3 Ways to Declutter Your Desk, Clients and Sh!t Candidates

Within 6 months my hoarding tendencies will probably have gotten the better of me.

Stuff (read: crap) I shouldn’t keep, manages to hang around like a bad smell.

Turns out, it’s not just limited to useless personal junk. It includes my desk covered in papers, terrible clients and shitty candidates as well.

A new year is as good a time as any to declutter, so consider this our call to action.

Declutter Your Desk: Make Space for What Matters

A cluttered workspace creates a cluttered mind. If you’re still holding onto sticky notes from two months ago or client numbers you haven’t touched in a year, it’s time for a reset.

• Clear the physical clutter. Start with the basics. Toss the dried-up pens, old business cards and coffee-stained documents. Keep only what’s essential to your day-to-day.
• Digitally declutter. Your desktop is just as important. Do you really need 17 tabs open or a desktop covered in random files? Organise your folders and delete  anything irrelevant.
• Streamline your tools. Assess the software and platforms you’re using. If you’ve been paying for subscriptions or tools that aren’t delivering, now’s the time to cancel them.

It’s so much easier to find things on your desk when it’s clear.  If better time management is one of your 2025 goals, consider this a quick win.

Declutter Your Clients: Focus on Partnerships That Work

Not all clients are created equal. Some are dream partners who respect your time and value your input. Others just put a drain on your gains.

• Sort your client list. Take a hard look at your database. Are there clients who never follow through, haggle endlessly over everything, or have completely unreasonable expectations? Maybe it’s time to stop chasing them. Focus on clients who see your value and are ready to collaborate.  Remember, 20% of clients probably bring in 80% of your income.
• Revisit terms. If you’ve got clients worth keeping but their processes are poor, use the new year to talk with them about it. A gentle prompt could help them tidy up their side of the fence, creating efficiencies for you both.  Everyone loves saving money - sometimes it just needs an outside eye to see where the savings are.  Clearer briefs or quicker feedback are two obvious starters.
• Say no more often. Sometimes, the best way to declutter is to politely decline crappy clients. This frees you up to pursue more rewarding opportunities, like working with better clients.  I’m surprised how many times we need to hear this reminder.

Declutter Your Candidates: Quality First and Foremost

Candidates should be in our cross hairs as well. A database full of outdated resumes or unresponsive contacts won’t do you any favours.

• Purge. Review your candidate pool. Remove profiles that haven’t been updated in years or belong to people who keep ghosting you.
• Prioritise. Focus your energy on hungry candidates who are ready to make a move. Chasing dead ends is a bottomless task.
• Streamline.  If you’re not blessed with a fully automated system, take a moment to improve your manual processes.  Very soon you are going to be busy. Now’s a great time to tidy up before you’re too busy to make time.

Less Clutter, More Focus

Decluttering is incredibly rewarding, especially for us hoarders and people pleasers out there.

My advice is to use the new year as a catalyst for change.  If the thing, client or candidate isn’t pushing you towards your goals - ditch it.  I’ve found it hugely empowering to get rid of a pile of papers, a toxic client, a disengaged candidate or all three.

Start small and give it a try.  Your bottom line and mental health will thank you for it.