Recruiting Bootcamp Tip #3 – ORGANIZE

“A cluttered desk equals a cluttered mind.” – Ghandi

OK. Maybe Ghandi didn’t say that. But it doesn’t mean it’s not true.

The average person loses an hour a day because of disorganization, according to Lisa Zaslow, a professional organizer. And if you’re already easily distracted… I really need to cut my fingernails because this typing is gettin’ tough… wait… 

If you’re easily distracted, having an unorganized workspace can cost you time, which we all know equals money. Ergo, that messy desk is costing you placements.

So, what’s the best way to organize your space for maximum efficiency?

Think like a pilot. That’s right. Your desk is your cockpit and if you can’t easily reach the landing gear, or if you spill that cup of java on the instrument panel, you’re in trouble. Same thing with your desk. There’s a reason almost all cockpits of airplanes are laid out similarly. They work. So follow these expert tips.

De-clutter. That Adrian Beltre bobble-head is fun, but it’s taking up valuable real-estate and, worse, it’s distracting. Your workspace is designed for a specific task… work. The experts say to have no more than three personal items on your desk because of the mental distractions they cause. Studies show that the human brain takes 15 minutes on average to get back on task once distracted. And if your eyes wander to that bobble-head, you may find yourself wondering who’s pitching tonight for your favorite baseball team instead of remembering to call that client to set up that interview.

Dominate the desk. Put your most frequently used items such as the phone, or your notebooks on your dominate side. This saves time and avoids the occasional coffee spillage because you don’t need to reach across your desk to get that pen. Keep your most-used supplies in the top desk drawer. If you need to get up to walk across your office to get a pair of scissors or stapler, your brain will need to re-center when you sit back down, again costing you time and focus.

Kill the Post-its. Take it easy on the post-its and don’t put them on your monitors. Whether or not we realize it, our eyes are easily pulled to bright colors like post-it notes (that’s why they design them that way) and even the smallest distraction of our eyes pulls resources away from our brain’s ability to process, making us lose focus.

Sit tall. Having the right desk height where you can align your spine properly and sit up straight not only is better for your long-term health, but allows you to breathe easier and reduces stress on your shoulders and eyes. Set your monitors up at eye level and an arm’s length away from your body. The pixilation of monitors strain the human eye. Having the monitor too close or too far causes major eye-fatigue.

These tips may seem overly simplistic and even inconsequential at first. But, reducing distractions, removing temptations, eliminating knocked over coffee, and saving small seconds here and there add up.

Think about it this way. Even if you were only able to cut the average hour a day of distraction in half, you’d save over three weeks of work distraction. That’s 3 weeks and 2 days of additional focus and effectiveness. That’s like money in the bank!