How To Organize A Cluttered Work Area

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This blog post is going to be slightly different than my usual blog posts. In this post I will discuss a topic that has more to do with overall productivity than a particular actionable business technique. In this article, I will explain how clutter in your work area decreases your productivity, and go over some things I have done to declutter my work area, and increase my own productivity.

Negative Effects Of A Cluttered Work Area

When your work area gets cluttered, the different items on your desk begin competing for your attention. And that compounds the effects of the alerts on your phone and on your computer popping up every few minutes and trying to distract you as well. Every time your concentration breaks, it can take up to a few minutes to get your focus fully back on your task at hand, which is precisely the interval before a few more things try to get your attention.

My work area, for example, easily gets filled with clutter. I usually have two laptops on my desk. I also usually eat at my desk. And I like to keep a pen and paper ready in case I need to write something down. For some reason, having a pen and paper works better for me than to write things down on my computer. So even at its default state, my desk is already pretty cluttered.

What I Did To De-clutter My Work Area

Recently, I started to only have one of my laptops open at a time. Right away it cut down on the distractions I had, and increased the free space that was available on my desk. Next, I put my cell phone away and set it to silent. That means that I have no more interruptions that come from my phone. I still check it every few hours or so, but for the most part, my phone is not really a part of my workday routine.

I have also been much more attentive to making sure that after I eat, I clean up right away. That way there is no plate or extra food on my desk. Plus, as a side benefit, this has helped me to decrease on my snacking which is great!

I do leave my pen and paper on which I take notes or write down ideas for some app features or marketing strategies I could try. Keeping a pen and paper next to me to keep notes helps me stay productive. And I leave a glass of water on my desk just because I like to drink water or tea while I work.

Staying Healthy To Be Organized And Avoid Clutter

One thing that we often miss is that the clutter is not just on our desk, but sometimes in our minds. If our minds are cluttered, then that clutter will eventually spill over to our desks and lives. To ensure that you approach your daily activities with a clear mind, you must make sure to exercise regularly, eat well, and get enough sleep. It might seem like taking the time to exercise, sleep, and eat well might take too much time away from our work, but having an alert mind and a healthy body will add to your productivity during the time that you do work, and of course, increase your chances of maintaining long-term health.

Further Business Resources

For more business-starting resources, please take a look at our business planning mobile apps. Here is the iOS business plan app and here is the Android business plan app.  Additionally, here is the iOS fundraising app. And here is the Android fundraising app. And here are our business apps on the Kindle. And here is an article where I give the argument that our Android apps are the best business apps on Android.

And please check out and subscribe to my YouTube channel where we cover many marketing topics.

Author: Alex Genadinik

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