No one really seeks out a messy office–– it is just happens amid a busy workday or a hectic schedule. On the flipside, having a clean and organized office requires conscious effort and effective strategies. However, organizational expert Darla DeMorrow says that the effort of maintaining a clean office is worth it because it "allows you to take control of the things you can control." In turn, this will improve productivity by leaps and bounds. That is why we have compiled a list of tips for staying organized:
Every time you step away from your desk to grab a pencil or retrieve a piece of paper, you derail your train of thought. Once you have acquired the requisite tools, you must reorient yourself back onto the task at hand–– this wastes precious time and mental power. Thus, you should consider your desktop a central hub for all your daily tools. This way, anything you immediately need is less than an arms distance away, and anything you don’t need can be tucked away in a drawer.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to showcase on your desk a framed picture of your niece’s 4th birthday party. Personal items like pictures can be a great source of motivation to power you through the work day. With that being said, you do not want to clutter your desk with knick-knacks and trinkets. Not only does it take up valuable desk space, personal belongings can cause you to occasionally lose focus. Thus, choose your items sparingly.
Don’t have a massive closet to store all of your belongings? No problem. Utilize your wall space by installing shelves or by hanging up a whiteboard. This is a great tip for staying organized when you do not have a ton of real estate to work with.
Without an effective filing system in place, office papers naturally pile up and eventually become insurmountable stacks of clutter. To avoid this scenario, Amy Trager, a professional organizer, recommends organizing your papers like this:
1) Important and urgent
2) Urgent, but not necessarily important
3) Important, without urgency
4) Non-urgent, and not important
Having too many things is equally as bad as not having enough things. When you have a surplus of items in your office, it is more difficult to find the things you really need at a moment’s notice. Therefore, it is important to clear some of the obstacles from your path by discarding old papers and unwanted items.
Hopefully, with these tips for staying organized, you can spend more time getting things done, and less time trying to find belongings around the office.
Related: Home Office Essentials