Where'd I Put That File?

Some people are neat freaks while some people are, um, organizationally challenged. If you fall into the latter category, you might want to spruce up your act and get organized before you think about starting a new business.

There’s no denying that clutter is bad. It’s a breeding ground for frustration, which leads to less-productivity. However, if getting organized is not your niche, try calling a professional organizer! Yes, such a job actually exists. A columnist at MSNBC.com recently had her office organized by Barb Bergeron, a professional organizer who runs SOS Organizational Service in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania. Someone like Bergeron will assess your work area and ask you questions about yourself. This will help them in deciding how to organize your workspace. After Bergeron met with the columnist, it became clear that horizontal spaces and visual systems would best fit her creative way of thinking.

So if you have spilled coffee, ten pens that are out of ink and a stack of unknown files on your desk, it’s time to get organized. It’ll help you focus on creating new business, and not on the fact that you can’t find, well, anything!

Tell us about your workspace. How do you manage to stay organized at work?