It's Spring in the Northern Hemisphere (although there's still 12 inches of snow outside of MY office.) And with that comes "Spring Cleaning." Whether you find it a refreshing time of reflection and abundance, or a dreaded chore, these tips should make the process easier and more fun.

Step 1 - Get yourself ready. Without your own preparedness, you may have to interrupt your flow several times to compensate. Put comfortable supportive shoes on - when you stub your toe on the corner of your desk - your tootsies will be glad they weren't bare! Crank up the volume on energetic and motivating music. Grab tools for sorting(storage bins or garbage bags work fine), cleaning recycling, notepad & a pen. If you use a timer a la "Flylady," bring that & use it, too!

Step 2 - In your office, look at it with a fresh pair of eyes. If you were a neighbor walking in to this, what would look out of place? Do you see trash, things that belong elsewhere, or things that need mending? Make notes in your notebook about the things that need mending. We're not going to stop to do that right now, we're on a mission!

Step 3 - Get to work! Toss out the garbage. Put recycling in the bin where it belongs. I bet you see an improvement already! Files that need to be filed - put in your "in" box, or in one specific spot - you'll file them in another phase. Put things that go elsewhere in one of your sorting bins. Put things that need storing in another bin. Put things to give away or donate in a bin just for that!

Step 4 - Clean surfaces. With much of the garbage and clutter out of the way, it's time to clean some surfaces. Make sure any little odds & ends like pencils and paper clips are put away in either a drawer, or in an organizer, if you need them in reach. Once anything blocking you is taken care of, dust off the surface of your desk, before spritzing it with an appropriate cleaner. (I like Windex for glass & metal desks & Orange Oil Pledge for wood desks.) Whatever you use, make sure it's something that is right for the material and has a pleasant scent to you! Clean windows & sweep or vacuum floors.

Step 5 - Take a break. By now, you probably have been working for an hour or so. Make sure you take a moment to get some water, maybe an apple, before continuing on. Stretch, if you like!

Step 6 - Finishing Touches. With things de-cluttered, and surfaces cleaned, you are about ready for the final lap of this phase. Take a look around and see if there is anything that needs doing. If it needs to be done before you re-organize your desk surface, do it. If not, make a note of it in your notebook. Pull your desk together in a way that is ideal for how you work. You can keep things you need often nearby. Things like labelers and other gadgets you don't use every day, can be stored out of sight. Feel free to reward your newly cleaned office with a bouquet of flowers or a lightly scented candle.

The next phase - after the basics are taken care of in this phase, you can go back and take care of things like filing and whatever notes you took. I'll go over this step-by-step in a future article. I just wanted you to have the overview, in case your freshly cleaned workspace spawns a productivity run!

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