After getting inspired by Unclutterer’s ”Workspace of the Week” I decided to tackle it. It turns out, some of the problem was my fault:

• I’d come home from work and dump my stuff on my desk (it’s right off our entryway, so very handy).
• I’d put mail on my desk to deal with later.
• If I didn’t know where to put something, I’d put it on my desk to deal with later.
• If I had to do something, I’d put it on my desk to remind me (I’m a stacker).

So I set a weekend aside to deal with it. I got a big pad of paper, a pen, a recycling bin, rubbish bin, and 2 laundry baskets (I’ll explain why soon). 

At the top of the paper I wrote “To Do”. 

I moved the chair out the way so I could get at my desk.

I cleared every piece of paper, junk, stationary, etc, etc off my desk. As I picked something up:

• If it was rubbish, it was thrown into the rubbish or recycling bin.
• If it was a reminder or old to-do list, I copied it onto the To-Do list, then threw it in the recycling bin. I did not stop and do the things then and there – I’d never have finished.
• If it belonged elsewhere in the house, it went in one laundry basket to be re-homed later.
• If I wanted to keep it, and it had a home, I put it in its home. If I had to do something with it – e.g. bills to pay – I put that on the To-Do list before putting it away.
• If I wanted to keep it, but didn’t know where to put it, it went in the other laundry basket.

This took about half a day, but when I was done it felt great – I now had a list of everything that needed to be done, and didn’t have nameless worries nagging at me any more.

I could now see my desk top clearly – yuk! I took everything off it and cleaned it thoroughly! I then picked up one item at a time, assessed whether I really wanted it on my desk, and if so, cleaned it and put it back.

As I looked at my clean, usable desk, I noticed the cable clutter for the first time. So my husband drilled a hole in the back of my desk, and I fed the cables through that. No more cables – yay!

Lastly, I created a launchpad on top of the drawers beside my desk – a place to leave keys, wallet, etc when I get home and to collect things to go with me the next day.

I put away the rubbish and recycling, rehomed the things from other parts of the house, and finally found homes for the unhomed items in the last laundry basket.

Fairly soon after this, strange things started to happen. If I was looking for something to do, I’d find myself sitting at my desk, because it was a nice place to be. I got out the house quicker, because I knew exactly where my keys were, and I found that it was actually easy to put things away when I’d finished with them, because they had homes. The clutter monster’s still there, but I keep it tamed with 2 minute hotspot clears.

I wish you luck with your own monster – it’s well worth the effort.

1. Get a good chair that supports your back properly and sits you at the right height for the desk. Guidelines can be found here.

A chair doesn’t have to be expensive to do this. If it’s the right height for you to use the keyboard properly, but your feet don’t touch the floor, get a footrest (a thick book or box will do). If you’re leaning back a bit when you rest on the chair back, will a cushion make you sit up straight?

2. Have enough space to spread out. If you have several books open at once, you need enough room to lay them out. If you have a notepad beside your computer, you need enough room for it beside the keyboard, on the side you write with. Get a desk long enough to let you work how you want.

3. Have only what you need. One pen. One writing pad. One computer. That may be all you need: take everything else away, and see if you use it. If you do – regularly – find a home near your desk for it. If not, throw it out, or find somewhere else to store it. It’ll be easier to find things, easier to keep things tidy, and will feel a whole lot better.

And if you’re storing hundreds of pens because one day the one you’re using will run out, here’s a suggestion: think about how long one pen lasts you. Then think about how many spares you need. 5? OK. Pick out the 6 best pens, bundle the rest up, and give them to your local Red Cross. They’ll be grateful.

4. Add some inspiration by putting a beautiful picture or photo on the wall – one that makes your heart feel glad every time you look at it.

5. Get good light. Invest in a good overhead light, and a lamp if you need it. Make sure that you can see clearly, whatever time you’re at your desk.

6. Keep your desk clear of distractions and clutter. If you can’t see it, you can’t use it. If your desk is currently a disaster zone, start working on clearing it and keeping it clear. Find another place to dump all the junk.

7. Enjoy. Let your desk become a place of inspiration.