Several people have referred me to FlyLady.net, but I refused to go there until now because I feared that she would say something like your clutter problem is constipating your soul.
Now that I have a clean desk, I logged on to her site and was pleasantly surprised to see that she is much more gentler with me than I am with me.
I’m not going to reproduce for you one of those lists that says you can de-clutter your home in five quick steps. Because I know that’s impossible. What I like about FlyLady is that she breaks the task of de-cluttering into small, practical steps.
Here is what she says about controlling the chaos at your desk (you can find her post by clicking here). And because that’s where I started to tackle this addiction of mine, I thought that would be an appropriate piece to reprint.

At home you start your day with your morning routine, at work, you need to use a start your day routine too. Name it what you like, but this is going to change your life too. Write your routine down on a piece of paper and put it in a sheet protector. Also put the End of day routine on the back side.
So how do you start your day?
Let’s hope you start this with your End of Day Routine the day before. Don’t start this two minutes before you walk out the door.
* Clear off your desk and straighten your top drawer
* Start a To Do list for tomorrow.
* Make a list of calls to make.
* Turn off computers and other appliances (coffee pot, copy machines etc)
* Pack up your stuff to go home. Lunch bag, Brief Cases, home work, comfortable shoes, etc.
* Check your piles and put projects in order of priority for the morning.
* Turn off lights.
* Leave your desk in wonderful shape to welcome you in the morning. This is your Shiny Sink. Look back on your office and smile.

Then when you get to work in the morning. You are going to be so happy that you don’t have to look at a messy desk.
On the way to work, start your transition to work mode. Think about your day and visualize your do to list being completed. Grab a flower from your garden for your desk.
So what do you do first when you get to work? Get Coffee, or water for your desk? Don’t stand around and gossip. There will be time for talk later. Say your good mornings and get your day started by not getting sidetracked.
* Put away your coat or sweater. Lunch in the Refrigerator.
* Check your appointment schedule/meetings, gather items needed for them.
* Check your email. No, Wait until you make your calls and do your to do list. Computer time will come. It won’t take long to get these things out of the way first.
* Now you can check your email.
* If your projects take all day, then check your email at the top of the hour.
* Open mail.
* At 10:00am, Take a small break and breathe and do some seated stretching exercises, hands, wrists, ankles and legs. If you can step outside, get some fresh air.
You know the order that these things need to be done in your office, you have to adapt your morning routine to fit your supervisors standards. If you are the boss, then focus on what the priorities are for the day.
Now let’s think about your desk, your office or cubical; It is time to divide it into zones.
Zone 1: your files
Zone 2: Desk Top, In box and out box
Zone 3: Left Desk drawers
Zone 4: Right Desk Drawers
Zone 5: Credenza behind you or shelf above your head.
This may not work for you, but you get the picture. Adapt it for your work station. Soon you will get the hang of spending about 15 minutes a day focusing on this area of your office. Keeping things straight and in good working order.
Monday Morning after you have done your morning routine, look at the week ahead and take a few minutes to prioritize your goals for this week. Then get started on your goals.
Tuesdays: Have lunch with a friend; treat yourself to a rose for your deck. You deserve to take care and spoil yourself. Have a little fun.
Wednesdays: This is your Anti-procrastination Day. Tackle those jobs you have been putting off for a week and get them off of your To Do list. You know the ones that have been ending up on the bottom of your To Do List each day and not getting marked off. At least do one of them. The weight and guilt will be lifted and you will feel better and less stressed. Also on Wednesday, send a co-worker a thank you note. Keep a pretty note pad in your desk for this purpose.
Thursday: Check your offices supplies and place orders or gather them from the supply closet, so you won’t run out during your work.
On Fridays do your Weekly Office Blessing. Get things cleaned up so you can come in on Monday to a nice workplace. Look at next week’s schedule and work on a weekly plan for the next week. Spend about 10 minutes tidying and about 5 minutes planning the next week.
All of this will only take a few minutes and it will keep your desk and workspace in good working order. You can do this.
But I hear you! You have the problem of things piling up on your deck all day long. As your phone rings and you have to put out fires. I know how this practice of not being able to finish what you are doing can overwhelm you, when you get another phone call.
The files on your desk, begin to take on a life of your own. So how do you handle this problem? Last year, I gave a couple of our social workers a couple of ideas.
Design a form that you use when taking those phone calls. Use a fill in the blank type form and basic questions. Color code the paper! So you can also find it easily. Use your favorite color or a bright color.
Date___________ Time of Call:_________ ?Who__________ Phone number_______________ ?What they need_____________________________ ?By this date _____________ ?Contacts___________________ ?Follow up:_____________________ ?Completed _____________________ (THIS IS WHERE YOU PUT YOUR CHECK MARK!!!! AND YOUR PAT ON THE BACK FOR A JOB WELL DONE.
If you have a file for this person, paper-clip this to the front of the file and place it right in front of you. Now don’t set it on a pile. I know this is exactly what you want to do. I know you probably can not put the phone on hold, but take 30 seconds after the call is over to do what needs to be done, or do it while you are on the phone with this person. After you finish the task, place the page in the file so you can document your actions.
This is a Do it Now Policy or Right Away Is the Easy Way Method. Then you can finish some of the things on your desk, before you start a new project. Only having one task out at a time, will help keep you from getting sidetracked. This is usually the problem with your messy desk.