6 weeks per year

Cyril Peupion
3 min readDec 15, 2023

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Ever heard the stat that the average office worker spends six weeks a year searching for things they already have? We are bombarded with information and most people struggle to find things once they have filed it.

Picture this: the infamous inbox scroll, the deep dive into sub-sub-sub-sub folders, the mental note about a printed copy… and the list goes on. Six weeks per year!

Bonjour, in this video, I have one game-changing suggestion that could save you loads of time.

When I work with teams, I kick off a three-month journey, and the first pitstop? Decluttering your space. Now, I get it — some folks are itching to jump straight into top priorities and time management. But hey, we need to start from the ground up to build a solid foundation.

Here are the basics for decluttering your space: Delete, Name, Search.

1. Delete: We’re hoarders when it comes to files. The first step is encouraging folks to hit that delete button more often.

2. Name: Give your files meaningful names or, even better, establish a naming policy with your team. I suggest something straightforward like Year_month_day_type of document_name of document_name of creator. It works wonders!

3. Search: Become a ninja at searching for documents. It’s an art, trust me.

Just implementing these three simple steps can significantly reduce the time you spend on the treasure hunt for documents.

So my question to you is this: Do you have a killer filing system? Are you a master of the delete, a pro at naming, and a wizard at searching?

This is this week’s Work Smarter: Live Better tip. Wishing you a clutter-free and productive day!

A bientôt,
Cyril

P.S. Whenever you’re ready… here are 4 ways I can help you be in control

1. Grab a free copy of my weekly plan
It is a simple tool but very important process to spend 2hrs more per day on your business and personal priorities.

https://www.wslb.com/

2. Check my video blogs
For my clients, I record regular tips to keep the momentum on challenging their work habits. I have now made the previous video blogs available to all.

https://www.wslb.com/blog

3. Get a copy of my book, Work Smarter: Live Better
Pushed by my clients, I wrote a book about practical ways to transform your life by changing your work habits.

https://www.wslb.com/book

4. Work with me and my team privately
If you are feeling swamped: by emails, by meetings, by things to do and you’d like me and my team to work directly with you … just send me an email and tell me a little about your team and business, and what you’d like to work on together, and I’ll personally be in touch!

#Leadership
#productivity

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Cyril Peupion

Cyril is the author of ‘Work Smarter: Live Better’, in the top 10 business books in Australia