Today’s business world is overloaded with distractions! The metaphor of the dog chasing the squirrel is front and centre every day. Make no mistake – those distractions are costing you money! Here’s a great place to start so there’s no “squirrels” distracting you and throwing you off track…
How to Make Your Environment Squirrel Free:
Years ago, when I worked in the corporate sales world at IBM they had a guideline for all employees called the “clean desk policy”. Simply put, it meant you had to completely clean off your desk every night before you went home. No clutter.
It wasn’t optional and it worked… every morning, I started with a clean slate. There weren’t piles of folders all over my desk getting in the way of what I needed to do. The result…I was more organized, more efficient, and I was able to operate with a clear mindset right from the start.
Clutter drags you down. Think of how you feel when you go on a listing appointment and it turns out to be a house that is a candidate for A&E’s – “Hoarders”. You immediately recoil and ask yourself… “How can they possibly live like this?!!!” The benefit to keeping everything organized and uncluttered is self-explanatory.
Here’s a great acid test for you. The next time you walk into your office or get into your car, ask yourself this question… “Would I want my most important past client, real estate referral source, or top home sale prospect to see what I see right now? Would I be comfortable having them here at this moment?”
Conclusion: Clean up your environment!
Clean up your office, clean up your closet, clean up your car, clean up your smart phone, clean up your e-mail. Visual clutter creates mental clutter. Mental clutter gets in the way of clear thinking and absolutely slows down your productivity! Look around you right now – where could you start? NO Excuses.
Question: what clutter did you deal with first? Leave a comment below.