This is part of our series on The Simple Living Manifesto. We invite you to join us on the journey.

The 28th idea in the manifesto is:

Clear your desk. If you have a cluttered desk, it can be distracting and disorganized and stressful. A clear desk, however, is only a couple of simple habits away. Read more.

Redecorating the cubicle | Photo by Jonathan Blundell

I don’t have a great system for keeping my desk clean like Leo does.

But keeping my desk clean makes a huge difference in my work and overall day.

A few steps I’ve used to keep my work area clear…

• Use binder clips to hold and sort cables (everywhere possible).
• Keep accessories to a minimum. My employer continually asks if I want a printer for my desk and I continually tell them no. I’d much rather get up and walk to a shared printer than clutter my area with something I don’t use on a daily basis.
• Go paperless. Whenever possible, keep paper off your desk and out of your work area. The less paper, the less you have to organize, file, sort, recycle, etc…
• Keep notes, shortcuts, hints etc. in a handy text file or PDF on your computer. Don’t clutter your wall or computer screen with those notes (see how I used to do things in the photo above). Use a shortcut or an app like Launchy to keep those notes handy on your computer. Personally, I have a folder in my quick launch area that contains the 5 or 6 documents I access every day. (Read some great advanced tips for Launchy.)
• Reset your desk every night before you head home every day. Start off on the right foot each morning by cleaning and organizing your desk before you head home — putting everything in it’s right spot.

What about you? Have you adopted a system for keeping your work area neat and tidy? What works best for you?

Join us!

Write a blog post about the point above and then share the link in the comments below:

keep reading...

• Simple Manifesto #71: Live closer to work
• The Simple Manifesto #4 – Simplify work tasks
• A standing desk update