I Can't Find ANYTHING!!!
Posted on August 13, 2024 by ARICIA SHAFFER, MSE, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.
How annoying is it when you can't find your keys or that letter you needed to mail? In this article, I share three ideas to transform your space.
What are the biggest issues people come into career & business coaching with? Getting organized is right there in the top three issues because if you can’t find things, it makes a difficult job even harder – if not impossible. Getting organized makes a difference in all aspects of life. Here are the top three problems (in the organizing department) that I help clients with.
Problem #1: My office is cluttered with so much stuff! Where did it all come from???
Solution: The first step is to stem the flow. Whether it’s emails, papers, or junk, stop before bringing it into the office. So often, we leave a meeting with a stack of papers and set them down somewhere and then later, they’re lost in a sea of papers. Stop before you get to your desk or office and ask yourself – “Do I need this?” It’s a habit that only takes a second and it’s key to having an organized space.
Problem #2: I still can’t find anything.
Solution: Work can be a whirlwind. You’re rushing from one thing to the next. And when we’re in a rush, it’s a terrible time to not be able to find what we need. We get into this cycle where we’re too busy to put things away so we think we’ll do it later. Then we need the thing and can’t find it which takes time.
Instead, create a system that works for you. It may be a file cabinet, keeping files in a rack on a bookshelf, or having everything organized digitally. But take the 20 seconds to label it so you can find it again. Then, at the end of your work day take 10 minutes to make sure things are put away. This is a great time to transition OUT of the work day. As you do that, think about what you have happening tomorrow and make sure you have what you need so you’re not rushing.
This is such a simple habit but it tranforms that time from rushing around to being prepared.
Problem #3: At times, I feel really unprepared and I hate that. I want to be ready for anything.
Solution: There is an answer, but it’ll take an hour or two each month.
Throughout the month, write down anything that annoys you at work. Is the lighting too bright? How’s your chair? Do you have a drawer that sticks or a pen that doesn’t work? It’s all of those little things that we don’t think about, but they can prevent us from being our best and feeling happier at work.
Pick a day each month where you’ll have 90 minutes. It can be the last Friday of the month, the first Monday, whatever. But when it’s the same day each month, you’ll establish a cadence. Take that list and address what you can, contact whoever you need to for the things maintenance needs to handle, and find a way to mitigate the rest. If the lighting is awful but can’t be changed, can you bring in a desk lamp? If there’s an annoying buzz that just grates on you, can you plug in a white noise maker?
Once that’s handled, take a quick trip around your work space to see if there’s anything else you can do to make your days go more smoothly. Anything you can clear out? Anything you need to pick up or request?
This investment of an hour or two each month has a HUGE ROI – saving you hours of looking for stuff, helping you to look and feel more confident and prepared, and having what you need right on hand.
If you’d like to hear more on this topic, swing by my YouTube channel: ariciashaffercoachingconsult And if you’d like my free report on The Intentional Home – to help you get organized there – visit my website at ariciashaffer.com
