10 Tips to “Spark Joy” in Your Workspace
Are you familiar with Marie Condo, Japanese Professional Organizer and author of the popular book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up? Marie has written several books and been featured on numerous TV shows encouraging people to get more organized in their homes by only keeping what “sparks joy”. While this trend has inspired many at home, it can also be inspiring at work.
Having a disorganized workspace makes it harder to focus and process information. Clutter competes for your attention and causes stress, anxiety, and guilt, not to mention how visually unpleasant it can be. Take a step back and really look around your workspace. How does it make you feel? Creative? Inspired? I certainly hope so, but if your office doesn’t spark joy, follow these tips to create a more energized and productive space.
- Put Trash/Recycling Cans Nearby – Ensure that you have both trash and recycling containers nearby to easily clear your desk of clutter.
- Setup an Inbox – Setup an inbox so you have a home for incoming papers until you have time to process them.
- Do a Purge – The first step to an organized workspace is to sort through every item on and in your desk. Ask yourself “Do I really use this?” and “Does it spark joy?”. If not, say goodbye. This is the time to be ruthless! The more honest and realistic you are with yourself, the more effective this process will be.
- Put Away Office Supplies – Writing utensils and other office supplies have a way of multiplying when you are not looking. First determine which office supplies you actually use on a regular basis. Move the rest back to the supply room/closet. Keep the majority of your office supplies stored in your desk to eliminate visual clutter.
- Scan Your Documents – After you have recycled or shredded any unnecessary papers, look to scan the remaining papers you want to keep for future reference. Save the files as PDFs, and you’ll have a directory that’s much easier to search than a file cabinet. For papers requiring action, learn How to Create a Paper Action File.
- Organize Your Computer Desktop – While the top of your desk could be absolutely spotless, if your computer desktop is cluttered mess of icons and unsorted files, there’s still work to be done. Digital clutter can be surprisingly distracting when you’re trying to focus. Each week, clean up any stray desktop files.
- Keep a Notepad Handy – Keep a notepad handy to jot things down, like meeting notes, phone numbers and reminders. It helps to keep all those ideas consolidated, rather than scattered across your desk on a collection of sticky notes, scrap paper, and napkins.
- Tether Your Cables – To minimize the distraction from the visual clutter caused by unruly cables, get some zip ties or cable organizers to tame your cables. Also consider creating a “charging station” for your phone, portable charger, headphones, etc. where these items will be mostly out of sight.
- Process Papers Daily – At the end of each day, block a few minutes to sort through any papers on your desk. Recycle, shred, scan and file as needed. If you do this each day, this task should take 10 minutes or less.
- Reset Weekly – At the end of each week, “reset” your desk. Recycle, shred, scan or file any papers, put away supplies, and check your computer desktop for stray files. If you stay on top of this during the week, this task will be quick and painless.
Start with these 10 easy tips for keeping your workspace organized and you will enjoy more physical space, increased focus, and greater productivity in no time. If you are overwhelmed and looking for help to get started, schedule a discovery session with us today to get started creating a workspace that “sparks joy” for you!
