You Can Can the Clutter

Sometimes people don’t realize that genius comes with a price. The cost of creative thinking can commonly be clutter (or its polar opposite, OCD). Your brain is too busy chugging through concepts beyond other’s comprehension to realize yet another candy bar wrapper missed the can and hit the floor somewhere under your desk. Either that or maybe you’re just kind of a slob and the rubbish bin was over flowing, full of soda bottles and discarded packaging from the latest and greatest tech gadgets you’ve gotten. Is that a box from your beeper back there?

You might be amazing at your job but coworkers are almost more awestruck by the pile of paperwork stacked skillfully on the corner of your desk. They watch and wait, asking you to pull out different documentation to see if the whole thing will fall like a giant game of Jenga. On top of that your desk is already littered with inspirational icons, aka figurines and mementos.

If this sounds like you stop and take a minute to look around. What does your workspace say about you outside of your professional performance? If the president of the corporation, or your biggest client were to walk into your office while you’re not there would they get a good impression of the employee that works there? What if someone posted a picture of your messy office online, would you be embarrassed?

It’s been said that a person’s physical space reflects the space in your head. Your boss may deduce from your cluttered desk that you have a messy mind. Even if you are effective in your position your piles make you appear inefficient. With all this stuff stacked against you it may seem tough to see your way through to the clearing. But start small and you’ll break down the big job.

Plan to come in early or stay late to start sneaking out the garbage that you’ve accumulated in your grunge phase. Hauling bags through the office during the workday is the equivalent to airing out your dirty laundry. If you time it right you can dump it in the big bin right before the custodian takes it away. Remember the Breakfast Club? He knows all of your secrets anyway.

Next, pack up all the cups, mugs, utensils and containers that have collected around your perimeter. Go ahead and toss any cheap stuff that has started growing science experiments. Take everything else home and don’t bring it back. While you’re hauling stuff back to your house grab an extra tchotchke you’re tripping over too. Limit yourself to 3 knick knacks max and maybe a photo or two.

Borrow a vacuum from housekeeping and pop in a Plug-In and you will blow your coworkers away and you won’t have to worry if your boss stops by for a surprise visit. After your physical space is clear try taking care of your virtual desk top and clean up any unused icons.


By Heather Fairchild - Heather is a multimedia developer with experience in web, film, photography and animation as well as traditional fine arts like painting and sculpting. In addition to writing for TechCareersBlog.com, she is co-founder of design and promotion company, BlackChip Solutions with fellow Nexxt blogger, Staci Dennis. Heather’s spare time consists of making puppets, teaching Sunday School, building Legos and doing science experiments with her children.