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8 Tips to keep your desk clean & tidy

Wednesday, July 18th, 2018

In the busyness of your day-to-day work, sometimes it can be quite hard to keep on top of the tidiness of your desk. A recent study proved that a tidier desk can improve productivity. However, the question is how do you go about keeping your desk tidy? Here are 8 quick tips on how to improve the tidiness of your desk and as a result your productivity level.

1. Have a physical Inbox tray: We live in a society where we are trying to reduce the need for papers. However, the reality is that we still have a lot of work incoming on paper and this can get out of control and scatter all over the desk. By having a physical tray, you can organise any paper getting placed on your desk.

2. Bins: Having a bin close by can make all the difference. Depending on how busy you are, getting up from your chair and walking over to a bin could seem too time consuming, so you would rather leave it on your desk and deal with it "later". Unfortunately, later never comes.

3. Reduce paperwork: Linking back to the first point, sometimes you use paper when you don't need to. Next time you want to make a note or pass some information on, why not use the computer; email the information across.

4. Get rid of the unwanted clutter: Look around now, how many items do you see that you don't actually use or haven't used in months? This is contributing to your desk being untidy.

5. Regular Cleaning Schedule: At the start of each week you may plan your week ahead. Why not schedule a time slot to clean your desk. If you can't have you ever thought about getting someone in to do it for you?

6. Electronic Versions: Some of us use visual references to remember information. For example; leaving an old ink cartridge on the desk to know what model number it is for when you need to order more. Get rid of it! Take a picture and put it on your computer. I personally have a database with the relevant references and model numbers.

7. Create filing systems: Some documents are just too important and you can't really throw them away. However, they do not need to be on your desk. Create a filing system to store away the important documents. That way your desk is tidy and the documents are a lot easier to manage.

8. Wipe Down: Sometimes, just before you leave your desk to go home, giving it a quick wipe can go a long distance. Why not see your day out with a quick wipe down of your desk.