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.
|
