Down to Declutter?

The spring is the perfect time to refresh your office and apply a decluttering system in your clinic or optical gallery.

Our goal with this column is to help you apply the KonMari principles to create a welcoming and peaceful place for your patients, clients, staff, and doctors. In turn, this will help to increase productivity and grow your business.

You might be asking yourself, “What is the KonMari Method and isn’t that a bunch of woo-woo?”

The KonMari Method is actually a very efficient way to tidy your space by discarding items that no longer spark joy. You will begin by gathering all items by category, rather than room by room.

While in a home, a consultant like me can guide you through each category in the following order: clothing, books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items), and sentimental items. One at a time, you will pick up each item and determine whether or not it speaks to your heart. In the end you will fill your surroundings only with the items that spark joy.

How can we apply these principles in our work environment? It’s fairly simple and we can start today.

Category 1: Clothing

We typically do not keep a large amount of clothing at our offices. However, we can definitely revisit our work attire. Whether we utilize lab jackets, scrubs, or professional clothing, we all have to sort through our attire periodically.

Changes to style trends, our body size and shape, and general wear and tear can affect whether or not we decide to keep items.

Utilizing the KonMari principles, I encourage you to hold each item in your hands and hone your ability to decide if wearing a particular article of clothing brings you joy. Imagine how quickly you will dress yourself each morning if every item in your closet sparks joy!

Category 2: Books

Before your office doors open for the day, take a few minutes to gather all the books and magazines into one big pile. Yes, even the broken children’s books from the exam room and the waiting area magazines from March 2018.

Pick up each book or magazine and recycle or discard the broken, torn, or outdated items. Make a list of replacement books and magazines, if any, you’d like to keep on hand.

Store the books and magazines vertically on a wall rack or basket rather than flat on a table to create an open and more inviting space.

Next month, I will help you tame the beast—the third category called papers.

Lena Walker, O.D., owns two private practices outside of Portland, OR, and is the certified KonMari consultant at Clearly Tidy. She also serves on a local public health board and is the president of the Oregon Foundation for Vision Awareness.