I spent most of last weekend cleaning my office and my filing system and my computer of unnecessary files and emails and programs that I rarely used. It’s nice to be able to sit down and get that done but it sure takes a long time!
I use Laurie Bornstein’s philosophy about clearing clutter when I need to get things like this done:
- Start small – tackle one small thing at a time and you will get more done in a shorter period of time.
- Clear out one full item (whether that is a desk drawer, shelf, email folder, computer folder, etc.) and then only put back the things you need. Decide where the other items belong and get rid of what is unnecessary.
- Move on to the next item and repeat the procedure!
It’s really simple and it really does work. It breaks the task down into manageable chunks and it helps you to keep focused on the task at hand. I cleaned up one whole computer and moved a number of items from a second computer to my laptop.
When you work from home it can very easy to get distracted by things that are not work-related, or are non-billable time. I have mentioned in my previous posts that I am getting back to my perpetual learning mode, and it can be a distraction to have course material on my work computer, so I moved it so I can’t access it during business hours.
Little things like this can really go a long way to helping you focus on the task at hand when you are working virtually.
Take the time to clear the clutter out of your way, and be prepared to be more productive!
