“Screws fall out all the time, the world is an imperfect place.” -John Bender, The Breakfast Club
The statement is true. I find screws, nails and that plastic thing ‘I don’t know what it’s for but I thought I should hold onto it just in case’ in the desk drawers of clients all the time. If it’s on their computer desktop, they wanted to put it there ‘for now’ so they could find it later. Later comes and then they can’t find it. Even when they use the search capabilities on their computer.
There are two phrases I work with clients on “just in case” and “I’ll put it here for now.” They can hinder productivity and an organized space.
Here are four things I’ve helped people purge in the last few months. Check your office drawer, supply closet and computer desktop you might find it’s time to let it go.
Floppy disk anything-holders, labels, discs themselves. Yes, I said floppy disks and yes my client was holding onto them. They didn’t have a way to even access the information on them. More and more I see people purging CDs and USBs as their computers no longer have a disc drive and information is stored in the cloud. Are you holding on to CD’s and no longer have a disc drive?
Emails in your inbox-Not the recent ones, the ones from two years ago. You still haven’t read them. The number of unread emails is in the thousands and that number makes your heart rate rise every time you see it. Remove old emails from your inbox and into a folder. Lower the number and your stress.
Binders-Check your bookshelf. You probably have one. It’s filled with old information you never check. At the time you received it, the information was important. Now it collects dust. You’ll never go back to reference any of the information. Let it go and create some space for books and information you love.
Screws-It fell out of something because the world is an imperfect place. Not sure what it belonged to, my client stuck it in the drawer of their desk. Maybe, someday they would figure out what it went to. That someday was now, we checked a few things in the office. Found that the screws were all secure in other furniture in the office. They ditched the lonely screw. What’s lurking in your desk drawer that you can ditch?
Letting go can lead to the space you need to create in your work area. Holding onto antiquated information, emails and ‘stuff’ bogs you down. It anchors you to the past when you need to focus on the task at hand or the future to grow your business.
Margo Crawford is a Productivity Coach and Professional Organizer with Wave Productivity. She works with entrepreneurs, small business owners and business professionals to help them get more focused, organized and productive in their workplace. Got some stuff in your office you need to get rid of? Set up a consultation today. Margo coaches by phone nationally and in person in Phoenix, Providence and Boston. If you want to get more organized in your office call 602-677-8275 or email [email protected].