Clearing The Cluttered Desk & Keeping it Cleared!
By Coach Terri Babers. Posted on .
STEP THREE: Sort through your “Stuff” box.
Now, open your Stuff Box: get at the random items that have made themselves at home on your desktop like the ones on mine. Create new places for every item ~ except on your desk! (or get RID of it!). Enjoy creating new, sensible “homes” for your precious stuff! Stop after 30 minutes on the timer!
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STEP FOUR: Start your “TO-DON’T” LIST!
Now set the timer and look at your To-Do list. Cull the stuff you really don't want or need to do ... seriously, even if the task really does need doing it doen't have to be you who does it! If you don't know Quickbooks and you hate data entry, it goes on your To-Don't List (then you get to add "locate assistant to manage Quickbooks" to the to-do-list).
If making cookies for the senior citizen's brunch is something you look forward to doing, keep it. If you dread it, To-Don't it! Just change your To-Do to read "buy cookies."
The thing about To-Don'ting is that you actually make a list of things NOT to do. I have a To-Don’t Notebook! What a HUGE stress relief!
If that took less than 30 minutes, stop until tomorrow anyway!
STEP FIVE: Sort through your papers!
Next day, set your timer: this is step where you open the lid of the paper box (or boxes). Be sure you have a circular file nearby! Starting with the top paper, figure out what to do with it.... file it in the cabinet, the manila envelope for your assistant, or the circular file (do you REALLY need a hard copy of that article?)
When the timer goes off after 30 minutes, stop! Put the lid back on the box, take the trash out, and move on with your day. Return tomorrow.
Each day set your timer.
BTW: Every morning, before you start with the Papers Box, check to see if you have added Notes-to-Self or Papers to the desk top the day before and clear them.....Do this routine daily, 4 times a week until all the boxes are empty. Shortly you'll find you only need between 5 and 10 minutes a day on most days to maintain your clutter and chaos-free work space!
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Can you imagine the relief? how much more balanced your life will feel ... how much lighter your mood will be when this is done! Congratulations! A good way to enhance that lighter mood is to begin journaling in the Positive Changes Journaling Community. Take advantage of a year's membership and 52 weeks of free journaling prompts I've created to help you focus on making the most of who you are in every thing you do.
