It can be easy to fall into the trap of doing more work than we should. It can be so troublesome that psychologists have coined it “Over-earning”.We tend to invest lots of energy into things that don’t really matter. We might originally undertake a task to achieve a specific objective, but we can lose sight that we have achieved our goal and instead try to maximize whatever we can get. Instead of spending time enjoying the rewards, we have earned we instead keep working for the sake of it.

The 3 Traps: Overearning

Before you get started tidying up, it is a good idea to have an effective plan in place. <ul><li>Visualize Your Ideal Work-Life.</li><li>Know where everything belongs.</li></ul>When you encounter anything, ask yourself:<ul><li>Does it spark joy?</li><li>Is it needed for work or play?</li><li>Any future utility that it provides?</li></ul>

Getting Started

There are usually 3 ways we approach our emails: all of which can lead to problems.1. Those who stay alertThese are the people who stay alert for inbound emails.2. The spring cleanersThese are the people who purge their inbox occasionally. 3. The accumulatorsThese are the people who let emails accumulate and then rely on the search functionality. If your inbox has at least 1000 emails in it then this might be you!

Email Personality Types

1. The pending onesThese are the ones that require future action. Think outstanding bills and things like proposals that must be reviewed.2. The ones we MUST keepMost workplaces will have things that are required by law – these might be long-term contracts or legislation. 3. The ones we WANT TO keepThese might spark joy or be valuable for other purposes. You need to be brutal here, however. If they get in your way and are not worth it then get rid!

Documents(Physical and Digital)

Regularly maintain a box – whether it be physical or digital – for things which are pending. This is your place to put things when they don’t have a place yet. Think new documents – do not just put everything here though! It is instead a short-term stop-off for documents.

Pending Box

Tidying up can sometimes feel like a never-ending process. We swing between moments of having a tidy environment to a chaotic one. Why can’t we seem to tidy and keep it that way?One of the main reasons for us not being consistently tidy is because of our intrinsic motivation behind it. You need to ask yourself whether you really want a tidy workspace based off your own initiative or because external factors require it. Secondly, you should be in control; don’t rely on others to do it!

Why are we not clean

<ul><li>Firstly, consider those 3 questions we have been using above when deciding what to do with an email.</li><li>Delete anything which does not fulfil the criteria and then begin organizing the remaining ones.</li><li>I would suggest having a reasonable number of folders but no more than 10. Categorize the folders into different sections.</li><li>This is something which should be done daily. When you have a spare second, tidy your emails!</li></ul>

Taking control of Your Emails

Instead of making time to dive into focusing on one task we instead jump from one seemingly urgent task to the next. We work on auto-pilot and complete assignments based on what has been deemed urgent instead of the important tasks. What usually happens is most tasks become urgent when they are not, and it is no surprise that we feel overwhelmed and suffer the negative consequences because of that.

The 3 Traps: Urgency

1. Show upThis means not being only physically present but mentally present too. 2. Come preparedRead any agendas sent over and bring any information along which might be useful.3. Put away distractionsOther messages can wait… Give the meeting and its participants your full attention!4. Speak upEveryone has something useful to say, do not be afraid to give your thoughts on the issue.5. Do no harmIt should be a place to spread positivity and ideas, not negativity and gossip.

Simplify Meetings: 5 Steps

Multi-taskers tend to be among the least productive people at work. Research suggests that by multi-tasking you could be decreasing your productivity by as much as 40 percent. We can only think of a limited number of things at once: take on too much and you are likely to end up doing a few things poorly rather than one thing especially well.

The 3 Traps: Multitasking

Most of our decisions are ones made with little effort or focus, however, other decisions can be high-stakes and require intense thought and then there are the medium-stake decisions which fall in between and are the ones we are likely to put off as they aren’t as easy to make. When tidying your decisions follow this process: Forget about the small ones, organize the medium ones and reserve your energy for the large and important ones.

Tidy Up! Decisions To Make

Instead of doing everything perfectly – forget the idea about being a perfectionist and completing everything perfectly, you might be able to cope for a week but after a while, you’ll get fatigued and start doing a poor job on everything. Instead, perfect the jobs that need to be perfected.That business presentation to a potential client? Get that right! Where to go for lunch with a friend? Who cares? Choose anywhere!

The Perfectionist Trap

Books can provide us with knowledge and inspiration but can also become a barrier to tidying. Although a full bookshelf can seem fulfilling, we might keep books for the wrong reasons – like impressing others…Gather all your books into one space and ask yourself those 3 earlier key questions: Does it spark joy, is it needed for work and will it lead to future utility?If you find you cannot answer any of those questions, then it might be time to let it go!

