Process of Tidying-Up the VMware Office Surroundings
It is recommended to assign a day to perform all of your cleaning or divide it into one project a day, deciding whatever process you are most at ease with to make sure that all will get finished. Uncluttering your office surroundings will make you feel more calmed, concentrated and refreshed, therefore, more fruitful!
Cleanse the Environment
Once the weather warms up and it's feasible to have the windows open, of course my thoughts turn to the annual spring cleaning of the house. But recently I've been reading articles by other people who are stressing the process of cleaning up the work environment. At first I thought it was redundant to remind readers to do something they probably already knew, but then as I read these articles I realized sometimes they were providing tips I had never thought of before! So I decided to follow their lead and share with you my spring ritual tips in hopes that you too will learn something new and helpful.
VACUUM AND DUST EVERYTHING. I get out the attachments on the vacuum cleaner and reach behind the desk, the file cabinet, the credenza and the bookcase (because I can't MOVE these heavy items out) and get rid of those cobwebs and dust bunnies. I wipe down EVERYTHING on all sides because, I admit, it's not often that I dust other than the tops. Additionally, I move the printers and fax machine and clean under them as well.
TIDY UP THE DESKTOP - THE REAL ONE! There are things that find their way onto my desk that don't need to be there. Like the hand cream or the Support Your Local Economy bumper sticker or the yoga DVD's. When I take the time to move them to a more appropriate place, it frees up so much space and makes the area look neater.
CLEAN UP THE NOOKS AND CRANNIES. For me that means the areas where I place odd things, like the catalog envelopes I like to reuse that are stored between my desk and the computer tower. Or the cubby-holes on my desk that act as "junk drawers" and accumulate all sorts of papers and letters and who knows what.
CLEAN OUT DESK DRAWERS. I'm usually pretty good at throwing away pens as I discover they don't work, but it's amazing when I take the time to go through my desk drawers the other useless, old, broken things I find that can be tossed.
WEED THROUGH THE WORKING FILES. For me that means the two standing files on my desk. Some of these are for current client projects while others contain To Do items or reference information. I move the files that don't need to be easily accessible into the file cabinet and eliminate obsolete ones all together.
CLEAN OUT THE FILE CABINET. I created the current-year folders at the beginning of the year, but prefer to have last year's files readily available for a while. However, once my annual taxes have been submitted, I take the time to move the previous year's files into a storage box.
REVIEW CONTENTS OF THE BOOKCASE AND CREDENZA. Each year there are books or manuals I discover that are no longer needed, such as manuals to printers I don't have anymore or that old computer mouse that doesn't work real well but would be okay in a pinch.
CONSOLIDATE COMPUTER FILES. I like to take the time to move older or unused documents into folders to make the document/file list look less crazy - it's the same as putting paper files into boxes. I go through the computer programs, determine which ones are no longer necessary, and remove them. Finally, I give a good long look at my desktop - on the computer this time - and remove the shortcuts I don't use.
FRESHEN UP CONTACTS. I go through my business cards, Rolodex, phone book, email list, and cell phone and bring outdated information current, delete obsolete folks, and then synchronize these databases. I often find that I have current information in one source, but not in all the others.
SPRUCE THE PLACE UP. Sometimes I change the screen saver and wallpaper on the computer just for a fresh look. And if I have wall art I want changed, now is a great time to do so. I also like to bring in some cut flowers out of my yard when I have them. These are little touches that make my office feel new again without having to rearrange the furniture.
My best advice to you is to either devote one day to doing all of your spring cleaning or break it down into one project per day - choose whichever method you are most comfortable with to ensure that it all will get done. But DO do it! Cleaning up your office environment will make you feel more relaxed, focused, and rejuvenated - thus, more productive!
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