Take a look around you. The birds are chirping, you can smell the spring blossoms and people are shedding their bulky winter coats. It’s Spring! According to recent statistics, 72% of Americans partook in spring cleaning in 2013 (10% up from the previous year). There isn’t data regarding how many people clean up their office space each year, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it! Here are some spring cleaning tips for your office.
Change your passwords. Has it been 90 days since you last changed your online passwords? If the answer is yes, make sure you change them. A strong password contains upper and lower case letters, numbers, symbols and is at least 8 characters long. There are a variety of online apps that can help you create strong passwords.
Get rid of old papers on your desk and in your drawers. Take some time and go through all of the paper in your space. If you haven’t looked at it in the last month, chances are you don’t need it right now. Don’t throw it away but itemize each item in a filing cabinet.
Organize the files and folders on your computer. There are so many places to store your online data: on your computer, in Google Drive and DropBox. Chances are, you’ll probably be using all three in one way or another. Choose one system and stick with it. Organize your folders in an easy to understand way so that everything is easy to find.
If you have a home office, it’s important to separate your business from pleasure. Keep your office free of distractions and encourage family members to steer clear. Set business hours and stick to them. Your routine is vitally important.
Our last tip regarding spring cleaning your office is to slow down. Don’t try and be “productive” all the time. Take time to complete one task at a time. It’s Spring. Take some time to enjoy nature; you could even take your laptop outside and do some work in the sunshine.
Overall, Spring is the time when most American clean up their house. Don’t forget to clean up your office space too!
