Cleaning Up My Mess Of a Room: From Drab To Fab!

So I always thought I had OCD, but after taking a look at my desk and realising it looks like this...

...I decided maybe that wasn't the case. I know I've ranted before about having a clean desk and efficiency, but talking the talk is much easier than walking the walk. I first realised I had this problem when my friend came over and asked where she could put her bag, and I casually said: "Just throw it on the desk," to which she responded "...What desk?" I pointed it out and she proclaimed: "There's a desk under there?!" It was time to take action!

I got all my energy and efforts together and dumped everything off my desk onto the floor. This was step one. I considered convincing myself that the mess was actually all strategically placed around my room, but after half an hour of failing to believe myself I knew I had to move on to step two: actual cleaning. I rolled up my sleeves and packed most of my important documents, aka "junk", into boxes to put in the garage. The desk once again looked amazing and clean! Almost like one of the best office desks in Melbourne! Well... From my perspective anyway. It was now a lot more like this:

Looks like something I could've gotten from http://www.officefurnituredeals.com.au/office-desks-melbourne/!

Trendy and effective office desks

Why a tidy desk is important

With so much work being done at desks, especially in the corporate world, the need to maximize effectiveness whilst at the desk is imperative. Whilst most work is indeed done on computers, the impact of an untidy office workstation or desk can still be quite negative.

It may not seem overly important to workers, but having a clean desk is vital to working efficiently. With so many paper forms now being converted to electronic versions, there is no excuse to have files piled up all over the desk. The key problems with having an untidy desk include:

-       Unusable Desk Space. With so much rubbish piled up all over the desk, there is only a small area that is actually usable. Making the most of the space provided is essential in maintaining effectiveness.

-       Distractions. With a cluttered desk, there will be many things to distract you from your work. In an efficient office, where desks are clean, workers go outside for a quick breath of fresh air when they are feeling the pinch, whereas workers with a cluttered desk just float away amidst the distractions at hand.

-       Unhygienic. After a while, your office desk will become a paradise for unhealthy bacteria. Leaving empty coffee cups, apple cores and even the cling wrap from your sandwich last week encourages harmful bacteria around your area.

-       Stress. With your desk piling up with rubbish, it’s hard to think clearly. A clean and tidy desk will allow you to think more clearly about the task at hand and be able to survey the situation properly.

-       Unorganised. A cluttered desk is a sign of an unorganised person. The clutter points to them being too lazy to implement a good system and could be what leads to them not getting that promotion that they so dearly seek.

Having a tidy desk will indeed sooth the mind. It’s the same as having 30 new emails in your inbox: there is so much volume that you don’t know where to start. Without giving yourself the best possible chance of completing work efficiently, you aren’t anywhere near your maximum capacity. For more information about effective office desks, visit http://www.officefurnituredeals.com.au/subcategory/10/office-desks/

Why a home desk if different from a work desk

Is it time to live the dream and work from home? Your job may allow you to do so, but in order to be effective you need to ensure you have the best possible desk to complete work. It’s much like creating a study area for your children: the right environment will create the best efficiency.

Working from home can be a serious distraction, so getting the proper desk and furniture in place is essential. 

A cool work from home area

Homer Simpson's idea of working from home

Effective home work area