Is a cluttered desk really the sign of a cluttered mind? Who knows…? But chances are, it's slowly eating away at your efficiency and productivity whether you want to believe it or not. Think of efficiency this way… you have a limited amount of time to accomplish as much as you can. Each time you have to sort through a stack of papers that don't belong to the project you're working on, or slide objects around on your desk, or open and close drawers on the hunt for something important, you're using up that limited window of time with no results or accomplishments to show for it. Transforming your desk from a platform that supports a plethora of unorganized junk into a clean, neat workspace will inevitably help you achieve more, or work less. And who wouldn't want that?



Here are four tips on how to free up desktop space without suggesting you just dump everything into the rubbish bin:

Evaluate your computer components. For most of us, the one item that monopolizes space on our desk is our computer. We can't eliminate that, so let's move on… but wait! Actually, we can eliminate it. And it's easy… with an LCD monitor arm. An LCD monitor arm is an adjustable arm that attaches to almost any LCD monitor, allowing you to mount it behind the desk, from the shelf above, pretty much anywhere. Regardless of where you mount it, it keeps it from sitting smack dab on your desk, freeing up to 30% more space. We found some great (and very affordable) LCD monitor arms at versatables.com (from Versa Products, Inc.—the well-known computer table manufacturer that caters to educational institutions—you can buy direct from their website). The great thing about adjustable monitor arms is that not only do they help you de-clutter your workspace, but they tilt with a touch, allowing you to compensate for glare or lighting changes in the room.

Organize once, organized forever. Give yourself one hour to complete a major overhaul desk cleaning. Get three cardboard boxes and label them, "Keep," "Trash," and "Sort." Anything that you really, really must have within arm's reach, put in the "Keep" bin. Items that you need to keep but don't use every day go in the "Sort" box. And everything else is "Trash." Immediately discard everything in your trash box, and set your sort box aside. Then organize your newly cleaned desk with the things in your keep box.

Purchase organizers. You don't need a cup full of pens on your desk. You probably only need one or two pens. You don't need every reference book you've ever used, piles of recycled scratch paper, or a bucket of binder clips. Buy a simple, but useful desktop organizer for the top of your desk and plastic organizers for your drawers (the kind used for silverware in kitchen drawers work just fine). We found a lot of great options for organizers, from document trays to interlocking drawer cubes at organize.com.

Use wall space. If the walls around your desk are bare, employ them to help keep you organized. Put up a dry erase calendar or dry erase boards to help you keep track of things rather than writing on slips of paper that will get shuffled around on your desk. Put photos and business cards up on cork boards instead of framed pictures that take up space on your desktop. Even hanging file folders and shelves are a perfect place for frequently used reference materials and documents.

Taking a little time to stay organized will help you save time later on when you're frantically looking for something you're sure you left on your desk. And who knows what achieving more and working less can lead to… whatever it is, it's probably better than shuffling through an array of disorganized papers day in and day out.