How Your Workspace Is Your Productivity Primer

My home desk has been in disarray for the past year and a half.

It's been a complete shambles. My desk is scattered with random documents, stacks of books, and an abundance of Legos. Not to mention the countless pens and coffee mugs I'd accumulated.

My lack of desire to clean is responsible for most clutter and grime. That's what I'm telling myself, at least. On the other hand, I tell my wife something else:

"It's a workspace, so it will be messy."

On the other hand, she saw this as a symptom of my lack of productivity as one contributing factor in my negative attitude throughout the previous year. After all, things didn't exactly go as planned.

When I was sick with Covid, I went into our den and looked at my desk. It was a complete disaster. Even the furniture was tumbling to the ground. It was a complete disaster. I realized it was a symptom of my work-related stress after that.

As soon as I felt better, I thought it was time to clear my desk. So, to help you reclaim your productivity, I'd like to share a few tips for clearing your desk.

Make sure your workstation is free of clutter.

The first thing I did was empty my desk of everything. I began with a white canvas. Now that everything was off my desk, I could start over and focus on the next stage.

Return necessary things.

There's a computer, a journal/planner, and a glass of water. Initially, these were the most essential items I reintroduced. Nothing was returned to my desk unless it was indispensable. You may have a few extras, but these were the absolute necessities.

Replace items that are often used.

I have a pair of glasses on my desk that I keep under my monitors. I also have a few pens and a notepad on hand for business. The key is to keep goods on hand that you use frequently but won't make a big mess.

Keep what you only use once in a while.

I put various gadgets, papers, and projects that I don't need but wish to work on anytime I have the chance away from my desk. Remove all open and closed projects from your desk and place them in a filing cabinet. Our workstations will be less cluttered as a result of this.

Toss aside the rest.

If you have anything leftover that you would not file away, now is the time to get rid of it. Get the garbage can and toss it in the trash. This was a more minor part of the mess, but the item fell to the floor when my desk grew too packed.

Last Words on Your Workspace

You don't have to be utterly wild about it. Your workstation will become chaos once more. It's only a matter of time before it happens. However, make it a practice to put things away after you're finished working on them. For me, this has been the most challenging part.

I'm nearing the end of my workday and ready to leave. Is it possible that this is due to working from home? Maybe it's because you haven't nailed down this productivity habit yet? It takes time to figure it out, whatever it is. When your desk is cluttered, take a break.

But remember to empty it out to get the most out of your time. The beautiful thing about this is that it boosts you and allows you to get a lot done after it's cleaned up.

What is your workspace like? Do you keep it super clean? Or is it a crazy mess like mine?