We are a culture of multitaskers. We don’t take our time. There is always too much to do! However, taking the time to do something right can yield great benefits.  Recently, I spent some time clearing away my desk. It is something I have to do periodically, and it seems to clear my mind at the same time.

You may take your desk for granted. Everything is there because you use it or you are working on it. However, some things develop roots and seem to stay there, even when they are no longer useful.  It is good and needed to take a breath, take a step back, and really re-examine every item.

There are huge benefits to clearing away the clutter of your desk. Some say that their clear desks give them room for new ideas. While some research links messy desks with creativity, a clean desk is still associated with improved productivity.

Carla Hines, a professional organizer and founder of Bringing Order Back, points out that a clear and organized desk can provide ease of access  to important documents,  enhance time management, and support multi-tasking.  If your desk is cluttered, it could be conveying a less than professional appearance.

Carla advises the following approach:

First things first, clean out and organize your desk drawers and discard any unnecessary items you’ve collected over time. A drawer separator works wonders for keeping similar supplies together such as paper clips (by size), rubber bands, post-it notes, etc

For your desktop, work through how your workspace is used. Some tasks are only executed at your desk while some are performed away from your work area. Cluster related supplies together, i.e., writing pen/pencils, writing paper, staplers, etc. and put in containers. Invest in a desktop file organizer for documents/papers.  You won’t regret it!

When you have cleared away, clustered items, and added the right containers and organizers, I would suggest you add one meaningful thing to your desktop. Maybe it is a picture of your family, maybe a vase you bought on a recent trip abroad. Because you did the work of clearing the space, you now have room for something new.