Yesterday, I had a load to drop-off for our local Goodwill. Everyone else must have been cleaning out closets too, because there was a mountain of sacks, boxes and discarded items piled up where the Goodwill truck normally parks. I decided to wait until the truck was there, but the image of all that stuff had me thinking about the saying "out with the old, in with the new."
How long has it been since you have done a thorough clean out of your office? This may seem like an overwhelming task, but the results are worth it! Starting the year feeling in control of your work space will help you be more productive. By the way, a great book on this subject is David Allen's "Getting Things Done."
Here's a couple of suggestions...Don't start in middle of the day. Interruptions are frustrating and counter-productive to the efforts you'll be making to get organized. I prefer early morning, before the phones start to ring and co-workers are stopping by to chitchat. If you're really not a morning person,consider going back to the office after dinner and spending the evening.
Purge your files. If you haven't looked at it in a year - you probably don't need it. If it is something you do not need to reference often and you have a copy on the computer, get rid of the hard copy. Take a look at all product information. You only need to keep the most recent. If you need to get an additional filing cabinet for your office, do so. The space in your desk should be used for the essential files that you access frequently. And keeping them jammed full will not feel in control. Keep the drawer only about 2/3 - 3/4 full, so you can easily thumb through to find what you need.
Organize the drawers. Clean out the crumbs, put all the pens and sticky notes in one place and generally go through everything you've been tossing in there over the past year. Get dividers or small baskets to keep everything in place if you need to.
On top of surfaces. How much of your work is scattered on the desk, filing cabinet or other surfaces of your office? This creates a feeling of disorganization every time you (or a client) walk in the office. If you really want easy access to a few things, have a workstation file organizer that can hold files you are currently working with. Give everything a home, even if it's the garbage can!
Love that clean smell! Once you have the surfaces free of papers and files, take the time to do a deep cleaning. I know the company has a cleaning service that comes in. But they probably didn't clean all your office surfaces if they were covered.
Now you will be ready to tackle more effectively, your job of loan originating! Getting in control of your workspace is a simple thing that can have great results on your productivity. Good luck!
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