I work from my home office. I see my home a lot. It also means I get used to the typical messes, daily wear and tear of having a family and three furry pets. As we come into the holiday season, it’s a great time to think about spiffing up a bit more, especially if you plan on entertaining for big or small events. When our work-space is spiffy we go in with a better attitude – ready for success. This is true of our cars if we are in sales, our home offices and the away office. Declutter once a month, clean out receipts put them in a Ziploc by category and get the mess out of the way. If you touch a pile more than once you are wasting time – and space.

Trade out open spaces you stack with loose piles for containers with covers or lids. Not seeing the clutter helps clear your mind. If the piles aren’t relevant to projects or taxes, consider tossing them. Don’t get sentimental. If you are, take a photo and upload to Shutterfly or drive to make into a book later.

Same goes for your desktop. The featured image in this post is a screenshot of my three desktops. I like them clear as they can serve as additional lighting for video calls. My home office isn’t this tidy, but staring at three clear screens throughout the day really helps to keep me focused.

I visited a client recently and he wanted me to help him with some computer issues. I brought up his desktop and gasped – loudly. I may have shuddered, too. He laughed. I was stunned at all of the files and shortcuts on the desktop. He admitted that sometimes he just stares at it and loses focus on what he was doing. Duh. Why not create some folders to tuck like items into. Better yet, move them off of the desktop altogether.