The things we keep in our workspace/office exposes what we decided will enhance our career, job, expertise, life, or business. When papers pile up or are dumped unsorted in boxes, this is an indication these items no longer serve you.

Getting organized will help you take back control. Until then, colleagues or spouses may think your workspace’s mess reflects your state of mind. “I know where everything is,” you’ll retort. “I can always find what I need.”

The problem is you won’t always be around to find a project or file due to a hospital stay, vacation, sick day, or out-of-town conference.

If you lose important papers or electronic files, you cannot pass on important knowledge, keep the information for company records or history, or find what you or others need.

When information gets missed, productivity and the company can suffer.

You know getting organized helps you, but did you know it will boost your work financially, emotionally, physically, and spiritually? See how below:

Financial Benefits

  • Only keeping what you really need compels you to focus on projects and goals you value most — allowing you to better meet company goals and faster
  • A cleared space leads to increased productivity, and a more profitable employee
  • By organizing supplies, avoid repurchasing those you have (save money!) and allows you to plan what you need in the next supply order
  • Instead of wasting time looking for files, you can spend your time effectively by being a more productive employee

Emotional Benefits

  • Feels like huge weight lifted off you (“I must get to this” is now done)
  • Seeing what’s really important to you may inspire you to pursue new projects, or a new role
  • Lift away that guilty awareness that your space is cluttered
  • With a cleared space, you clear your mind
  • Each morning, instead of starting your day with frustration at the clutter and disorganization, you are ready to work on your newly identified goals
  • Clearly see what is truly important to you at this stage of your career or business
  • Become more passionately involved or feel recommitted to work
  • Gain renewed confidence in decision-making abilities
  • By confronting what we no longer need, we get to reset our work lives
  • Make decisions based on newly identified values

Physical Benefits

  • Spend less time searching for files or projects
  • Reduce stress and feel less overwhelmed
  • Find things you’ve been looking for
  • Have room and feel comfortable to host meetings in your office
  • Tackle projects hanging over your head untouched, ignored, or hidden
  • Face your tendency to procrastinate
  • By reducing files, have more room to work
  • Digitize old files and that tower of business cards you won’t use
  • Easy-to-maintain system, reflecting the individual personal work style, helps spaces stay clear, and productivity remain high
  • Stand or sit at your desk properly, with an ergonomic computer set up, helping to reduce neck or lower back pain
  • By selecting what you keep, make choices and decisions on your future
  • With boxes gone, you have a clear path to your desk
  • Organized files are at hand when you need them

Spiritual Benefits

  • Organizing your work space can be reputation-enhancing, as colleagues and clients see you in control of your workflow
  • Learning to let material go and giving away, recycling, and archiving files or items can be cathartic, leaving you with a feeling of freedom
  • Items in your office are signs of what you value, and a reflection of what you want to get out of your career
  • By digging out from stuff that has been burying you, you can forge ahead uncluttered, ready for change
  • Feel ready to tackle projects you couldn’t bear to look at before
  • Be more passionately involved and able to focus on what matters most