The second Monday in January is National Clean Off Your Desk Day. This couldn’t come at a better time since I am all about offices this month with the release of my newest book, The Upbeat, Organized Home Office.

I’ve been hosting short 20-minute training webinars live at 2 PM eastern each Tuesday from my office. You can watch live or the recording if you are in our Clutter-free group. You see me there in my office, but this is the angle you can’t usually see, where the camera sits. I absolutely love my office, which is good because I spend a lot of time here, along with my employees and my cat.

Whether your office is a whole room, a kitchen counter, your nightstand, or a flip-front secretary, just clearing off your desk is a great place to start each new week and the new year. Here are some easy strategies to make the task a quick #OrganizingWin.

• Work left to right. It doesn’t really matter where you start, but working in one direction as you organize your desk will allow you to see your progress which can be very motivating.

• Turn on a podcast. Multitasking generally isn’t a good idea. In fact, multitasking reduces your IQ as much as pot (stats in my book). But if you combine a mostly physical activity (like rearranging your pencil drawer or filing from A to Z) with something that keeps you interested and awake, you might have a winning combination.

• Don’t try to do the work at the same time that you are trying to organize your work. Organize first. Schedule blocks of time to get your work done later.

• Use a task list instead of relying on the “do whatever is on top” method.

• Once you’ve cleared off your desk, make it attractive, so you won’t want to clutter it up again. This Tickler System is the kind of thing that can help you stay organized and upbeat, too.

Today’s article is short because I want you to be able to clear your desk in the next fifteen minutes or so. You can’t always have a clean desk, but once a year isn’t too much to ask.

Remember, you can download The Upbeat, Organized Home Office for just $.99 today. Start your year with an organized office, and who knows how amazing your year will be?