The True Cost of Disorganized Labor
Over the years, quite a few studies have asked professionals if they consider themselves to be disorganized at work. Most respondents say yes. For instance, OfficeMax, the business supply company, released the results of a survey on this topic in 2011. Its researchers reported that 77 percent of Americans believe they’re less productive due to disorganization.
In fact, the price of disorganization is much higher than lost productivity. Fortunately, though, you can win the tough battle against untidiness.
Excuses, Excuses
People often have various excuses for not getting their workstations in order. Some workers refuse to throw needless items away because they feel they might use them eventually.
You might convince yourself that, despite the disarray, you can always find whatever you’re looking for. Well, with all due respect, that’s almost certainly a delusion. The typical employee spends almost a week each year trying to find things.
Occasionally, professionals tell themselves that their situation is hopeless, that they were simply born messy or that their workplaces are cluttered beyond redemption. However, once you start cleaning up your surroundings, you’ll probably get a boost of confidence and energy; you may want to keep going until your whole office is neat.
The Problems with Messes
When you deal with a messy office every day, your negative stress levels go way up. You worry, maybe unconsciously, that your colleagues will think less of you or your supervisor will use your disorganization as a cause for dismissal.
Messiness also disrupts concentration. The Harvard Business Review has reported that an employee with a clean desk can focus on an activity for 50 percent longer than one with a sloppy desk, and greater focus can lead to enhanced creativity.
Getting Rid of Mental Clutter
As you declutter your office, try to declutter your thoughts as well. That is, if you can focus on one duty at a time and put aside distractions and anxieties, you can accomplish your tasks with maximum efficiency. Indeed, organized minds so often lead to organized schedules, organized offices and organized lives.
As a result, you’ll have more time to take care of your priorities, more time for creative thinking and more time to do the activities you want to do. Practicing meditation and other calming techniques can help you achieve this goal.
When experts write nonfiction books about business, no matter what their fields may be, they almost always mention how organization is a key to performance and corporate success. Just remember that being organized requires more than one action or series of actions. Instead, it really is a pattern of behavior and a way of life.
