Make Office Decluttering a Goal Rather Than a New Year’s Resolution
I've never considered myself a ‘pack-rat' but I must admit I have a challenge with throwing things away – ‘just in case I'm going to need it.’ We are shaped, in part, by our childhood and I often wonder if I hold on to things because of my mother's painful experience when I was a child. I grew up hearing about the unfortunate day she cleaned out drawers and destroyed some very important documents that were irreplaceable and were closely tied in to her family history. That may have created my reluctance to throw out papers.
Are you a hoarder or is your philosophy like my husband’s, “If you haven't used it in six months, you don't need it?” What does this have to do with our business? A lot!
What is your work environment like? Is it cluttered? Even if there is a resemblance of order, are you surrounded by outdated and irrelevant materials that take up space but have no real value?  As I look at the shelves in my home office they are weighed down with three-ring binders of different sizes and colors, neatly arranged but packed with lots of files. I've finally come to grips with the reality that I need to go through those binders and get rid of files that are no longer relevant. I have to make office decluttering a goal!
When I started my online business at the end of 2008 I basically stopped buying shoes and started buying programs, packages, and training manuals  of all kinds that I hoped would guide me on the path to success with my online business. I printed everything!
Unfortunately, with the passage of time and changes in technology, etc. some of these are no longer relevant. For example, there is a binder filled with an entire training series – free and paid – on Facebook. Facebook has undergone so many changes in just the past year alone that there is very little value in those files anymore. There are other binders that contain information I can refer to that can help with research, but will I ever take the time to do so?
In addition, before starting my online journey, I had offline businesses, and there again are several binders with information on prospects and customers, training materials, etc. Those will be on their way out!
Of course, my shelves are also filled with valuable eBooks and training like Dennis Becker’s $5 Bucks a Day Report, Willie Crawford’s 20 Ways to Make $100 and Denise Wakeman’s Online Visibility Secrets.
My paperback collection of business books include Connie Ragen Green’s Huge Profits With Affiliate Marketing, Michele Scism’s Makeover Your Business in 6 Weeks or Less and Bob Jenkins’ Take Action Revise Later among many others.
This decluttering project is one of my projects for the first quarter of this year. How about you? What is your working environment like? If you work from home, does it motivate you to produce your best or does it sap you of your energy. Make decluttering a goal rather than a ‘New Year’s resolution!' Set a goal with a completion date. You will be glad you did.
Is decluttering a challenge for you? If not, what suggestions do you have to keep this recurring? Please share your experiences with us and leave your comments below. We can support each other 🙂
I find that throwing these early information packets from when I first came on line hard to do also.
Even though internet marketing has changed since 2008, some of this information is ever green.
My solution is to group each type program together and file them away for future reference.
1I agree, Ellene. That’s what slows down the process and makes it so laborious. You know what else I’ve found, most of the information other than those that revolve around changes revolving around technology, are still relevant. I did not realize I had so much information on SEO 🙂
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