| How can you make your work area more attractive | | | | Any books that are not related to your business and |
| so that you enjoy being there and can focus | | | | that are not used as references should be moved to |
| specifically on the work at hand? The more clutter | | | | another area, taken home, or donated. If you |
| you eliminate, the more peaceful the setting will be, | | | | ordered a set of tapes for your business, have |
| and therefore the more productive your time will be. | | | | listened to them, and know that you will not do so |
| Photos. | | | | again, consider selling them at a reduced price to |
| You may consider a photo of loved ones as a | | | | someone else in the field. If you want to keep them |
| pleasant reminder of why you work so hard, or as a | | | | for reference, find a way to store and catalog them |
| conversation-starter to get acquainted with new | | | | instead of leaving individual disks strewn around. |
| clients. However, photos can quickly accumulate, lining | | | | Computers. |
| windowsills and shelves, tacked to walls, and taking | | | | Do you have an older printer stuck in a corner? Box |
| up valuable desk space. These photos have | | | | unused computer hardware and store it. Donate older |
| accumulated over the years, as new ones are added | | | | computer parts and get a tax deduction for a |
| without replacing the older ones. If you like photos, | | | | contribution to a local charity. What about the extra |
| keep just one or two current ones. | | | | hard drive, cables, and phone cords? One spare of |
| Giveaways. | | | | each item should be enough. How many stray CDs |
| How often do you take something from a vendor's | | | | are laying around, and you have no idea what's on |
| display table just because it is free? Then you drop it | | | | them? |
| on your desk. How many stress balls or letter | | | | Artwork. |
| openers do you need? When you have too many, | | | | Drawings by children and grandchildren are precious, |
| they go into the drawers, onto the windowsills, etc. | | | | but covering a bulletin board or the wall of an office |
| More than one has no useful purpose. | | | | does not lend itself to a professional feeling. If you |
| Memorabilia. | | | | want to display one or two sketches, frame and |
| Do you really need the little Eiffel Tower from Las | | | | hang them. Let the others rotate on your |
| Vegas, or the Florida seashell? Sometimes these end | | | | refrigerator. |
| up in the office because they do not fit into the | | | | Miscellaneous. |
| house décor. They can encourage chitchat as | | | | Tools laying around left over from a jobsite or |
| you exchange vacation stories, and then you wonder | | | | related to a small repair do not need to stay in your |
| why interruptions take up so much of the day. | | | | desk area. Look around and see how many things |
| Certificates. | | | | are not related to the type of work you actually do |
| Framed degrees and licenses lend credibility to an | | | | in your office. This desk area should not be the |
| individual when they relate directly to the business | | | | company's storage space. |
| being transacted. However, spreading around all the | | | | Anything surrounding you that is not useful, beautiful, |
| certificates you gather from continuing education | | | | or treasured by you, should be disposed of in some |
| classes gets to be overkill. Choose to display only the | | | | manner because clutter is messy, inconvenient, and |
| most significant documents if you're in a situation | | | | sometimes embarrassing. It affects your space, your |
| where clients visit your workplace. | | | | time, and your peace of mind. |
| Books and CDs. | | | | |