In the last post we explored internal clutter, the mental chatter that drags us down, and how to address it.

External clutter is an equally common and debilitating condition.  Most of us have cluttered desks or offices, at work or at home.

Here are some quick tips to scale back that mess.

1. Set aside a chunk of time, ranging from an hour to 3 or 4, depending upon the size of your clutter. Clear a large surface, whether on your desk or on the floor, where you can put all of the items that need to be sorted and comfortably sit down and tackle them.

2. Divide paperwork into three piles: Recycle, Keep and Action Required

a. Items that you no longer need can go into the Recycle pile. These include print-outs of documents that you have saved on your computer (including old bills and account statements that you can access electronically), invitations to past events, and junk mail.

Note: in order to prevent identity theft, it's best to tear up or shred anything with personal information on it, including your address, phone number, and account information.

b. Items that you want to save can be put in the Keep pile, to be sorted through and filed by category later.  For now just focus on your three main piles.

c. The Action Required pile will contain current documents that need your attention.  Most often these are unpaid bills, but they could be current invitations that need an RSVP, projects you are currently working on, and documents that you plan to review.

Congratulations! You've taken the first major step of sorting through the chaos, and now you have only two piles to address (having recycled the first pile).  Furthermore, you have a very good idea of what is in each pile.

Now onto the final stage - filing! Here are some easy steps to tackle this stage of the project:

1. Get a box or large pile of manila folders. If reusing folders (the environmentally and economically-friendly approach), make sure they have clear spaces for you to write on the tabs. You want this process to move forward as smoothly as possible.

2. If your time is limited, begin with the Action Required pile.  These are the documents that will need your attention in the near future.  Take out a stack of folders and begin labeling them using the contents of the pile.  Some examples are Bills to Pay (this may be further divided into Personal and Work bills), Articles to Read, project-specific folders (labeled by project name), etc.  Begin sorting the contents of the pile into the folders.  If you come across a stray document that needs a new folder, create one.  Choose a folder name that will be easy for you to identify when looking for documents.

3. Now move onto the Keep pile.  Repeat step two, labeling folders in the most intuitive way possible.  Some examples might be: Financial Statements, Warrantees, Health Records, etc.

4. Once all items have been filed into folders, you may choose to print labels on your computer or label maker. This helps you to easily spot each folder and will make you feel super-organized, but is completely optional (unless your workplace mandates it).

5. Organize file folders based on your need to access them, whether in hanging files in a file cabinet or in a file organizer on your desk.  I highly recommend that you put away all folders that you don't access on a regular basis.  The cleaner your desk, the more calm you will feel.

6. In order to maintain your newly-organized workspace, commit to spending about 5-15 minutes at the end of each day to put your papers/folders away.  This will prevent a recurring clutter attack.

While clutter can be daunting, taking the time to clear it will decrease your stress and thus increase your effectiveness at work.  And think of the satisfaction you'll feel once you're done! 

The impact of clutter clearing is viral - once your friends and coworkers see how happy you are, they'll hop on board.  The next thing you know, you'll have started a revolution!