Organizing messy desks - your questions answered, part 3

In case you haven't read the previous posts in this series, here are the links to Part 1 and Part 2. 

Folders and search buttons are your best friends.  Everyone should have two primary folders - current and archive.  In each primary folder, there should be sub-folders for each project you're working on. 

The archive folder is for emails that:

• You've responded to, or
  
• The intended recipient has responded to, or
  
• Discussion points that are now closed, or
  
• Just simply reference information
  

Collapse the archive folders if you can, because you'd probably only go digging in them once in a very blue moon. 

If you're in an industry where you receive attachments regularly, I recommend renaming and saving the attachments on your computer''s hard drive.  This way, you can find it quickly in your file folders whenever you need it.  Otherwise, you might find yourself digging through masses of email while trying to recall the sender or the subject of the email.  NOT a productive use of time, I'd say. 

The current folder is for emails that:

• You have to action on
  
• You are waiting for a response on. 
  

Mark the latter with a flag, so it is easy to filter afterwards. 

When an email comes in, you must do one of the following 3 things:

1. Action on it now
   
2. File it into current
   
3. File it into archive
   

That way, your inbox is always empty.  And when you want to work on a particular project, you don't have other emails (that are irrelevant for that moment) hanging around in your sight, distracting you and draining your energy.  I just hate it when I'm working on something while having million other things in my mind at the same time.  When I'm focused, I feel much more accomplished and energized after completing a task.  That, plus giving it a huge tick on my to-do list!

Question:  Should we make time for regular desk spring-cleaning as a form of maintenance?

It may sound surprising, but the best way to maintain an organized desk is to practice a 5-minute (or less) routine before leaving your office for the day.  It's like brushing your teeth, or washing your face - 5 minutes and you're done. 

The whole point of spending all that time to get organized is not to have to do it again and again (like Groundhog Day).  Why?

Good question. 

The bigger the effort, the more humongous the psychological barrier.  This is the reason we can't "find the time" to do a massive clean-up - so the clutter piles up even more.  I liken it to going to the dentist after 3 months of not brushing your teeth.  Imagine how long you'll be sitting in the dentist chair then (eww!!). 

Having to do it all over again means you've waste your earlier effort - that's the worst return-on-investment, ever.  We want to organize our desks once and for all, not have to do it all over again!

Imagine being greeted by a spacious and organized desk every morning - now THAT'S an instant energy boost. 

So the simple 2-step trick is this:

• Before leaving the office for the day, stand up, and then quickly return things back to the places they should be at.  If you're taking more than 5 minutes to do this, then you need to adjust where and how you are storing your items.  Give your desk a quick wipe with wet-wipes after that to clean off the cookie crumbs from the day's snack. 
  
• If you're a person who does not like to make a quick decision, create a "maybe" box, where you chuck all the items that you think you "may" need SOMEDAY.  Clear that box out every month.  If you've not used it in a month, either donate or discard it. 
  

That being said, it is still good to schedule an hour of deep-cleanse every 3 months or so, to throw out paperwork, business cards, post-it notes, etc., that have become irrelevant over time, and to wipe-down/vacuum the harder-to-reach places (e.g. the back of drawers or shelves).  Think of it like your half-yearly visit to the dentist. 

Remember, maintaining an organized desk is just like maintaining a healthy set of gnashers.  A short clean-up a day, keeps the clutter and dirt at bay!