5 Tips to De-Clutter and Organize Your Workspace for Maximum Efficiency 

Professional organizer Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, has sold over two million copies worldwide.  Her Zen approach to creating spaces that spark joy — and her assertion that putting those spaces in order will positively impact every area of your life — resonate loudly in our increasingly cluttered and busy lives.  Readers everywhere are using her tips (which have been tested on the Today show) to simplify and arrange their homes and offices, and her book has inspired dozens of YouTube videos.

What makes Kondo different: unlike other professional organizers, she requires that her clients commit to a complete overhaul, not just work on small areas or tasks over a long span of time. She says that, instead, an extensive, concentrated  re-organization of their space will result in a corresponding change in their lifestyle and perspective.

In fact, her book has several examples of clients who have followed these steps and actually changed their lives: she mentions those who have found the clarity to quit their jobs to pursue their own businesses, and others who have repaired or strengthened family relationships. Still others have lost weight, or substantially increased their sales at work — simply because through the tidying process they have increased their focus and improved their decision-making skills.  It seems to come down to this: by streamlining their physical spaces, they were also able to clear their “mental spaces,” and as a result found a more lucid understanding of what they truly wanted to accomplish.

Of course this concept of dramatically taking control of your space is particularly appealing in the workplace, because who doesn’t want to be more efficient and effective while sitting at their desk? Here then are five tips from the book to help anyone successfully streamline their professional life towards a path of peace and success:

Visualize your Destination.  Spend some time at your desk, imagining what you want it to look like.  Pay attention to your stress levels, taking notes to capture what is — and is not  — working in your current space. Then, during this time, develop a vision for your ideal, uncluttered workspace. When you have a concrete vision, you have a goal towards which you can work.

Tidy your Space Completely – and All at One Time.  Most organizational gurus suggest working on a large space one small portion at a time – i.e. gradually clearing out one drawer or closet, then moving on to the next one. But Kondo asserts that cleaning like this doesn’t change behavior or build momentum, and without those two factors, it’s simply too tempting to fall back into old habits.  So although you may not be able to re-organize your desk area in one fell swoop, don’t stretch out the process, thinking that re-arranging your middle drawer, and then the photos on the side of your desk, counts as a de-cluttering process, and that you are finished.

So: Make it your goal to transform your environment, clearing out your space completely; this may take several sessions, depending on your starting point and the size of your office, but commit yourself to completing the effort within a few weeks. Then commit yourself to several chunks of time, and schedule them on your calendar just like a meeting.  Get to work on your space, discarding unused items or donating them to someone who can put them to good use.

Note: When you work with others, you deal with unplanned interruptions: you have meetings to attend, and people need your time. So to avoid these distractions, it’s best to begin this process on a weekend, or an evening when the office is empty.

Tidy by Category.  When you begin to work on your space, focus on one category at a time. Kondo suggests making a list of categories, then working your way through the list.  Some examples: begin with books, then papers, followed by office supplies, then maybe continuing on to mementos (remember that if you begin with sentimental items, it will be much harder to gain momentum!).

Don’t Keep Anything that Doesn’t Spark Joy.  Over time, your workspace fills up with items that once meant something, but that you now no longer need – for instance, books about software you no longer use, project documentation you never reference, or preschool pictures of family members who are now in middle school.

So Kondo suggests asking yourself “What do I want to keep?” instead of “What do I want to get rid of?” Pick up each item one at a time, and determine if you need it, or if it gives  you delight.  If you decide you don’t want to keep it, throw it away, put it in a pile to donate, or set it aside to repurpose when you have finished going through everything.

Designate a Spot for Everything.  Once you have completely cleared out your space, eliminating unused items that don’t “spark joy,” thoughtfully put your office back together.  Think through your schedule and your needs, referencing your calendar and the vision you created when you started this process.  Some ideas:

• • • Hang a hook by your entrance, so you have a place for your coat and bag.  Kondo says that your belongings work hard for you, and you should treat them with respect.
    • Sort through the files you’ve decided to keep, filing them in a system that you can easily reference.  Kondo’s policy is to discard all papers. This often isn’t possible in an office environment, particularly if you deal with legal documents, contracts, or shared files.  However, consider drastically scaling down on the papers you keep.   Ask yourself if you will need this paper in the future, or if you need to hold onto it for legal reasons.  If not, consider discarding it.
    • Make sure that your office supplies are all in working order, instead of having an empty stapler and pens that have run out of ink.   Ensure that the supplies you use every day, particularly the ones you touch, are materials you enjoy.
    • Evaluate your storage options, and ask yourself if you are holding onto items simply because you need them to fill your storage system.  Kondo says that we often don’t need elaborate systems, and that creating them results in the desire to add more stuff.
    • Be aware of the “noise” in your space.   Kondo claims that having belongings with a lot of words on them (particularly in packaging) forces your brain treat these items as information to be sorted when you see them.  Consider eliminating these visual distractions.
    • Find a place in your office to display meaningful, inspirational objects.  Kondo suggests that designating a spot for these items will fill you (and your space) with energy.
    • Consider other similar changes, based on the best flow for the way you work.

By following these five steps to organizing your workspace, you free your mind up from little distractions and annoyances, which in turn will allow you to think more clearly and creatively. And think about this: if you are hesitant to try this new method, what do you have to lose, other than unwanted clutter?