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If you have an office (at home or at work), you know that when it is disorganized, so is your work.   It is hard to focus in an area full of chaos and clutter.  Remember- You can’t organize clutter. 

tips to organize your office
Welcome to day 30 of my 40 DAY TO AN ORGANIZED HOME CHALLENGE …
Today is organizing your office.

At home, I have a desk in our “white room” that I use for my work as a play therapist, but I also I use my desk for more than just work, because keeping up with four kids requires a lot of notes and papers!

LETS LOOK AT HOW IT IS SET UP:

  • You need to be sure that you have what you need close to you:  A desk that allows enough room for what you need is a must.
  • Position your equipment by frequency of use.   I have our printer/scanner on a organization tower next to my desk, right beside me.  I can easily reach up to add more paper and grab what I need.
  • When setting up hardware, be aware of access to drives, trays and cords. You don’t want to end up blocking drawers or having cords by your legs.
  • A great tip is to label your wires when you are setting up your work area! (Use the tabs from bread bags)
  • Bundle like wires together (we use zip ties) to cut down on cord clutter and use a surge protector.

office 2 organizing your office

 

  • Have a spot for papers
  • Have one folder for papers that need immediate attention and another folder for paperwork that needs filed in your filing cabinet.
  • Another way to have your work out & accessible in the day and easily “clean up” at the end of the day is to get a filing cabinet with wheels.
  • You can bring a file cabinet out in the morning, then push it under the desk or into a closet at the end of the day.

Color coding:  According to Peter Walsh, ‘The average retrieval time for a piece of paper is ten minutes; 3 percent of all papers are misfiled. One study put the cost to a corporation of recovering a lost file at $120. You can’t afford that. Peter thinks the best file systems are color-coded—we recognize visual cues faster than labels.’  You need to get organized with your paperwork or it will take over.

TIP:
If you can’t be trusted to keep a space neat, don’t get an armoire.  I had a computer armoire and it was very easy to leave it disorganized and messy at times, knowing that you can just shut the door to “hide it”.  If you have a desk in plain view, you will be more likely to keep it organized, knowing that anyone can see it at any time.

TIP:
Use your calendar to write everything!  

 

Just a few last minute GREAT tips that you DON’T WANT TO MISS:

-Buy all of your b-day cards at one time (ex: January 1st)  Keep them in a box and when you see someone’s birthday on your calendar, go to the box, get their card, write it out and send it.

-Re-purpose ice-cube trays as desk-drawer organizers.

-Stuff plastic grocery bags inside an empty tissue box for compact storage and easy retrieval.

– If you don’t want to deal with the plastic wire-covers, use adhesive Velcro strips to secure surge protectors and dangling cords to the underside of a desk.

– If you like to keep your bills for the recommended year, file them in an accordion file with 12 pockets and designate one pocket for every month – you will always know just where to find them.

-If you have too much of something (pens, markers) you can donate them to a school. The average  teacher spends $659 of her own money on supplies!

-Utilize every space if you have a small office: behind doors, above the desk, walls…

I have organized all of my 40 days to an organized home, as well as all of my decluttering and cleaning posts into one easy-to-download book for your convenience.  You can find it here:
FREED FROM CLUTTER - BECKY MANSFIELD


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Hi there!

I’m Becky, a former elementary school teacher turned certified child development therapist and blogger. I work at home with my husband and together we are raising (and partially homeschooling) our four children in the Carolinas. I love diet coke, ice cream, and spending time with my family.

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6 Comments

  1. I love all of the tips! My “home office” which is really a computer desk could use some organization!

  2. I love all the tips, too!! Helped me organize my work area–what a relief to have it in order & efficient!!! 🙂

  3. I love to organize my desk. The tips you shared is very informative. Thanks for a clear guideline.

  4. I love all the tips. I am a pro reader of your blog. Thanks for sharing this article,.