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January 11 is National Clean Off Your Desk Day

By
Real Estate Agent with Austin Avenue Real Estate Company

January 11 is National Clean Off Your Desk DayJanuary 11 is National Clean Off Your Desk Day.  This would be a great time to not only clean off your deak, but to also gather up all your paperwork, receipts, etc. for your taxes.  Here are a few tips to get you going on cleaning up and organizing your desk:

  1. Don't get overwhelmed.  Since many desks get overrun with paperwork, notes, office supplies, etc. so quickly, it can look like an insurmountable task.
  2. Trash the trash.  Get rid of any junk: notes you don't need anymore, broken items and/or garbage.
  3. Check your supplies.  Do you have too many boxes of staples or paperclips stacked on your desk?  Is your pen supply more than is necessary for a small country?  Or are you always looking for a pen because you set one down somewhere and just can't find it?  Minimize the extra amount of supplies you carry on or in your desk and store the rest.  Replenish any office supplies you find you are lacking.
  4. Tackle the paperwork.  This can be the biggest issue when organizing your desk.  Paperwork seems to pile up quickly.  Separate paperwork into workable piles so that you can file them where they need to go.  You may want to invest in inexpensive wall file that allows you to separate and easily organize your paperwork.
  5. Don't forget the drawers.  Drawers are easy receptacles for trash, broken pencils and little bits of paper or junk that we forget all about.  They are also usually the most cluttered parts of our desks.  The first thing to do is to take all the contents out of the drawer and place them on your desk.  Empty the drawer of all little pieces of trash (pencil shavings, broken paperclips, errant staples) in a trash can and put it back in its place in your desk.  Then, place all usable items neatly inside.  Get rid of anything you don't use or have no need for anymore.

Since January 11 is National Clean Off Your Desk Day, it's the perfect opportunity to seize the chance to go through your desk, clean it off and organize it for future work.  I hope this has been helpful.  Remember to contact me for any of your Austin real estate needs.

Shay Hargus, your Austin real estate specialist

Gene Riemenschneider
Home Point Real Estate - Brentwood, CA
Turning Houses into Homes

How about making January 12 clean out the liquor cabinet day.  We could then combine these two fun filled holidays :) 

Jan 09, 2010 04:33 AM
Tom Waite
Thomas Waite Real Estate Broker - Cypress, CA
So Cal-Apartment Bldg Investments

Dear Shay:

I'm with Gene R, above.  I re blogged your article.

Tom

Jan 09, 2010 04:42 AM
Gary Coles (International Referrals)
Venture Realty International - Las Vegas, NV
Latin America Real Estate

Lyn,  Great article -- I was working at clearing out desk and drawers, when I saw it.  I think the tips are great.  I also liked the suggestions of bulldozer, dump truck and dumpster in the comments.  I think I need all of them.  I am going to re-blog your article.

Jan 09, 2010 05:39 AM
Kathy Opatka
RE/MAX CROSSROADS - Ocean City, MD
Serving Ocean City, MD, & The Delaware Beaches

Shay,

Could we have this changed to WEEK??  Or WEEKS??LOL!  I just need more time to re-organize MY STUFF!!

Jan 09, 2010 05:44 AM
Bill Gillhespy
16 Sunview Blvd - Fort Myers Beach, FL
Fort Myers Beach Realtor, Fort Myers Beach Agent - Homes & Condos

Hi Shay,  Stopped cleaning my desk to read your post !   Happy 2010 to you !

Jan 09, 2010 06:03 AM
Doug Patterson
Park Place Real Estate, Broker-In-Charge - Winston-Salem, NC
CRS, ABR, Broker-In-Charge

You've inspired me!   I'm going to get my office cleaned up today.  It's funny, isn't it, how quickly it can get so cluttered....  Thanks for a fun post!

Jan 10, 2010 03:24 AM
Deborah Grimaldi
Grimaldi Appraisal Services - Cranston, RI
(401) 837-9633

I just completed this task and boy do I feel better

Jan 10, 2010 08:11 AM
Sonja Adams
Keller Williams Realty - Purcellville, VA

Thank heavens I'm ahead of the game this year....will have to put this day as a reminder for next year though!

Jan 10, 2010 10:45 AM
TERRY DRISCOLL
MAINE HOME REALTY - Bath, ME
REALTOR - Buy or Sell in Any Season!

While Clean Off Your Desk Day does sound like oodles of fun, I think I'm going to wait for National Pie Day on the 23rd of this month - - Clean Desk or Eat Pie????  Ya, that's a close one! 

Seriously, thanks for the good tips, Shay!

Jan 10, 2010 11:14 AM
Bo Kociuba
McGraw Realtors - Mustang, OK
Realtor - Mustang, Yukon & OKC Metro 405-812-1572

 Shay - What? Clean up my desk? Neeeeh...not even the national holiday will apply to such concept. NOT IN MY CASE...LOL...

Thanks for sharing.

With smiles,

Bo in Yukon

Jan 10, 2010 02:21 PM
Michelle L. Mayo
eXp Realty of CT, LLC - Waterford, CT
Shoreline Homes Girl

LOL...........I didn't even know there was such a day.  Good thing I went ahead and got it all done this past weekend. I guess January is the month of "out with the old, in with the new".

Thanks for the post.

Jan 11, 2010 12:28 AM
Jackie Cross
Real Living All Florida Realty - Port St Lucie, FL

Hadn't heard of this one as yet...if I clean up too much someone from the office will ask "what's up are you leaving us?" 

Jan 12, 2010 02:51 AM
Jackie Cross
Real Living All Florida Realty - Port St Lucie, FL

Hadn't heard of this one as yet...if I clean up too much someone from the office will ask "what's up are you leaving us?" 

Jan 12, 2010 02:52 AM
Patricia Kennedy
RLAH@properties - Washington, DC
Home in the Capital

Shay, rats!  I missed this one!  My desk is still a disgrace.

Jan 14, 2010 12:44 AM
Steven Pahl
Keller Williams Tampa Properties - Tampa, FL
Real Estate Consultant Tampa, FL 813-319-6423

Boy did I need to see this earlier in the month.

Jan 15, 2010 01:29 AM
Dana Devine
Charles Rutenberg Realty - Apollo Beach, FL

the featured blog email can=me to me on 01-09-09  and i read down thelist of topics, i saw yours with the date os 01-11-09...so that is why i waited until now to open is....woooops...i missed hte clean my desk day...too bad

Jan 16, 2010 04:24 AM
John Occhi
AZ Veteran Notary Services - Marana, AZ
Mobile Notary Public/Certified Loan Signing Agent

I heard this somewhere last week and missed my call - but today, I have worked on this task.

Thanks,

John

Jan 17, 2010 07:37 AM
Jeana Cowie
RE/MAX Real Estate Limited - Paramus, NJ
Broker Associate, ABR, CRS, GRI, SRES

Shay - We can all use this advice. Thanks for reminding us like our parents used to do :).

Jan 18, 2010 02:41 AM
Beverly of Bev & Bob Meaux
Keller Williams Suburban Realty - West Orange, NJ
Where Buying & Selling Works

Thank goodness I didn't read this on the 11th. If I cleaned off my desk then i wouldn't have been able to find anything the next day. hahahhaa!

Jan 19, 2010 01:24 PM
Sue Wettstein Brazzel & Dipper Wettstein
Howard County, MD - RE/MAX 100 - Columbia MD - Columbia, MD
"Fast, Efficient, Hassle-Free Service!"

Shay,

That photo got me!  I'm often embarrased by the coffee stains on my paperwork!  Gotta get cleaning!

Sue

Jan 19, 2010 09:51 PM