Today is National Clean Your Desk Day!
It’s the New Year, a time for cleansing and a fresh start. Why not start by having a good look at your desk. What do you see? Piles of paper, leaflets which are no longer relevant, last year’s calendar? If you’re already reading this you’re on the right path!
Experts say the average desk worker has 36 hours’ worth of work on their desk at any one time. No wonder we waste up to 3 hours a week just “looking for stuff.”
Today is the day to get on top of it all it. It’s clean off your desk day. So let’s get started. One of the best ways to start is to take everything off your desk and out of your drawers. Organise this by making three piles “keep”, “toss” and move. If there is anything you see that you haven’t used in the last 2 months, throw it away. Keep is for those things you must keep. Toss is for all the junk you can get rid of, move is for those items that either don’t belong to you or don’t belong in your office.
Now that your desk is bare. Clean it, your computer and your phone. Cleanliness is a big issue. Your desk has about 400 times the amount of bacteria as a toilet seat. According to University of Arizona professor, your computer keyboard is one of the top five most germ-contaminated spots in the office.
Use Dust-Off Screen Cleaning products to remove the coating of dust and dirt that has accumulated over the last year on your monitor or laptop.
Get some Q-connect wipes and wipe down your desk, chair and cabinets. Use the computer wipes on your computer screen and keyboard but make sure it is disconnected. Compressed air is an excellent way to clean in between the keys of your keyboard. After you are finished, wipe it down, but don’t plug it back in until it is completely dry.
As you begin to put desk items, back to do in a way that makes sense. Of the items you chose to keep, put them into three categories. Those that need immediate attention. Items that need follow up, and things that you can pass along to others — delegate. Keep up with this practice. Another top tip to stay organised is the three tier system. Have the top tier tray labelled ‘important’, the middle section ‘to file’ and the last one ‘to read’. This is an easy and efficient way to organise your files and mail.
Use the same principle for your email inbox. Create similar types of folders and limit the number of emails that clutter your inbox impacting your productivity. Finally, a good mantra to work by is everything has its place, once you have organised and put everything in its place it will be easily accessible and easy to put away. Now just bask in the glow of your clean desk, and keep going through the year
An organised work system not only enhances your productivity but may improve your health as. So here’s to “National Clean Your Desk Day!”
