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Laptop chargers, a box of tea bags, empty coffee cups, pens, and post-it notes, old documentsâŚ
The average office desk is swamped with all sorts of objects. And while some of us may âtidy upâ at the end of their workday – or week, most of us are too busy running to their lives outside the office once theyâve finished work.
And so, as months go by and spring turns into summer, we find ourselves facing an impressive, ever-growing collection of office stuff. Sounds familiar?
Then weâve got good news for you. For this article, we got inspired by Japanese tidying guru Marie Kondo and listed 6 tips to âMari Kondoâ your office.
1. Commit yourself to tidying up
As with everything, the road to that spotless desk starts with your commitment. If your heart isnât in it, you might as well spare yourself the effort of getting started.
2. Visualize your ideal office space
Take a moment to close your eyes and reflect. Imagine your ideal office experience. What does it look like? What role does your desk play in the bigger picture? How does it look? As weird as it may seem, imagining your optimal office space will help you make it a reality.
3. Finish discarding first
This is about getting rid of items that no longer spark joy (see also tip number 6). Whatever it is that youâve got lying on your desk: an old badge from a professional event you attended, a pile of outdated documents, a dried flower you got from a happy customer; if you feel their time is up, âkindly thank them for their service and let them go,â as Mari puts it.
4. Tidy by category
If youâre into the tidying business, you might know that most methods follow a room-by-room or little-by-little approach. Mari Kondo does things differently. Her KonMari Method is all about tidying by category (instead of location). It starts with clothes, followed by books, papers, kimono (miscellaneous items) and finally sentimental items.
Granted, you probably wonât have a bunch of clothes lying around the office. But books, papers, random and sentimental items most of us definitely have (a lot of) on and around our desk.
5. Follow the right order
See number 4. We donât know the exact philosophy behind this particular order, but weâre sure Marie knows what sheâs talking about when it comes to tidying up (your office).
6. Ask yourself if it sparks joy
Take a look at that cup filled with pens, pencils, paperclips, and other office material. Does it really contribute to your everyday office joy? Or is it merely filling up precious desk space?
While office objects are less likely to truly spark joy than your personal belongings, you can still use this criterion to a certain extent. For example, if your favorite coffee cup gives you comfort in the morning while youâre getting ready for the day, keep it. Rather than sparking joy you could say that making your workday a little more pleasant/fun is a good criterion when deciding whether or not to keep your office belongings.
Happy tidying!
This article is part of our Summer Book, a fun and easy to read guide filled with articles to read during your well-deserved break. You can download it here.
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