Books: The Tidy Way

You do not have to let your schedule get the better of you. Here are some tips on taking control of your schedule:1. Identify your ‘core tasks’These are your central, ongoing activities that justify your existence at work.2. Identify the ‘project tasksThese are the kind of tasks that have a discrete beginning and end.3. Identify the ‘developmental tasks’These are the ones that help us learn and grow such as reading, training, and attending conferences.

Taking Control Of Your Schedule

<ul><li>Gather all the medium stake and high-stake decisions that you currently or will soon face.</li><li>Look through your pile and put the high-stakes ones to one side. These must be kept!</li><li>Now you’re left with the medium pile. It’s time to find out what is worth keeping.</li><li>Again, ask yourself those 3 important questions.</li><li>In addition to this you should also ask yourself: Is this something someone else can do better or cheaper? If so, delegate the task to someone else!</li><li>Also think, does this need regular involvement and thought? If not, then try your hardest to automate these decisions!</li></ul>

Important Decisions

According to psychologists, messy environments reduce our focus, tax our brain and make our overall working lives more difficult. In addition to this, the “Pygmalion Effect” suggests that tidy individuals are more likely to be seen as ambitious, intelligent and kind – all factors which subsequently lead to better performance at work.

A Messy Environment

Make clear but simple categories which work for you. If you are a designer maybe break everything down by client and then have a master admin folder for general bits. If you do a lot of ad-hoc work maybe a date type filing system might be best? Ask yourself: How do I approach my work and how can I simplify how I obtain things I need?

Categorizing Everything

1. What do you want to accomplish?Is the meeting even required in the first place?2. Do you need to invite everyone?Fewer people but more engagement is better than lots of people with little engagement.3. Let others know the purpose of the meeting.Send out an agenda to help others decide if it’s useful for them.4. Encourage participation.Meetings are a place to spread and discuss ideas, make sure everyone is heard.5. Set realistic timelines and keep it short, like 20 minutes.6. The EndgameEnd the meeting summarizing everything that has been discussed, and what is learned.

Running A Tidy Meeting

This is the key to productivity and eventual success which most people overlook.

Declutter your desk and brighten up your business with this transformative guide from an organizational psychologist and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. The workplace is a magnet for clutter and mess. Who hasn't felt drained by wasteful meetings, disorganized papers, endless emails, and unnecessary tasks? These are the modern-day hazards of working, and they can slowly drain the joy from work, limit our chances of career progress, and undermine our well-being. There is another way. In Joy at Work, bestselling author and Netflix star Marie Kondo and Rice University business professor Scott Sonenshein offer stories, studies, and strategies to help you eliminate clutter and make space for work that really matters. Using the world-renowned KonMari Method and cutting-edge research, Joy at Work will help you overcome the challenges of workplace mess and enjoy the productivity, success, and happiness that come with a tidy desk and mind.

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Productivity

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Career

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Books

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Product & Design

Declutter your desk and brighten up your business with this transformative guide from an organizational psychologist and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. The workplace is a magnet for clutter and mess. Who hasn't felt drained by wasteful meetings, disorganized papers, endless emails, and unnecessary tasks? These are the modern-day hazards of working, and they can slowly drain the joy from work, limit our chances of career progress, and undermine our well-being. There is another way. In Joy at Work, bestselling author and Netflix star Marie Kondo and Rice University business professor Scott Sonenshein offer stories, studies, and strategies to help you eliminate clutter and make space for work that really matters. Using the world-renowned KonMari Method and cutting-edge research, Joy at Work will help you overcome the challenges of workplace mess and enjoy the productivity, success, and happiness that come with a tidy desk and mind.

Marie Kondo is an accomplished writer whose work has resonated with readers around the world. Marie Kondo has published several books that explore a range of topics, from fiction to nonfiction, and has received critical acclaim for the ability to weave compelling narratives. Marie Kondo's writing style is known for its depth and authenticity, and has earned quite a loyal following of readers.

Marie Kondo

Scott Sonenshein is an accomplished writer whose work has resonated with readers around the world. Scott Sonenshein has published several books that explore a range of topics, from fiction to nonfiction, and has received critical acclaim for the ability to weave compelling narratives. Scott Sonenshein's writing style is known for its depth and authenticity, and has earned quite a loyal following of readers.