GENIUS HACKS FOR DECLUTTERING YOUR WORK-LIFE

05May

GENIUS HACKS FOR DECLUTTERING YOUR WORK-LIFE

FILING

The dreaded f- word. We’re talking paperwork and digital here. Set aside some focused time to devise a clear system for both formats. Tackling one area at a time. First get rid of anything completely unnecessary, then get to sorting what’s left.

The key here is identifying a priority system – you want to first sort by how often you need to access the files and secondly by subject for relevance. Anything that you use on a regular basis needs to go in your most easily accessible location for efficiency’s sake. You may find that it is next easiest to separate anything that you rarely require but need to hold onto for reference. Whatever is left over, those ‘sometimes’ files- can be sorted by subject and stored somewhere reasonably within reach.

EMAIL

While you’re still on your filing high don’t forget to give your Inbox some TLC. Applying the same principle of prioritizing, hit delete on anything taking up space with no value and create a folder system for anything you still need to look up. Create multiple folders in your Inbox so that going forward as any new email comes in it can be sorted, you may like to do this straight away or set aside 10 minutes at the end of the day to get that inbox to ‘0’.

A great little tip is also a bridging folder – if you receive an email that needs attention but isn’t urgent place it in this bridging folder as a note to yourself to handle it by the end of the day. Then set an alarm an hour or two before you’re due to clock off to check this folder and action the task. Once it has been completed file it in it’s appropriate folder, the aim being to finish each day or week with the bridging folder completely clear.

Lastly, now is the perfect time to double check a couple of basics – make sure that your email signature is up to date and you have a well crafted “out of office” reply at the ready for when you want to rush out of the office the night before you jet off on that well earnt holiday.

IMAGERY VIA THE VAULT ONLINE PINTEREST

STATIONARY

Now that you have organized your little butt off, it’s time to go shopping! Not only does fresh stationary help to spruce up your desk but it is a great tool to help motivate you to maintain your new system.

If you ask any girl-boss the key to staying on top of things is a finely honed note book system. Whether you like to have multiple notebooks for different subjects or be a one-book kind of gal, make sure that you make a space to write daily to do lists. Again, this is up to you. You may like to write one at the end of each day to clarify your mind before leaving work or at the start of the day when you’re feeling the most fresh. Either way apply the same priority tricks you implemented to sort your desktop to this list – highlight the “urgent”, “non-urgent” and “can leave ‘til later” and plan your day accordingly to tick off the most important things first. This simple trick will make it easy to see how you can use your time most efficiently and not get bogged down in stuff that can wait until a later date.