Is Your Clutter Beginning To Mutter?

Is your home office a help or a hinderance to your success? Lets be perfectly honest! Take a good look around your work space right now. Now, imagine this: the person you most admire in your industry as a leader or trainer, or better yet, the person you would most like to attract to your business, calls you on the phone right now and announces they'll be stopping by to discuss your business with you in 20 minutes. After hanging up the phone, how do you react?

Are you calm, cool and collect, whistling to yourself as you put on a pot of coffee, or do you freak out and run in circles stuffing stacks of papers into drawers with one nhand, sweeping the floor with the other? Has it been so long since you've seen the surface of your desk you've forgotten what color it is?

Gives you sweaty palms just thinking about it, doesn't it? Having a messy office isn't just an embarrassment when company drops by, it's nonconducive to running a successful business! Let's face it, if your clutter is beginning to mutter at you and the pile on your desk is approaching the height of Mt. Everest, you're not going to be in peak performance and operating at your full potential!

Rule #1: Treat yourself like company!

YOU are the most important person to your success! Your home office should always reflect that. Don't wait until company is coming to get your office in order, treat YOURSELF like company every day! Imagine walking into a clean, clutter-free environment every day! Do you think you just might bemore productive?

OK, so would you agree, it's time for a little spring cleaning... or maybe even some serious roto rooting? Great! Let's Get Started! This is going to feel so good!

1.) Practice The Three Foot Rule

Assess the space three feet around you in all directions. What do you see? Is everything within three feet of you necessary for the operation of your business? If not, it's a distraction and needs to be moved out! Throw away what you can and put the rest in a box to deal with A.S.A.P. Our goal is to get your office in order first. Keep only tools, books and files that you need for the daily operation of your business within three feet of you.

2.) Eliminate The Clutter

Clutter Hinders concentration, can create tension and frustration and a feeling of being overwhelmed. Take time to organize. Simplify your files. Every year you should move out last years file folders and start with new ones. Keep only what is necessary for tax purposes. Make generous use of the circular file (your waste basket)! Ask yourself, do I really need this? What would happen if I threw it away?

3.) Cut Down On The Amount Of Paper You Use!

You have a computer so use it! Learn to file documents and notes on your computer rather than printing them out. Cutting down on the use of paper is better for your office environment and the world environment!

4.) Handle Papers Once!

Read your mail with a pen in your hand and deal with it immediately. Don't let it stack up. For items that are going to require more time, put them in a stacking tray or "in box" to be dealt with A.S.A.P.

All others go in the outbox, file cabinet, or trash!

5.) Clear And Organize Your Desk AT THE END OF EACH WORK DAY!

Put away all files, re-shelve your books and manuals, and throw away paper scraps. I keep one file folder for "works-in-progress", so all continuing work goes in there. Prioritize a "to-do" list for the next day. Dust off your work surfaces before you close shop. Your future self will thank you!

Aaaah! Now, doesn't that feel better? With the proper work environment, your energy will be more focused and you will begin and end each day energized, with a feeling of purpose and well being! Now...to get that HOT prospect to drop by!