The key to any successful office will be how well it is organized. If you can’t find items quickly, you are losing time and money.
Even the most fastidious people can slip up and find themselves working amid a sea of clutter. Here are some home office organization ideas that you can employ to banish clutter and work more effectively.
1. Keep a Calendar to Remind You to Clean the Office Weekly
The same calendar that you use to plan upcoming business tasks and appointments can also help you keep the space clean and neat. Whether you prefer to neaten it up on Sundays to start the work week fresh, or would rather clean on a weekday, as long as you stick to a schedule, you can count on your workspace remaining free of clutter.
2. Use Paper Holders to Corral Your Documents
If you regularly deal with a lot of paper and its documentation that you cannot leave as digital files, you can tame the mess by using paper holders strategically. The top shelf can be for outgoing correspondence, while the bottom shelf is noted for a conference and the middle shelf is background material for you to look at later in the week.
3. Stick With Simple, Clean Accessories for Your Desk
You don’t want a crowded desk. That just makes everything harder to find when you need it. For example, a cup to hold pens and pencils is appropriate, next to a sticky note pad dispenser. Items you seldom use would go into a drawer. But if you use your stapler throughout the workday, it’s an accessory you’ll keep out in the open.
4. Make Use of Space-saving Shelves
Your walls have plenty of room to hold items, from gear, extra cables for your devices, reference books, and a few decorations.
5. Divide Drawers for Better Organization
Your desk drawers may be open, with items scattered all over. From postage stamps, spare coins, extra writing instruments, rubber bands, and other essentials, it’s best if you add drawer dividers. Then it will be simple to find what you’re looking for, instead of making someone wait on hold on the phone while you rummage around for items.
6. Mount Your Desk to a Wall
You can free up space by mounting a desk to the wall. You can fold it up with small nooks for various items like pens and notepads when not in use. Rather than facing a messy desk, you’ll see a clean rectangle on the wall that folds down whenever you need to write.
Staying Clean and Clutter-free Every Day of the Year
Daily cleaning may be a bit ambitious. But with proper organization, you can reduce the amount of time needed to keep everything straight.
Your desire to get rid of clutter in your home office is admirable. Remember to go easy on yourself if you happen to forget to clean the space one weekend. As long as you get into the habit of staying organized (with a place for everything and of course, everything in its place), you’ll enjoy a cleaner office that helps you get your work done with less stress.
Dear Michele – I occasionally do life coaching & appreciate any new ideas other people come up with – I sometimes pass these ideas on. When I coach I bring up the question: “What is this supposed to look like when it’s happily ever after?” – and I rarely get a coherent answer. My dear, should anyone ask you “What is this supposed to look like when it’s happily ever after?” the answer is “Death, madness, illusion and lust. Simply, death, madness, illusion and lust.” I’m in an advisory mood, I’m doing anything except clearing off my desk top and working on my finances.