The new year is here and it’s time to get organized. And what better day to consider it than today – National Clean Your Desk Day! Not only can a clean desk re-energize you mentally, it can boost productivity, remove distractions, readjust your focus and create a more professional image.

Here are our top tips for getting your desk in order:

• Remove Distractions – First things first: Don’t get distracted. Set aside space in a drawer for items that prevent you from getting your work done. Whether it’s your phone or favorite magazine, out of sight means out of mind. Move them off the top of your desk and leave them there.
• A Place for Everything – Group related items and give everything a home. Utilize organizers, labels and files to corral your supplies. Use walls to hang a cork or dry erase board where things can keep your attention without taking up space. Click here to learn how our members can save up to 80% on these items and more at Office Depot.
• Time Management – Get control over your schedule while you declutter. Find a desk calendar or planner that suits your style and transfer loose sticky notes and random reminders into it. Let Society partner Franklin Planner help you focus your time and achieve your goals with their organizational tools.
• Save to the Cloud – Eliminate paper when possible by saving documents electronically to ditch the clutter. Backup your desktop and store files securely to the cloud with the added bonus of being able to access them from anywhere with a Carbonite computer backup subscription. Find out how members can receive a 10% discount.
• Pin it Down – Got one last stack of paper that needs your attention and can’t be put away just yet? Keep it under control while showing off your Phi Kappa Phi pride with a Society paperweight from Church Hill Classics.
• Daily Diligence – Make time at the end of each day to return your desk to order. Whether it’s cleaning your coffee mug or tossing papers into recycling, spending a few minutes each afternoon can help start your next morning off right.