On average, everyone spends 1.5 hours a day looking for documents, phone numbers and invoices. That makes around 300 hours of search time a year! These four tips will help you regain control.

The desk: a place that serves as a hodgepodge of all documents that have no fixed and systematic place. You put off putting the discard pile in order. Instead, the mountain is growing steadily. Often there is simply a lack of time and leisure to leave a clean desk and experience shows that the disorder returns far too quickly and wrecks the work invested. But once structure has returned, this state of affairs will be a thing of the past and there will be more time for the really important tasks. Tip 1: mercilessly mucking out

It is well known that the first step is the most difficult. This also applies to sorting out. But to make the chaos on your desk disappear, you have to ask yourself the following questions: Do I need this document? What for? For whom? How long? Here it is important to be honest and ruthless. During the sorting process, papers emerge that can be translated into short and concise to-dos and should also be dealt with immediately. Then these papers are out of your head and can go into the wastebasket with a clear conscience.

A tidy desk is a relaxed introduction to work. (Photo: Shutterstock / Africa Studio)

Tip 2: Sorting with a system

Once all unnecessary papers have disappeared from the field of vision, go it gets to the nitty-gritty. Every document and all office items should be given a fixed storage location. But where should what be? The following question usually helps: Where would I look first when I am looking for something? The more often something is needed, the easier it should be to achieve. The categories for the filing result individually from your documents, often very intuitively: finances, bills, bank, doctor are just a few examples.

Tip 3: pay attention to a flat desk surface

If this credo is adhered to, there will never be a growing mountain of paper again. It is still possible to get some breathing space. One of your storage compartments can be used as a “stopover”. Whenever it gets full and reaches the top, you organize the accumulated documents according to the integrated system. In this way, there is no new chaos even in a hurry and you can then take care of the filing in a quiet minute.

Tip 4: Use labeling devices

You have to use folders, files and folders half the battle. However, it is not always possible to remember which papers have been filed in which folders. Here labels provide the necessary orientation. So that the design of the labeling tapes does not take up too much time, it is worth purchasing labeling devices. This gives you the opportunity to label everything so that you can find what you are looking for as quickly as possible.

The P-touch CUBE can be used to create labels that perfectly round off the new order. (Photo: Brother)

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Brother

Brother, as a service-oriented provider of labeling systems, relies on the integration of development and production and in-house sales.