Want to organize your business better? Start by organizing your desk

Let’s be honest, most of us don’t like to talk about how disorganized we feel sometimes, how some things are just better off if we don’t pay attention to them for a while or if we take care of them later

I’m here to tell you that you are not alone!

Did you know that 67% Americans believe they could organize themselves better at work? Yes, that’s 2 out of 3 people! So chances are, you feel the same too.

Research shows that not being organized affect your motivation, productivity and overall state of mind. Not to mention it elevates your stress levels significantly without you even noticing. This in turn affects your ability to think clearly and to prioritize what you need to be successful at work.

This situation can change, and without that much effort up front. There are simple steps you can take in order to be able to be more productive, be even more motivated and be able to prioritize the right tasks at work.

The answer, as in everything, starts with baby steps. And organizing your desk is one of the most impactful baby steps you can take.

By having an organized desk, you will automatically focus on what you need to focus instead of being distracted by things that are just a quick look away from whatever you are doing at the moment.

Here are a few steps you can take:

Step 1: Limit your desk only to the items you use on a daily basis, and you will avoid potential distractions that are probably not urgent at all

Step 2: Have a designated place where you can store the items that are not necessarily used on a daily basis, but that can be used often (Staplers, Paperclips, Checks). Trust me, every little thing can be a distraction

Step 3: Have a designated space in your desk for incoming paperwork, much like your e-mail inbox, the way to stay organized is to create your own desk version of an inbox. Remember to clean it often (I’m sure you don’t like to have 8,500 “unread e-mails” in your inbox, the same can happen at your desk)

Step 4: Set up a recurrent alarm in your phone/calendar that remind you to clean your desk. This can be done on a daily, weekly, monthly basis

Try these few steps consistently and I can assure you that you will be on the right track to organizing your entire business, you will notice the changes in no time!

Let me know when you try this out, I love to hear stories.