Organise your workspace and stay productive? Is this even true?
Well, you may or may not have heard of the Japanese Author and “tidying consultant” Marie Kondo, but she believes so. She’s written four books on organising, one of her bestselling book being The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: the Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organising.
Kondo’s tidying techniques, named the “KonMari Method” is a proven success for banishing clutter, managing mess and organising your home. This can and has also been adopted into workspaces, Marie Kondo, also said: “when your office space is organised, it will result in increased efficiency because your use of time becomes much more productive”.
Firstly, your work area should inspire you – not overwhelm you before you even begin your day. Kondo’s premise is that you only keep things that “spark joy” in your life. However, for your work environment, you might not necessarily use “joy” as an important attribute when judging whether to retain something. Instead, you could ask yourself: “Does this make me more creative or more productive?” and, Does it foster a more successful and harmonious team?”
You’re likely to spend many hours of the day at your desk, organising this space will only boost productivity and increase efficiency because you’ll spend less time looking for misplaced items. You’ll also feel more comfortable in your workspace.
There are some tips below to help you tidy your office in order to create a space that “sparks joy”.
Keep your desk surface relatively clear.
Tidying quickly, thoroughly and in one go is the best way to maintain a clean and organised desk area. Using KoniMari method, gather items of the same category in one place and only keep the ones that spark joy. This could be books, papers, miscellaneous items and keepsakes.
Tidy books and materials first
Start by tidying your books, following the books, paper, miscellaneous items and keepsakes. By doing this you start with the easier categories and progress to more difficult ones. For each category, gather every item in one place, then choose what sparks joy. Don’t worry about storage until you’ve finished the last tasks. The reason for this is that you won’t know how many items you have until you’ve really completed tidying. You’ll find that the items that remain fit perfectly in the storage space you already have. Until then, set aside the items that will be staying in temporary storage.
Discard unnecessary papers.
The premise for discarding paper falls into one of three categories: those you are currently using, those you will need for a limited period of time, and those that you will need to keep indefinitely. It’s easy to lose control over stacks of paper, so a large stack can accumulate before you even realise it.
Store miscellaneous stationery supplies vertically
Divide and store pens, scissors, staplers, rulers, and similar items into compartments of boxes so they can be stored vertically. By doing this you can easily see at a glance what items you have on hand to use. This will prevent you from unnecessary build up.
Add a playful touch with keepsakes
Consider adding a small ornamental plant, display items that make you smile. If you have small keepsakes to display, organise them all to fit on a small tray to keep the desk looking neat and tidy.
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