Help! I've Lost My Desk!
by Maria Gracia

Description: Organize your desk with these easy steps.

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Your desk is lost! It has mysteriously been confiscated by articles, magazines, memos, letters, pink phone message slips, yellow Post-it notes, pads of paper, file folders and a multitude of papers in all shapes, colors and sizes. You think it was once somewhere near your chair, which also seems to be quickly disappearing. You think to yourself, 'Gee, I could have sworn it was here yesterday.'

What can you do to find your desk, and reclaim it? Here are some simple tips and ideas:

1. On your calendar, schedule two hours of uninterrupted time to find and organize your desk. When the date and time rolls around, keep that appointment with yourself. Be prepared to wear casual, comfortable clothes that day if possible.

2. You'll need the following supplies for your desk. Make sure you have them before you start:

-- a desk caddy to hold pens, pencils, scissors, paper clips

-- an upright file sorter--as opposed to the typical horizontal trays.

-- manila file folders and a medium-point black marker for labeling.

3. Close your e-mail box every Friday. All calls should be directed into your voice mail, or to your assistant. Have a dumpster or large, plastic trash bag on hand. Turn on your favorite music. Grab a cup of water. Eliminate any chance that you might leave your office and get sidetracked.

4. Here's a secret. Your desk is under all those papers. Bet you thought you'd never see it again. Ok, pull every sheet of paper, all folders, supplies, magazines--basically everything--off your desk and put them on the floor. This may seem drastic, but you'll feel a lot better later.

5. Now that you've found your desk, and it's totally clear, you're ready to tackle everything you've removed from it. Make 4 folders labeled:

1) To Do-Today

2) To Do-Future

3) To Delegate

4) To File.

6. Grab the dumpster or trash bag and the three folders you just created. Sit comfortably on the floor. Pick up each paper, one by one, and decide whether or not it can be dumped. Generally, about 60% of the papers on a cluttered desk no longer have any value or meaning and can be tossed. As you come across papers that do need to be kept, temporarily place them in one of your 4 folders. Do this until you've gone through every piece of paper.

7. Place your upright file sorter and your desk caddy on your desk. You can also include your desk calendar, lamp and telephone. That's about all that should be on your desk every day, except for, perhaps, a computer and the one or two projects you're working on that day. Everything else should be in a file folder, either in your upright file sorter, your 31 Day Reminder System, or put away in your filing cabinet.

8. You're almost there. Now it's time to do something with those four folders you've been filling:

-- To Do-Today: The papers in this folder should be acted on today, or tomorrow at the very latest. For each project, schedule start times on your calendar right now. Then, put this folder in your upright file sorter.

--To Do-Future: These papers should be put into your 31 Day Reminder System for future action.

--To Delegate: These papers should be hand-delivered or mailed to the appropriate people right now. If you need to speak to the person you're giving it to before you send it, call right now and schedule a date and time. Then, file this paper in your 31 Day Reminder System in the appropriate day. When this file folder is empty, leave it on your desk in your upright file sorter. As you receive future papers that need to be delegated, you can hold them in this folder and sort through this folder once per day. Either give it to the appropriate person immediately, or schedule time to go over it with him or her and include it in your 31 Day Reminder File.

--To File: These papers should be filed in your filing cabinet for future reference. File as much as you can right now, so that you're caught up. Leave this file in your upright sorter for other papers to be filed. Then, choose 1-2 days per week to file everything in this folder.

You should now be enjoying a clutter-free desk. Straighten up for approximately 20 minutes each day before you leave work, and you won't stand the chance of ever losing your desk again!

Reprinted with permission. Visit Maria's Get Organized Now! website for lots of tips, tools and ideas to help you get better organized, plus a FREE Idea-Pak and Newsletter!

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