Research has proven that where you work can affect how you work. A messy cluttered workspace is a sure way to decrease productivity and add to your overall anxiety and stress level. Missing paperwork expired deadlines, and lost documents are a few of the symptoms of a disorganized and inefficient office. Disorganization greatly affects productivity, resulting in inefficiency, stress, and reduced profits. Taking the time needed to get organized, paves the way for clear focused thought, less stress, and heightened productivity.
Productivity Zappers
Unfortunately, a cluttered disorganized desk often hampers progress. If it’s difficult to find things in a timely manner, it can be difficult to meet deadlines or to access important time sensitive information. As soon as your stress meter begins to rise, your ability to perform and be productive plummets. As a person that works from home, the need to remain self-motivated and productive is even higher than it would be in an office environment. Without a boss on the premises to oversee and check on your work, you must be self-directed and focused. Disorganization leads to stress and anxiety, making it difficult to maintain a high level of focus and performance. Instead, having a personalized specific system in place that allows you to tackle necessary tasks on a consistent basis, helps you to keep things moving, thus allowing your work to flow.
Seeing the Forest Through the Trees
Organizing your work environment solidifies the foundation of your workflow. Once a system is in place that allows you to work without the distraction of clutter and unnecessary stimulus, productivity levels up. The clarity and peace that an organized workspace creates allows you to anticipate your needs and prioritize tasks according to importance. In other words, being organized mentally clears a path in your mind, allowing you to see clearly which in turn gives you a 360-degree view of your goals and priorities. This unfettered clear view allows you to work seamlessly, boosting your productivity, helping to manage your time and reducing your overall stress level.
According to the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), paper clutter is the #1 form of disorganization for most businesses, whether you’re an office of 1 or 1,000. The average business wastes almost 4 1/2 hours per week looking for lost or misplaced paperwork. Imagine the impact that frustration, diminished morale, and stress has on productivity.
The Solution
Commit to keeping a clean and clear desk as an initial goal. At the end of every day clean your desk so that at least 80% of it is visible. Information comes in many forms: email, letters, packages, etc. Handle all information weekly and handle it only once. Then, decide to take action or get rid of it. In addition, get rid of anything on your desk that’s not used often. Any extra clutter that serves an occasional function, but not frequent enough to need near, should be cleared from your desk. A clear desk will limit distractions and allow you to establish a focused uninterrupted workflow. Even your interior decor and furnishings should promote an optimal system of organization and be conducive to eliminating clutter.
Research has clearly indicated that where chaos and disorganization dwell, productivity diminishes or vanishes altogether. Stress heightens and anxiety mounts, as lack of order rises. It’s a wise and beneficial step to create organization and personalized systems for your work environment. Your business will grow exponentially, erasing unnecessary stress and anxiety. You will find yourself with more needed focus at the end of your day, to drive your business where it needs to go. This newly organized approach to your work environment will also keep your goals and priorities current and up to date, making it possible to respond to the needs of your business as things happen, instead of trying to keep up. The unhindered focus that you will uncover as you discard clutter from your workspace will bolster productivity immensely.
