What’s the best way to reduce stress and make best use of time?

Judging by the feedback I get from course participants, it could well be a spot of decluttering. After tidying up their workspace, their filing system or even a whole room, they tell me how much easier it is to get things done, and how much fresher they feel.

So if you’d like a bit of freedom from clutter, here are some tips:

1. Pick a focus. If you try and tidy everything, you’ll fail. But if you pick a small area and stay focused, you’ll stand a much better chance of getting the delightful satisfaction that comes from completion.

2. Enjoy the magic moments. As you turn your mind to clutter, you’ll see it everywhere! So you’ll be easily distracted into trying to tidy up other things too. So enjoy the enthusiasm your mind is bringing to the process of tidying – and gently bring it back to your chosen focus.

3. Start with a tiny step. Pick one thing you’re going to tidy. Something you feel ready to do. Maybe just a single piece of paper or a single email. That’ll get you going, and make it easier to continue – but you don’t have to!

(By the way, next week I’ve got three more tips on the fine art of decluttering. But don’t let that stop you getting started now!)