Importance of Organizing a Workplace

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Whether it is your home office or your desk at work, getting your space organized can increase your productivity and minimize your stress level. Once you establish a systematic method of keeping things in order, you will save time and energy. After you have completed a review and revision of your workspace, maintaining the decluttered area is your ultimate goal. Five minutes spent planning and organizing at the beginning and end of each workday will keep things under control.

Organization Breeds Success

An important factor in becoming organized and efficient is your mindset. If you reflect upon the habits of some successful people you know, you would probably conclude they are highly organized. Accomplished individuals get more done because they value time and maximize their organizational skills.

Workplace organization extends to how you spend your time. Without all the everyday clutter in your office, your focus will improve. You will find it easier to prioritize and finish the day with a sense of accomplishment rather than a feeling of dread.

Control Your Life

The purpose of organizing your workplace and your life is control. Knowing you have a plan, a purpose and a system reduces stress. Getting and staying organized means not frantically searching for that report your boss wanted on her desk yesterday. It means getting to a meeting prepared and on time rather than feeling you are in over your head. Knowing where things are enables you to focus on output. It helps to take advantage of technology. Controlling your actions by setting up alerts from your computer or cell phone can keep you on schedule. The benefits of staying organized can impact your work-life balance. Being efficient at work allows you more time for family and leisure activities.

Before You Start

Before you begin the process of clearing out the clutter, try a visualization technique. Close your eyes and picture your workplace streamlined and free from mountains of paper piles, half-filled coffee cups and paperclips. Seeing the result in your mind’s eye should enhance your motivation for getting the job done. The second part of the process is preparation. Assemble organizational tools, such as file folders, labeling pens, storage bins, file organizers, a large trash can and a shredder.

Where to Start

Sometimes the most daunting dilemma in getting organized is where to start. Self proclaimed minimalist and author of "Unclutter Your Life in One Week," Erin Doland, recommends you will get the greatest satisfaction from dealing with the section that bothers you most. If it is that bottom desk drawer jammed with all sorts of debris and paperwork dating back to the last decade, you have just identified the starting point. Once you have shredded old documents and organized the remainder you will notice an immediate difference in your attitude toward the importance of getting your workspace in order.