Episode 86 - What to Do with Clutter?
All my life I used to accumulate piles of stuff around me – heaps of papers on my desk and tools piled all over the workbench. I wasn’t lazy, I was visual. It was comforting to see where I could find stuff when I needed it. Now I realize clutter is an open air filing system.
I’m pretty good at putting stuff away, but I’m not perfect. When clutter gets out of hand here’s how I reclaim my desk space. I block out an hour or so. I take EVERYTHING (except the computer) off of the desk and put it on the floor. Then I clean the desktop until it shines. Next, I sit on the floor with a recycling can next to me and a stack of file folders. As I pick up each piece I decide whether to throw it away or file it in one of 4 files: reading, regular, future projects, or priority. Priority is what I’m going to act on within the next 24 hours.
50% of it gets thrown away. I figure, if I’ve had something for over a month and I have not used it or been moved to take action on it, than it’s safe to assume I can live a good, productive life without it. Magazines get 3 months — after that the information is stale; I’d rather embrace the latest.
It’s smart to put away clutter. Remember, clutter is nothing but an open air filing system.
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