Rid Your Desk of Clutter: 4 Steps to a More Productive Work Space

Your desktop does not need to be a shrine to inefficiency.

There, I said it. For years office workers have been clinging to the mentality that a cluttered, busy desk makes them look like a busy worker. It may look that way to some, but the general consensus is finally shifting.

Clutter does not increase productivity or efficiency. In fact, time spent digging through and rearranging clutter to get to the items you need is time that could be spent doing actual work. Clutter kills productivity.

Would you rather look busy and over-worked, with your cluttered desk, or productive and efficient with an organized desk? Most likely your employer is hoping to see productive and efficient. It may be time to shelf the clutter - literally.

1. The office does not have show and tell time.

The majority of your waking hours are spent in your office, so of course there are going to be a few personal items around your desk. Personal effects don't need to add to your clutter. Keep them to a minimum, and keep them off to the side.

Try hanging your pictures on the wall instead of leaving frames on the desk. Consider if the items hanging around are really meant to be a display, or if they are just things you may need. If you can, stash that clutter in a drawer and give your self some room to work.

2. Your projects are not a work of art.

Of course you're proud of your work. You've no doubt put a lot of time and effort into turning out quality assignments. That's no reason to turn your desk into a show case for your projects. Completed tasks hanging out on your desk are clutter - unnecessary.

Free up some of that desk space for your current projects. You'll be all set to continue your tradition of excellence. You also won't have to worry that co-workers visiting your desk will get an eyeful of something they may not have been meant to see.

3. Your papers don't need a tea party.

They're papers, not Paris Hilton; they don't exist to socialize or to expand their horizons. That's right, those piles of papers that you aren't done with, but aren't using, they're clutter, too. They are the reason that your desk has drawers, that your office has overhead compartments, cupboards, shelves or filing cabinets: things that can't be kept too far away can still be stored.

You will need to strike a balance. Getting up every 10 seconds to file papers away will hurt your efficiency and productivity just as much as clutter does. So what's an office worker to do to keep a tidy desk? Kill clutter with a new mantra: "One project at a time". Get out only what you need for the task. When you're ready to move on, pick up your desk before starting the next task.

4. Tools of the trade need a home, too.

You may not be using that stapler/paperclip collection/stamper/etc. right now, but you will before the end of the day - probably. Is it still clutter? You probably don't need it on your desk all the time, so try to find it a home.

As a general rule, objects with wires such as calculators are best set up and left in place on your desk, unless they are used extremely rarely. Any items, like pens or scratch paper, which you are likely to need a few times an hour should be kept on the desk or equally close at hand.

If your tools are often buried or hard to find, they're either clutter themselves, or they're being consumed by your other clutter. Those things that you use once and leave out on your desk "just in case" are definitely clutter.

Uncluttering your desk doesn't have to be difficult. A few small adjustments to your habits can lead to a more productive, efficient workspace.