Well, no transport; It happens to all of us. When running a business, one of the biggest obstacles you face is office clutter and disorganization. You are so busy running your business that you ignore the need to organize your office and clear it.

So when you realize it, the task can seem so overwhelming and time consuming; that resistance is installed. And precisely what you need to do to simplify your life and make running your business easier is put on the back burner … once again!

Organization is one of the first things a business owner should do. And yet it is often one of the “last” things they do; and then it is usually out of need and frustration.

So to help save your sanity and bring order out of chaos, here are some easy-to-implement ideas to help you organize your office and control clutter … aka your office!

1. First, tidy up your desk.

Make separate stacks of related documents and items: i.e., receipts, reports, letters, etc. You may want to buy some of those little ‘wire or plastic baskets’ to hold your batteries at your local office supply store, Target, or Walmart.

Otherwise, the batteries can fall or the papers can fly if they are not charged, which means that they will soon be a “mess” again.

2. What is your filing system like? do you at least have one?

Anything that you can easily and quickly file should be done immediately. Use manila folders, write the ‘overview’ of what is in the folder (i.e. receipts, bills to pay, notes, letters, etc.) on the tab and paste them into it instead of placing them. You will notice an immediate improvement in the space around you.

3. An alternative to manila folders is to use envelopes or sheet protectors to organize them.

Always label folders so you know what’s in them. Once done, you can break them down even further as you see the need for more categories.

For example, the folder of bills to pay could become utilities, credit cards, utilities, children’s expenses, etc. folders. The categories will become obvious as you work with them.

Make sure to separate your personal documents from your business documents. You’ll be glad you made it to tax time!

4. Postal mail!

First, ‘get rid of the garbage’! Unless you’re a coupon cutter or have a real interest in a particular brochure … just throw out the junk mail when it arrives. Sort your mail while standing near the trash can. Then put the mail you want to view in an ‘inbox’ on your desktop.

Again, use a basket or container of some kind to keep it all together. Then schedule a time to check mail during the day, such as after productive work hours. Make sure to clean it at least once a week.

5. Hire an assistant … or your kids!

This simple method of organization will help you contain and maintain clutter, and it will also make it easy to delegate these tasks to an assistant. If you don’t have an assistant, consider hiring one even part-time.

Or hire one of your children or another family member! This is a great way to get inexpensive service and start teaching them organizational skills. And … you may be able to use them as a tax deduction. (Check with your accountant about this and how to set it up.)

The bottom line is this: the sooner you give in and organize your office, the better. You’ll feel better, be more efficient, and take less time to locate documents and information when you need them. The longer you wait, the longer it will take to do it.

Walking into a cluttered and cluttered office creates stress because your subconscious mind also reacts to confusion. If you have the feeling of wanting to run away when you walk into your office, it is really your subconscious mind resisting the chaos … that’s the feeling of stress that flows through your body every time you walk into your office.

Resistance is useless! Bite the bullet and do it, or hire someone to do it for you. You will be glad you did. And it will be one more ‘to-do’ that you can check off your list!