Does this sound familiar; your desk looks like a doctor’s, your computer screen is bordered in sticky notes like a picture frame or completely covered like the picture above, and your computer desktop screen is full of icons? Do you feel overwhelmed and frustrated because you don’t know where to begin when you sit at your desk first thing in the morning?
If you answered “yes” to both questions, then you may be suffering from Disorganization Syndrome. There is only one way to cure this ailment. GET ORGANIZED! Did you know that disorganization dramatically slows productivity, and can cost the company time and money? Follow these simple steps to becoming the top performer in your office.
To begin the disorganization recovery, start by organizing the disarray of paperwork covering your desktop. Most office supply stores carry an alphabetizer, or plastic sorter. Once sorting has been completed you can now create files for the paperwork you wish to keep, and for those that you find unnecessary, shred them. Create folders on your desktop screen for those items you want to keep but don’t necessarily access on a regular basis.
Now that your desktop is clean, you might want to invest in a couple of desktop organizers. As an example one could be labeled “Inbox” and one labeled “Filing”. You may find that you want to include other labeled topics to help you stay organized. Each day, at the end of the day, clean off your desk. Put away all of the paperwork in files, cabinets or bins that you had been working on during the day. That way when you arrive at your desk the next day, you will feel ready to tackle your workday.
Pull the sticky notes off your computer screen. Nowadays, you can use online calendars with reminders to help you remember important meetings and events. Medical Business Systems’ medical billing software Iridium Suite has a built in feature called Todos that is designed to get the sticky notes off your computer screen and your desk to help keep you organized and efficient.
My last piece of organizational advice is to keep a prioritized task list. Whether you are a visual person and need to see this information on paper, a white board, or by pop up reminders, you know what you have to accomplish each day it will help alleviate that overwhelming feeling.
