5 Questions to Ask Yourself
It happens to all of us . . . clutter, a pile up of physical or electronic “stuff”. This clutter has a negative impact on our day. It can make things hard to find, increase our stress levels and make our work spaces unsightly and overwhelming.
Here are five questions to ask yourself when evaluating clutter. These questions go beyond “Should I keep this?” and get to the heart of why you’re keeping it around and where it should go. Here they are.
1. Why am I keeping this?
The question is simple and straightforward, but the answer may surprise you. Often times we keep items around because of guilt. Guilt of throwing away “a perfectly good thing” or for tossing away something that represents hours of hard work. There may also be guilt if the item represents something that you feel you SHOULD be doing, but haven’t. Let go of the guilt and ask yourself the next question.
2. What action is associated with this item?
The action may be “I’ll need to look up the history” or it may be “I want something pretty to look at”. Every item has an action. If you cannot define an action (something you will do) with that item, then it is time to get rid of it.
3. What will I be doing when I need this item?
This question is so much better than “Where do I put it?” Asking yourself, “Where can I put this?” will drive you to stick the item away in any deep drawer or shelf that has the space. On the other hand, “What will I be doing when I need to use this item?” tells you much more about where the item should go. You may answer that you will only need the item on trips. Then the right place for it is in the car or in a suitcase, not in a desk drawer. If items are close at hand when you need them, they will be easy to find and easy to put away.
4. Have I needed this item in the past year?
You may have heard this when it comes to cleaning out the clothes in your closet. “If you haven’t worn it in a year, get rid of it.” The same is true with office stuff. Chances are, if you haven’t needed it in the past year, you won’t need it next year. Clear it out!
5. Do I like it?
This is another simple but powerful question. The truth is, if we don’t like the way something looks or feels we will avoid it. Here’s an example. Mary hates the paper organizer on her desk. It’s old and ugly and doesn’t fit her desk properly. As a result, she avoids using it and all of the papers stacked there haven’t moved in ages. You spend a lot of time in your office. Why not surround yourself with items that you love. You’ll be more likely to use the items and stay organized if you like them.
Here are five questions to ask yourself when evaluating clutter. These questions go beyond “Should I keep this?” and get to the heart of why you’re keeping it around and where it should go. Here they are.
1. Why am I keeping this?
The question is simple and straightforward, but the answer may surprise you. Often times we keep items around because of guilt. Guilt of throwing away “a perfectly good thing” or for tossing away something that represents hours of hard work. There may also be guilt if the item represents something that you feel you SHOULD be doing, but haven’t. Let go of the guilt and ask yourself the next question.
2. What action is associated with this item?
The action may be “I’ll need to look up the history” or it may be “I want something pretty to look at”. Every item has an action. If you cannot define an action (something you will do) with that item, then it is time to get rid of it.
3. What will I be doing when I need this item?
This question is so much better than “Where do I put it?” Asking yourself, “Where can I put this?” will drive you to stick the item away in any deep drawer or shelf that has the space. On the other hand, “What will I be doing when I need to use this item?” tells you much more about where the item should go. You may answer that you will only need the item on trips. Then the right place for it is in the car or in a suitcase, not in a desk drawer. If items are close at hand when you need them, they will be easy to find and easy to put away.
4. Have I needed this item in the past year?
You may have heard this when it comes to cleaning out the clothes in your closet. “If you haven’t worn it in a year, get rid of it.” The same is true with office stuff. Chances are, if you haven’t needed it in the past year, you won’t need it next year. Clear it out!
5. Do I like it?
This is another simple but powerful question. The truth is, if we don’t like the way something looks or feels we will avoid it. Here’s an example. Mary hates the paper organizer on her desk. It’s old and ugly and doesn’t fit her desk properly. As a result, she avoids using it and all of the papers stacked there haven’t moved in ages. You spend a lot of time in your office. Why not surround yourself with items that you love. You’ll be more likely to use the items and stay organized if you like them.
Posted by Erin Hoffman at July 19, 2011 
Categories: Productivity
Tags: simplify organize clutter office
Categories: Productivity
Tags: simplify organize clutter office
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