She suggests moving all of your knickknacks and all the things you use only once a week to secondary surfaces like a file cabinet or a shelf. Anything you use once a month should be stored in a file or put away on a shelf. Items you use less frequently than that should be in a closet. Set up your office to function smoothly If everything falls over when you pull one book out of your bookcase, or there isn't enough space near the fax machine to insert documents and collect incoming faxes easily, reorganize your office. These small glitches in workflow will waste time and cause stress.
Nothing goes into the safe trash can except for paper.
No apple cores, no soda cans, nothing that you wouldn't want to have to see again if you need to look in the trash can. Only empty this trash can every few weeks, so you have a grace period after you throw most items out during which you can retrieve it. This system may make it easier for you to pitch stuff. Think about what kind of information, materials, and other items you regularly encounter. Presumably your list will include basics such as incoming and outgoing mail, phone numbers, current projects, and materials you want to keep but cannot focus on right now.