It may not sound like a necessity for business success but I’d like to suggest that maintaining a clean desk is one way that you can step closer to the achievement of your goals.

Business operations are complicated enough without having a complicated and cluttered environment in which to work from. If your desk is a mess then chances are your tasks will be affected. No doubt you will lose time looking for important pieces of paper. You may even miss tasks completely because the reminders have been lost in the maelstrom that is your work desk.

A clean desk equals clarity. It allows for no distractions in what you are focusing upon.

Before you commence any task remove any superfluous items from your desk. If something doesn’t relate to what you are doing right now then it’s a distraction and must be removed. Simple and effective.

The act of moving distractions and simplifying your workday will give you clarity. Once you have clarity in your day, you will become more efficient and more effective.

Note: this post was first published in 2009. It has been reviewed and re-published here.