So what about electronic files? How do you deal with those? At first sight, they appear to be simply the electronic counterpart of similar paper files, but there is more to it than that. To start with, everything that sits on your computer is technically called an ‘electronic file’. Most of what is on your computer is, therefore, linked in some way to the operating system and all the installed programs and apps, and used to ensure smooth running of your system. While you want to stay in control of the files you have willingly placed on the computer, it is unwise to touch the others. And this is where things become tricky.

The first three parts of this series have described how to set up and work with a filing system and how to deal with a backlog of filing in a simple way. The only thing left now should be the “to do” pile.

The “to do” pile is, in fact, the most straightforward – yet probably most time-consuming – pile that results from your sorting and filing session. A “to do” pile would actually only exist in a backlog clearing situation, as all new actionable items should end up automatically in the IN tray.

In part 2, I have talked about a simple system to sort through your paperwork clutter quickly. And if all is well, you should now be left with only things that you want/need to keep, and items you have to deal with.

Before you start filing: Unpaid bills, etc. are still actionable items and should go into the IN tray! FILING is about putting away non-actionable papers, so these remaining piles should only contain papers that you have dealt with already.

In part 1 I have talked about the need to find out what it is you actually have to keep, and while this is an important part of decluttering an office space, another part is to make sure the space is as clear of clutter as possible. Starting to do this can be daunting, especially if things have been left to fester for a while.

As always, you need to distinguish the necessary from the useless. Start by making sure you have a lot of space on the floor and a pad of sticky notes handy for labels if things get too complex to remember.

Some of us keep have personal items in our office spaces, be they at home or in a work environment. While I strongly believe that the number of personal items in your office is a reflection of your attachment to that place, there is no clear formula that says: “lots of personal items means…”. It could either mean “I feel at home here and want my personal stuff to show that” or “I need my personal stuff to soften the blow of having to come here every single day”. Can you see the dilemma?

However, let’s leave this particular question to the side for now and concentrate on the purely office-related stuff.

It’s a fact of life: circumstances change more often than we would like them to. While our mind can adapt fairly quickly to new circumstances, our surroundings don’t always follow suit.

There is a flow to live and what and how much we accumulate changes over time. The older we get, the more we find ourselves surrounded with things that meant something to us in the past, but does not necessarily serve us any more. Things must change - both in our homes and in our heads - to sort things out.