A Cluttered Office Is Like A Hairy Swimmer
by Robyn Bentley
MP3 Audio Version
Two swimmers are competing in a race. They both have the exact same
ability but one's body is completely shaved and the other is very hairy.
Which one is going to win the race?
A cluttered office is like a hairy swimmer. Just like body hair
creates resistance in the water for the swimmer, clutter creates resistance
to the natural energy flow in a room and creates "stuck energy".
Stuck energy causes procrastination, lack of motivation, a feeling of being
in limbo or being stuck, confusion, and even depression. This is
not about being neat and tidy. It's about drag and flow. Clutter slows
you down and makes it more difficult for you to accomplish your goals.
Clutter is distracting and makes it harder for you to focus. Clutter
in your office can hold you back professionally. When you are working
in stuck energy and things just aren't happening for you like they should,
you can start to doubt your own abilities and hate your job. Clutter
can also make your boss and co-workers think negatively about your abilities
and you may be passed over for promotions. Of course you can be a successful
business person and have a cluttered office, but you’re not going to be
as successful as you could be. So why hold yourself back at all?
Being organized means being in control. How much time do you waste
trying to locate things in your office? The average desk worker wastes 3
hours a week "looking" for things. Professionals spend 5-15 percent of their
time reading information but up to 50 percent looking for it. When
you are more organized, you are more productive. When you are more productive,
you are more successful. You flow through your workday with ease.
Are you a hairy swimmer? Then dive in. Tackle that big pile on your
desk by going through it every day for 15 to 30 minutes and put everything
where it needs to be. Soon there will be no pile. Have a place
for everything, and keep everything in its place. Go through your files
and toss out papers you don’t need. Just keep a few things on your
desk like your pen, message pad, phone, computer and put away the other
things you don’t use often like the stapler and tape.
You don't have to tackle it all at once -- that might be too overwhelming.
But pick a day to start chipping away at what you have amassed. Start
with your desktop, a drawer or a certain file and little by little you can
conquer your clutter monster. And don't forget that you are
doing this for YOU - not your boss or the company. This is to help
you be more successful because less clutter at work means fewer obstacles
on your career path.
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