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Question 1: Would you like to be happier, richer, smarter, and
more relaxed?
Question 2: Would you like to have more free time, peace of
mind, personal freedom, fun, and money?
Question 3: Would you like to accomplish all this without spending
a dime?
Of course you would. But…how? The answer is so simple that you
won't even believe me, but I'll tell you anyway. The path to all these
wonderful improvements revolves around one simple activity: De-clutter.
Yes, folks, de-cluttering and de-junking will provide more inner peace
than any little magic pill, hours of therapy, self-help books, or expensive
hobby. In fact, de-cluttering is a fun hobby in and of itself.
If there's one thing I've noticed about technical writers, it's that
we're savers. Does this sound familiar? "I better keep Joe Shmoe's
review of my Widgit User Guide from 1970; someone might ask me why I
made these changes." How about this gem? "I can't throw out
this textbook on Fortran Programming. You never know, the Fortran language
might come back." Or this: "I can't part with this keychain
with the Wang logo. It might be worth something as an antique."
It's time, folks, it's time. Sort through, go through, pare down, and
be ruthless. You won't believe how big your home office, cubicle, file
cabinet, or closet is when you get rid of all the junk that's stuffing
it up. But the real bonus will be the sense of inner peace you get when
that stuff is gone for good.
Home is Where the Junk Is - NOT
Is your home office an embarrassment to your spouse? Are you glad your
clients can't see it? Have you seen the top of your desk lately? Maybe
you're thinking, "Yes, it's cluttered, but I can find what I need."
No, no, no. That's not how it works. Sure, you can find what you need.
It's precariously balanced on top of five months-worth of papers that
you don't need. Excavate that old stuff today. You'll be surprised at
the new enthusiasm you have for your work when your office is de-junked
(both on top of and inside the desks and cabinets).
Watch for these home office clutter hot spots:
- Extra or unused office supplies. I recently gave away my "precious"
box of colored push pins. I haven't used one in years. It finally
dawned on me that I don't like them, I don't have a bulletin board,
and I don't use them.
- Old financial paperwork. That's right - you don't need that bill
from the window-washer that you paid three years ago. No, they're
not going to come after you. Keep important financial documents filed
and shred the rest.
- Filing cabinets. Get down and dirty with your filing cabinet. Go
through each file and toss, toss, toss. You'll probably laugh at some
of the clutter you've kept neatly filed away for years such as product
information about things you no longer own, expired insurance policies,
and business cards from people you can't even remember.
Cubicles (and Offices) Are Bigger Than You Think
Do you ever complain that the cubicle or office that you have at the
workplace is just too small? Well, maybe your clutter is just too big!
There's lots of stuff you can get rid of. If you're too busy during
the work day, take a Saturday or Sunday to spend the day at the office
and just de-clutter.
De-cluttering your office space can do wonders for your career. You'll
feel more enthusiastic and have more energy for work if your work space
is neat and clean. You'll be perceived as more organized and efficient.
Don't kid yourself. A messy desk does not make you appear busy and productive.
Even if people don't say it, they're thinking "What a mess. How
does he/she get any work done?"
I went to a highly recommended lawyer only to find that his office
and desk were a mess. I was reluctant to turn over my papers to him
and I chose a different attorney. Don't drive people away with your
clutter.
Try de-cluttering these items and see how much better you feel:
- Knick-knacks: A couple may be cute and reflect your personality.
But do you really need that chipped mug from your trip to the Grand
Canyon two years ago? As for collections, I-Don't-Wanna-Hear-About-It.
Collections are for museums, not the office.
- Photos: Ditto. A couple of family pictures are fine. Don't waste
your precious desk space with pictures of your second cousin's son's
first birthday.
- Children's art: Ditto and ditto. One crayon drawing by each child.
Period. Better yet, bring in something they've made that you can really
use, such as a clay pencil holder.
- Paper and work: Keep only papers related to your current project
on your desk. You probably don't have time to file every night so
here's what I do. I have a file marked "Working File" and
everything from my desk at the end of the day goes in there. The next
morning, I can pick up where I left off.
- Old paperwork: File it or shred it. It has no business taking up
space either on or in your desk or cabinets.
- Old reviews: There's no need to keep old hard copy reviews once
your project is done. Keep the sign-off sheets. Return the marked-up
copies to the original reviewer. Hey, if there's a complaint about
your project, it won't help to produce the review copy as evidence.
You'll get the blame anyway…am I right?
- Soda pop cans: This stymies me. I can't understand why so many people
keep used pop cans on their desks. Recycle them. Right now.
- Reference books: If you haven't used it since last month, it's outta
here. When was the last time you were even tempted to read your copy
of How to Write Better Business Plans? C'mon folks, just about all
the information you need is available on the Internet these days.
- Anything non-work related: See knick-knacks, photos, and children's
art above. If it's anything else, take it home where it belongs (and
then THROW IT OUT).
Cars are for Car-ing
Car is spelled C-A-R. It is not spelled C-L-O-S-E-T. Get it?
Do you find yourself embarrassed when you have to drive your co-workers
to a meeting, but first you have to clear the seats and floors so they
can get into your car and sit down? You (and they) don't need that aggravation.
You'll be amazed at how peaceful you feel when you're driving to work
in a nice clean car. Here's a secret I've found and it's true: Your
car will run better if it's clean. I can't prove it scientifically,
but it's true.
Don't tell me that if you have a family, the car is destined to be
a mess. That's so not true. Would you let your kids scatter their sweaty
socks and old salami sandwiches around the living room? Then don't let
them get away with it in the car. Every time you stop for gas, throw
out the car trash. If the kids leave their toys in the car, lock them
in the trunk (the toys, not the kids) and make the offenders pay you
50 cents to get them back.
The Most Satisfaction You'll Ever Have
I promise you…de-cluttering will be the most satisfying, habit-forming,
fun hobby you'll ever take up. In fact, it's not a hobby; it's a passion
and a way of life. Forget about the "I'll-need-it-somedays,"
and the "It-might-be-valuables," and the "But-it's-so-cutes."
Trash isn't useful, valuable, or cute. De-cluttering will provide you
with more space, free time, and pride—now that's valuable!
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