Work productivity, time management, organization, tools and tips

Looking forward to a four day weekend? Good for you! But before you bolt out the door, spend 15 minutes organizing your desk so you can start being productive right away come Wednesday. First, throw some stuff out. You know there's paper on your desk that you're not going to need Wednesday any more than you need it now. It'll be a new week, a new month. Take a few minutes and weed through your piles of mail, Internet print outs and old magazines. Pare them down. Second, make notes about anything you've committed to do next week. Don't rush through late afternoon conversations and then expect to remember it all next week, especially if your brain is already at the beach. Make notes too about what you've been working on today that you'll need to continue on Wednesday. Third, put things away. Give yourself an inviting, productive workspace for next week. Stow the office supplies. Leave some clear working space on your desk. You only need to spend a few minutes on these tasks to make your workday on Wednesday much more pleasant and, yes, productive. Have a great weekend and a happy Fourth!