Do you spend far too much time searching for things that should be right there at your fingertips? Do you look at your messy, disorganized office and feel a shudder go down your spine? Does this physical mess cause a mental mess and ruin your ability to get things done?
    Disorganization causes a brain drain. You can’t operate productively in an office tornado. It’s simple. Clear your physical space—clear your mind. Organize your life—organize your mind. Here are six quick and easy ways to do just that.

Simplicity Is Orderliness.

    Keep only the things on your desk that are essential. Keep items in your office that don’t distract you from your primary purpose of productivity.

Be Ruthless.

    I don’t mean get rid of Ruth. I’m suggesting you take ten minutes per week and walk around your office and home with a new set of eyes. Eyes that will see things you can either throw away or give away. Gather them and do one of those. (You might get a nifty tax write-off as well).

Go On A Tear.

    Don’t leave magazine articles you’d like to read lying around still inside the magazines. (You’ll never get to them.) Rip them out and place them in special files under various categories (business, sports, financial, personal) and then read them later. They’ll be easier to transport on the go to be read anywhere you like. You’ll be amazed. You’ll actually read them.

Find A File Fast.

    Can’t find that computer file you were working on a few days ago? Looking it up doesn’t work? (Dang—you can’t remember the name you saved it under.). Fear the file no more. Create a page that stays on your desk top, out of the way. Every time you create a new file, you of course name it and save it. Take a moment to also paste the name in that desktop file, listed under each day’s date. That way you have a very fast way to simply scan all the file names you created in the last days, weeks or months. This saves tons of time, and stops you from being frustrated trying to find it on your computer file finder, when you’re not sure of the name, or the date you created it.

No Flat Tops Allowed.

    Make a firm rule with yourself that you will NEVER place files, papers, articles or anything else on flat surfaces in your office. Instead, use those for decorations or simply looking at the beautiful finish they have. (Hint—that’s why you bought them in the first place).

Train Your Brain To Drain.

    You know how your mind can hold ALL those miscellaneous thoughts and to-do’s through the long business day? (Yeah, right —your brain goes into meltdown mode when you do that). Well, fear no more. To prevent your brain neurons overheating from trying to hold all that data, try this. You have many daily thoughts that fall under one of these categories: To-do’s, reminders, good ideas, new projects, pick ups at the store, remember to call, must email, vacation dreams, success goals, etc. Each time one of these pops into your cranium, write it down. Quickly. Guess what will happen? It’ll leave your head. Once its on paper, your brain relaxes and trusts that it’s “saved”. This clears your brain for more “stuff”. And for more clear, sharp-thinking productivity.