invest in a few large binder clips. These clips, of course, work great for keeping papers in order. You may be astonished at how effective they are for keeping computer cables under control too. What about going wireless? Another option (perhaps leaning more in the costly direction) is to buy wireless charging pads. Charging stations and pads make great last-minute gifts, by the way! These pads enable you to charge everything from a wireless mouse to a digital camera to your smartphone. No longer will you need dozens of wires to plug into your mobile and wireless devices. With a charger, you can easily connect these devices to one mat-shaped device, popularly known as a powermat, to recharge them, again considerably reducing your reliance upon computer cables and power cords.
- Reduce desktop clutter – Often, our desks can become cluttered with papers. The most effective way to reduce this is to use less paper. We rely so much on digital communication it is an easy shift to use programs like Evernote to store your notes. Also, try not to print documents, just store articles and reports in folders on your computer. If you must print things out, file them away once you are done reading them. This will keep you well organized and reduce clutter.
- Throw things away – This may sound simple, but it’s amazing how frequently we will write ourselves a note on a sticky note and not throw it away when we no longer need it. Furthermore, after a meeting, we may not need to keep a printout, yet we do. These notes and papers can accumulate. Practice throwing away the things you no longer need or have a digital copy of. If you can't bear tossing it, add it into the notes feature on your smartphone first...akin to bagging up the kids' toys and stuffed animals they find it hard to part with and storing them for a while until the YOU'RE GIVING THOSE AWAY???!-shock wears off...things are easier to part with if they don't seem "permanantly gone" right away.
Do you have any other decluttering tips to share?