Get Your Office Organised
People often think that they just don’t have enough time to organize their office, but if they really knew how much time that disorganization was costing them, they would reconsider. An organised desk saves you time, helps you work more productively and allows you to get more done. It also avoids double handling and time wasted looking for documents.
Get More Organised
So, if you want to be more organised and get more done, then having an organised office and desk is a must. Rearranging and moving piles occasionally doesn’t count. Nor does putting the mess into a bin, or a desk drawer.
Organizing your office doesn’t have to take days either. It can be done a little at a time, especially if you have thought about the systems and procedures needed to help you stay organised.
An organised home office, or office is one that has a good filing system and is clutter free.
Great Tips to Organize Your Office Space
- Declutter and purge your Office – Declutter, empty, shred or get rid of everything that you don’t need or want. Look around and see what you haven’t you used in a while? Tackle one area at a time. If it doesn’t work get it repaired or throw it out. If you haven’t used it in months and can’t think of when you’ll actually need it, then do you really need it?
- Does the item really belong on your desk? Collect every item that isn’t where it belongs and put it where it does. (You would be amazed at what we find in offices that just should not be there)
- Establish work “zones” – Decide what type of activity happens in each area of your office. You’ll probably have a main workspace (most likely your desk,) a reference area such as (filing cabinet, shelves, binders,) and a supply area (shelves or drawers.) Place the appropriate equipment and supplies in the correct areas.
- Clear your desk – Remove everything, clean it thoroughly and put back only the items that are essential for daily use.
- Label it. I love my label maker. Take the time to label files, shelves, baskets, drawers etc. Not only will it remind you where things go, but it will also help others who may need to find or put away anything in your workspace.
- Set up an in-tray. Papers need a “home” when they arrive on your desk. Remember to label your in-tray too.
- Set up a filing system. When filing or creating a filing system, remember that you are doing this to make your life easier. Make sure your system makes sense and that anyone coming into your office would be able to find what they need quickly. Don’t forget to label it as well. Lever arch folders also work well when you want to file documents.
- Organise your drawers. Group similar items in each drawer. For example, put all of your office supplies in one drawer, stationery and notepads in another. That way, it’s organised and you won’t waste time trying to find items.
- Archive old files. Review your paperwork and decide which papers you don’t need. There might be other items that you need to keep, but they don’t need to be kept on your desk or in your filing cabinet. Use archive boxes to store old files and get them out of your current filing cabinet or off your desk. If you have the space, they might even be kept in another area, so it does not clutter up your office.
- Clear your piles – Hopefully with your newly organized office, you will no longer need to sort through the old piles. Go through the pile (a little at a time if necessary) and put it in the an appropriate place or throw it out.
- Sort and action your mail – Don’t just stick mail in a pile to deal with later. Sort it as soon as you get it into piles such as– to act, to read, to file or to delegate.
- Reading folder – Designate a file for print articles and documents you want to read that aren’t urgent. Remember to set a time-frame by which they should be read. Otherwise this will be the start of another pile.
- 1 minute desk tidy up – At the end of the day do a quick tidy up, so that when you arrive the next day, its organised and ready for a productive day.
- File weekly – Don’t let your filing pile up. Put your papers in a “To File” folder and file everything once a week. Schedule time in your diary, perhaps 4.45 pm on Friday to do your filing.
- Changing habits. Keeping an organised desk is all about changing habits. Instead of thinking “I will sort that later”, do it now. Make sure you spend time at the end of your week filing documents and organising your desk. If you do that, you will have an organized desk in no time and will be getting more done.
I hope that these office organising tips help you to declutter and get your office organised so that you have less clutter and are more productive.
Until next time, happy organising.
Natalie Morey, Professional Organiser
