A new survey commissioned by Office Depot reveals that many individuals (34 percent) lose significant amounts of time - more than 15 minutes a day or nearly two hours every week - hunting for lost papers, sorting through messy files and rebooking missed appointments.

Perhaps most importantly, the survey confirmed that business professionals are a study in contrasts when it comes to organization - while they recognize their own shortcomings and are aware of the costs and potential ramifications of being disorganized, they do little to change. According to the study, the majority (53 percent) live in "controlled chaos," where their desk is a mess but they claim to know where everything is located.

Busy professionals also are finding this rather chaotic lifestyle costly. In fact, 76 percent of respondents report they lose time to disorder, while more than half (51 percent) are concerned about missing important deadlines or appointments, and many cite fear of diminishing their reputation (16 percent) or losing business opportunities (14 percent) due to disorganization.

Given these facts, it's surprising to learn how few business professionals take on the task of becoming and staying organized. A mere 22 percent of respondents stated that they arranged their desk for maximum productivity every day, while 49 percent organize only once a month - or less frequently.

Why does this disorder happen to otherwise productive individuals? That may be the most revealing part of the study - 67 percent are not sure how to start or maintain their efforts.

To help business professionals become more organized, Office Depot developed the Office Depot Five-Day Office Makeover Plan. This enhanced program, updated with helpful tips for tax return preparation, is designed to help business professionals trim overflowing in-boxes, strengthen file-finding flexibility and tone-up overall organizational skills in less than 30 minutes a day.

Comprehensive tips on how to get organized in less than 30 minutes a day can be found in the Office Depot Five-Day Office Makeover Plan, which is available for free download.