5 STEPS TO A CLUTTER-FREE WORKSPACE

Alot of productive people operate in disorganized workspaces. The problem is that they’re not as productive as they could be. The hidden culprit stealing their focus is clutter.

When I moved into my new office a while back, I was in the middle of a massive video shoot. Time was tight, and I just wanted to move my stuff in as quickly as possible.
I didn’t organize with intention or strategy. I just threw stuff in drawers and cabinets, with little rhyme or reason. What I didn’t consider at the time was that the disorganization and clutter would be a hindrance—even subconsciously—to my daily productivity.

Clutter is proven to work against even the most productive professionals. “When your environment is cluttered, the chaos restricts your ability to focus,” says Erin Doland, summarizing the findings of researchers at the Princeton University Neuroscience Institute, adding:

The clutter also limits your brain’s ability to process information. Clutter makes you distracted and unable to process information as well as you do in an uncluttered, organized, and serene environment.

The distraction that clutter introduces often goes unnoticed—yet its restrictive influence on our brains is powerful.
With this in mind, I strategically cleaned out my office, all with the goal of decluttering for maximum focus. The two hours that I spent organizing were well worth it—a serene work environment free from the subtle distraction that chaos introduced.
Clutter is something we must eliminate if we want to experience the freedom that comes from productivity. Here are five steps to kill the clutter and organize your workspace for maximum efficiency.

1. Set aside time to declutter. What gets scheduled gets done, so get it on your calendar. I suggest that you plan for two to three hours of clean-up.


2. Put all your items in the center of the room. I know what you’re thinking. And, yes, it is going to be a big, ugly pile. I learned this technique from The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and it really is the best place to begin. Pull everything out of the cabinets and drawers. Don’t try to sort it or organize it. Just get it all out there where you can see it.


3. Make a list of all the natural groupings. Survey the pile and write down the possible categories present. This list might include topics like audio, computer, photography, office supplies, miscellaneous, and so on.


4. Decide what is going to go where. I suggest that you use a five-zone organizing system. The stuff you use most frequently should be closest to you. The stuff you use least frequently should be farthest from you.
   
   
   
   • Zone 1. The items you use daily. These will be the things you use all the time, and they should be closest to you. For me, most Zone 1 items are on the desk. You want to have as little as possible in this zone. My examples include: pens, computer, keyboard, and Kleenex.
   
   
   • Zone 2. The items that you use frequently. These should be within reach or just a step away, but not actually on your desk. Perhaps they’re in drawers or cabinets very close by. My examples include: stapler, screen wipes, scissors, and paper clips.
   
   
   • Zone 3. The items that you use occasionally. These should be the next closest, usually within a few steps of your desk. Perhaps they’re in a cupboard, file cabinet, or some other local storage. My examples include: audio equipment, video equipment, and computer cords.
   
   
   • Zone 4. The items that you use rarely—or the items that don’t fit inside your workspace. These could be items that you put inside a storage closet of some kind. My examples include: extra copies of my books, extra office supplies, lighting rigs, and big camera gear.
   
   
   • Zone 5. The items that you never use. Are you holding onto items that you simply do not use? I encourage you to let go of possessions you haven’t needed in twelve months or more. Get rid of them! You have three options: trash them, donate them, or sell them.
   
   
   
   


5. Place each item where it goes. I always use containers to be sure items don’t get jumbled up in the drawer or cabinet.

The goal is to be able to walk into your workspace every single day with laser focus. A serene, organized environment guarantees that your brain is not distracted by things; instead, it sees only the high-leverage tasks at hand.

Question: What steps will you take this week to fight for focus by decluttering your workspace? You can leave a comment

5 PROVEN STEPS TO REACH PEOPLE AND MAKE MONEY—IN LESS TIME

One of the hardest things about growing an online following is not knowing how to get from where you are right now to where you know you have the potential to go.

If you’re like me, you’ve felt like this from time to time—maybe even right now. You’ve got something important to say or something useful to sell. You know you it could make a huge difference in people’s lives.
But navigating the platform world can feel like traveling without directions. It’s easy to get lost. Imagine what it would be like having a clear path from here to there. Now you do, and it’s free.

If you have a message or product the world desperately needs and are frustrated because you can’t seem to get the attention you deserve, Your Path to Online Influence is the resource you need.
Seats are limited, but everyone who registers in time will discover:

• The No. 1 reason you’re not making progress with your personal platform (even though you’re working nonstop).


• Three game-changing productivity tools to help you finally blog consistently, even with a crazy schedule.


• The biggest mistake I made early on in my blogging career—and what you can do today to make sure you get it right.


• The specific tactics you can focus on this week that have been proven to create serious online traction.


• My best traffic tips to guarantee your content gets noticed, spreads to more people, and makes an impact.


• How I turned my online platform into a thriving, multimillion dollar business and how you can do the same.

Here’s one thing none of us has to spare—time. If you want the quickest route to making a significant impact, Your Path to Online Influence will show you how.
This exclusive training is free—but seats are limited, and they’re already going fast. Don’t lose your spot to a potential competitor.

7 STEPS TO FASTER AUDIENCE GROWTH

hen I talk with people about the frustrations they feel in building an engaged online following, slow growth and insufficient time come up more frequently than anything else.

I get it. When I first started blogging, I would spend hours on an important post, expecting it would take off. But no matter how much time I invested, I had fewer than a thousand readers regardless of what I did. Not even my mom was interested!
And it’s not like I had endless hours to dedicate to breaking through the barriers in the first place. I had a family and full time job as the CEO of a major corporation. I had to fit my platform-building into the margins of my workdays and weekends.
After four years, I hit an inflection point. My site traffic took a major jump, and it’s been growing by leaps and bounds ever since. But I wouldn’t trade those slow years for anything. Why?
During the slow years I learned the strategies that eventually kickstarted my audience growth and magnified the impact of my message.
These lessons have enabled me to reach more people in less time. And after coaching thousands of people in building their platforms, I’m confident these strategies can work for you too.
If that’s something you’re interested in, I’d like to invite you to a free new webinar I’m hosting: 7 Steps to Faster Audience Growth: How to Build an Engaged Online Following in Just 30 Minutes a Day.

This webinar is designed to help you speed up the slow years without gobbling up your valuable margin. Tune in and you’ll discover:

• How to gain exposure beyond your current audience—and what works better than personal promotion


• How to streamline your content creation for total efficiency (without sacrificing quality!)


• What you should do (or NOT do) with social media to make it valuable for you and your followers


• How doing LESS can increase your chances of success


• My recommended tools for collecting emails and managing your social media accounts


• How narrowing your focus can help you expand your reach (and how to know what that narrow focus should be!)


• My recommended “order of operations” for smart audience growth (this will keep you from going in a hundred directions at once)


• My go-to options for when you’re ready to make your platform profitable and self-sustaining

This webinar is totally free. But spots are limited, so if you want to participate I recommend registering soon, before the seats fill up or the clock runs out.
You don’t have live with the disappointment of low reader engagement. And you don’t have to let your platform eat up all your free time to the detriment of your relationships, rejuvenation, and rest.
7 Steps to Faster Audience Growth reveals simple, proven strategies to build your online following, boost engagement, and do it all in less time than you ever imagined. I’d love to see you there.