Project Junction

I read the book 175 Ways to Get More Done in Less Time! by David Cottrell and Mark Layton this weekend and found it chock full of useful tips. Here’s just a sampling of tips that relate to how you maintain your desk. Look around. Be honest. How organized and efficient is your workspace?

1. When you don’t want to be disturbed, put your candy dish away. It is an interrupter magnet!
2. A picture or two on your desk is probably not distracting, but limit pictures to a special few. The more pictures on your desk, the more distractions and interruptions you invite.
3. Organize your desktop! If you are right-handed, make sure the phone is located on the left side of your desk. You want to keep the right side of the desk (and your right hand) free to take notes. Just the opposite for lefties. Right-handed people should place the calculator on the right side of their desk. Ditto the above for southpaws, the proud but under-represented!
4. When people arrive to interrupt, meet them at the door and talk outside your office. Letting them in may add minutes to the interruption.
5. Get a spiral-bound notebook, date it, and keep all your notes in the book for future reference. Quit writing on loose papers or sticky notes that tend to get lost.
6. Throw things away! Yes, even those ticket stubs from the last football game. Ask yourself, “What is the worst thing that could happen if I throw this away?” Most of the time, you can live with your answer, so start filling that wastebasket!
7. Clear your desk…NOW! Despite what some people believe, a cluttered desk does not indicate genius. Au contraire! It signals confusion and creates stress. Even mini-clutter will grow and eventually fill every inch. Keep your desk clear of everything except your project du jour and your family picture.

These tips are finite and actionable. They don’t attempt to change your world or your life; they are just intended to save a few precious seconds a day. But remember, those precious seconds can add up like coins in your change drawer.

Try these tips and let us know if they saved you any time. Are there any other tips would you add to the list?
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