Organize + Energize: 10 Things You Can Get Rid of in Your Office
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
The thought of this task may overwhelm you, but if you break this process down, you can check this off of your to-do list in a week! Yes, it can be done. Put one of these tasks on your to-do list a day and block off 10-20 minutes. Stop procrastinating and get it done!
Here are 10 things you can get rid of now:
Business cards. Take a look around your office. You’ll find them wrapped in elastics, on your desk, in drawers, on bookshelves, and there may even be some in your pocket. It’s time to create a system for these business cards or get rid of them. How long does it take you to find one when you need it? Do you even go to look for them? Think about how you want to function going forward and put a plan into motion.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTDead plants. How many of you have neglected plants in your office? If you can’t nurse them back to health, get rid of them. Dead plants equal stagnant energy and you don’t want that vibe in your office.
Anything expired. Open your drawers. Do you see expired medication or food? Included in this are the 20 packages of ketchup and duck sauce that exploded and are creating a sticky mess at the bottom of the drawer. Empty these drawers, categorize, throw and purchase drawer organizers and create working systems.
Bulletin boards. I organized an office once and we cleared off the bulletin board and there was calendar under there from the 70’s. Take inventory of what is there and only keep what you need to refer to on a daily, weekly basis on this board. There are so many great organizing products out there that you may find you can get rid of the bulletin board and find a better product to work with going forward.
Junk mail. It’s probably buried under a pile on your desk or stuffed in drawers. You know it’s junk, but for whatever reason, you decided not to open it and just left it on the desk and now it’s taken over your desk. Get in the habit of tossing the junk mail before it even hits your desk.
Anything collecting dust. If it’s collecting dust, I’m pretty sure you’re not going to be using it next week. Maybe you haven’t touched it in years! Take inventory of these items and make a decision to toss.
Office supplies. I’m talking about the dried up, leaky pens and highlighters. Toss those rubber bands that have lost the elasticity and will snap when you pull on them. When you’re emptying your drawers going through expired food and meds, tackle this at the same time.
Old binders/books. Take a moment to look at your bookshelf and take every single thing off it. Make your toss and keep piles and get rid of anything you know you’ll never refer to again. Categorize and re-organize your bookshelf.
Technology that’s broken. This includes that box of cords sitting in the closet and the broken adding machine. It’s time to let this stuff go. Take inventory of the cords and toss anything that doesn’t have a match.
Sticky notes stuck all over. There’s a better way to contain notes than to stick them all over your desk. You can use a notebook, a to-do list, a binder, your electronics, laminated sheets, or clear plastic sheets in a stand up vertical binder. Everybody functions differently so it depends what you’re writing on those stickies and how you’re functioning. Think about why you’re using them and is there a better way to be more efficient and productive with them.
If you’re thinking that you don’t have time to tackle these small projects, it’s time to get organized. If you can’t find 10 minutes in your day, then you need to re-evaluate how you’re functioning on a day-to-day basis. It’s time to create working organized systems to help you become more efficient and productive.
Kristin Carcieri-MacRae, is an organizing & efficiency expert and owner of Organizing in RI. Kristin teaches her clients that living an organized lifestyle will save them time and money, decrease their stress levels and help them become more efficient and productive. Her articles have been published in local and national magazines. She has also given over 70 presentations throughout the state. Watch Kristin LIVE every Thursday at 3pm here on GoLocal LIVE.
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