Before & After: The decluttered desk
I “try” to live a clutter-free life at home. Since I sew, my craft area is usually a disarray of fabrics and unfinished projects. But other than that, everything else is usually tidy and organized.
My desk at work is another story.
Believe me, the mess is worse in real life than in this picture.
It’s 27 years of discombobulated monstrosity. I wish I could tell you that it was a well-organized mess, but the truth is I’ve lost so many things throughout the years, I cannot even begin to count.
When I came across this post by apartment therapy (http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/5-ways-to-declutter-199708), it made me take a good, hard look at my work space and I decided the time to make some serious changes.
Taking advice from apartment therapy, this is what I did:
1. Work from left to right. Instead of diving right in, declutter from left to right. Having one clear area, even if it’s just a foot of empty desk space can give you the motivation to move on.
2. Throw away immediately anything you no longer need. Recycle old magazines and newspapers. Donate old coffee mugs, extra hand sanitizers ( I had eight on my desk!), and any thing that is usable to charity.
3. Box everything you “think” you need or want to keep but doesn’t necessary have to be on your desk. Put the box away in storage. I filled my box with personal mementos and some notebooks. I’ve already had to “rescue” two things from the box after I closed it. But if anything is still there after six months, how much do I really “need” it?
Believe it or not, decluttering 27 years of desk wreckage took around 30 minutes. And best yet, my new clean desk inspired my coworker to start cleaning his area. It’s contagious!
What tips do you have to declutter?
About Terri Dux
Besides being a writer, passionate blogger, and photographer for HomeWorld Furniture, Terri is also co-owner of a local t-shirt craft company. When not watching her favorite TV channel, HGTV, Terri likes to sew, vermicompost, and thrift at neighborhood garage sale
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