The Minimalist Workweek: 6 Ways to Liberate Your Drawers

This is a guest post written by Dave Damron of The Minimalist Path.

On the path to becoming a minimalist, it’s important not to overlook your desk drawers.

I have already discussed my issues with desks and desktops over at The Minimalist Path, but drawers are another clutter-control area that has been glossed over many times.

Drawers, you ask?! Yes, drawers. They hide away the stuff we want to ignore for days, months, and even years. Drawers are an intimate part of the procrastination in all of our lives.

Drawers are the devil. Okay, maybe not the devil, but they can be a great way to hide things that you actually need to deal with, or part with.

I currently have two drawers in my desk and they only hold writing tools, scratch paper and computer/electronic cables. Other than those objects, these drawers are empty.

I do not have an abundence of unorganized old bills or miscellaneous love letters from Jennifer Aniston and Jessica Biel. I actually keep the latter under my pillow, but that is a discussion for a different post.

Drawers were the arch-nemesis of my attempts to organize at work, when I worked at a 9-5. I always just threw random papers from the boss into them and rarely acknowledged their presence until the last minute. Unfortunately, during my almost 2 year tenure in my 9-5, I never learned from my clutter until the end.

But since then I’ve developed a number of helpful solutions to the proverbial drawer problem.

I would love to help you minimize your workplace by attacking those drawers with all your might.

6 Ways to take control of your drawer situation.

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The Ultimate Guide to the Minimalist Workweek

21 ways to save yourself from workplace oblivion.

Written by Everett Bogue | Follow me on Twitter

This is the first of a series of three articles on minimalist workplace philosophy. Check back on Wednesday for a guest post by David Damron of The Minimalist Path.

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Metaphor for workplace oblivion.

Americans work too much. Did you know that the average American worker spends 47.1 hours at the office per week? Some even work up to 70 hours. That’s insane, we’re killing ourselves. No wonder we never have time to cook breakfast and dinner, let alone exercise and spend time with our families.

The great recession has exacerbated this problem, because people are afraid they’ll be laid off if they don’t spend extra hours on the job.

The problem with delayed gratification.

The worst part about this whole equation is that we’re expected to slave away our youth for a far off goal of someday retiring to a nice beach somewhere when we hit our 70′s.

I’ve got some news for you, you probably won’t make it to 70 working 70 hours a week.

Now, I’m not saying you should quit working. Everyone needs to work in order to make money to survive, but an outrageous amount of time at the office is a good sign that you are working in a fear-based environment.

It’s time to start working less.

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The Minimalist Path to Liberation

Written by Everett Bogue | Follow me on Twitter

Far Beyond The Stars is a series of stories about how to achieve freedom. That much needs to be clear. When I write these stories, the immediate product may be a clean kitchen counter or an uncluttered schedule; the ultimate goal is a life where none of that matters anymore.

I believe were at a moment in time when we are poised to make a huge change in the way we humans inhabit our lives and our world.

We are on the verge of reclaiming our nomadic heritage.

After hundreds of years of having to settle, forced to rely on agriculture to sustain ourselves and then made to work in factories, we’re finally coming into an age where none of that matters anymore.

We can live anywhere, work from anywhere, and do whatever we like. We’ve broken mass media’s hold on our decisions, our idea production — any of us can start creating with a reasonable expectation that we will be able make a living from our passion.

This is what Timothy Ferriss wrote about in the 4 hour work week.

This is what Seth Godin wrote about in Tribes.

I’m living this life right now, and from what I’ve seen so far of the flexibility and the possibility for growth, it’s pretty awesome.

Chris Guillebeau is living this life

Tammy Strobel is living this life

Colin Wright is living this life

And countless others, too many to name.

You can live this life too.

Now, I’m not saying that everyone needs to pick up their roots and become a location independant worker or digital vagabond. That’s certainly not a requirement. That’s one end in this path to liberation, and it just happens to be my goal.

Your goals may be complete different, but the philosophy applies to everything. When we make the changes in our lives, when we summon the courage to break free of the chains of the material world, we can do anything.

Happy new year everyone.

I’d love to hear what your plans are for the new decade. Let us know in the comments, drop me an email, or find me on Twitter.

Thank you so much for being a part of this revolution.