The new year is coming, which brings new experiences, opportunities, and innovations everywhere! Whatever resolutions you make for yourself, it’s always a great time to do a physical clean out and mental reset, especially in your workspace. 

So, to help you welcome the new year with ease, calm, and control, here are five strategies worth trying:

1. Declutter! 

Clear your workspace! Empty, shred, or throw whatever you don’t use anymore from your desk. Check to see if your furniture, gadgets, and supplies need to be restocked, repaired, or recycled. Remember, if it’s starting to accumulate dust, it’s time for it to go! 

For your digital workspace, it’s time for you to clean up your desktop of any apps, photos, documents, and folders you don’t need anymore. Delete duplicate files or documents that you will never reference again. Files that aren’t useful to you should be discarded.

2. Create a filing system and label them

After you’ve completed decluttering, create a file system that works for you. Manage your clutter by categorising each one based on its importance, colour, or size. Additionally, according to Microsoft’s productivity blog, it’s ideal to organise your digital files by name, date, project, or department. 
Don’t limit yourself to storage containers, filing cabinets, or digital folders and software. Slap labels on anything that will help you easily find what you’re looking for! You can create a folder structure and decide a file naming convention. For example, you can name your file “Blog-New-Year-Tip-Get-Organised-December-2023”. It’s specific to the project and date, and it includes keywords, making it easier to find in the future. 

3. Manage your emails and inbox

Sort stored and incoming emails and messages into categories based on priority or action. If you have data that has been stored for a long time and you no longer need it, might as well delete it. This frees up space and prevents you from feeling overwhelmed whenever you check your inbox or email.

4. Set a centralised calendar to keep track of your tasks and appointments

Utilise physical or digital calendars to help you plan out and visualise your schedule for the coming days, weeks, and months. With them, you can write reminders and compile a list of all your commitments. Never again will you have to rely solely on your memory and miss crucial meetings or events.  

5. Make cleaning and organising a habit

If you want to stay organised the whole year, you need to develop a consistent routine to follow. For example, you may spend 15 minutes every morning before starting work to plan out your day’s tasks. You can write a list on your calendar to help you stay on track throughout the day. Then, at the end of the day, you can spend 15 minutes cleaning your desk of unnecessary clutter. 

Getting more organised in the coming year appears to be an enormous and scary undertaking, but it doesn’t have to be!  By following the simple tips outlined above and building a routine, you can be more productive, efficient, and even meet your new year’s resolution! But hey, following these tips does not need you to become a master overnight. What counts is that you do it, one step at a time.