How To Organize Your Office Or Work Space

To work most efficiently, you need to have an organized workspace. Such is the case whether you work in or out of the home and any spaces where you may do your homework or even pay bills.

Whenever my desk gets messy, I do not work efficiently. I just can’t. I also need to keep our bills organized. If you toss them onto a pile on the corner of your desk, you may not pay them on time.

Not only do I need the top of my desk cleaned and organized, but I also need this with the drawer. I tell you what – that drawer will be clean one day and then so messy the next that I can’t find a THING in it! I secretly think trolls live nearby and sneak in at night and mess it up!

While it can be a big task, I am here to tell you that if your desk or workspace is neat and organized, it just makes you much more productive. It also can help you feel more in control of your finances and other paperwork that filters through your home.

Before you start to organize your office, make sure you grab your checklist. That will help you get started. You will also want to read through the rest of this post where we provide even more detail for each item on the list.

HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR HOME OFFICE

Clean off the top of the desk

You want to make sure your desktop has nothing on it. Sort your paperwork into one stack and set the office supplies in another. You will go through these later.

If you find things that don’t belong, make sure you return them to their proper home (don’t just put them in another room, but put them away – don’t create more clutter).

Empty the desk drawers

Do the same as you did with the top of the desk. Place the paperwork in a pile. Create piles, keeping like items together. If you find things that don’t belong, make sure you return those to their homes as well.

Throw out anything that is broken or is just trash (put envelopes and other papers into the shredding or recycling pile).

Return items to the drawers

You might find dividers or hanging files to keep things neat and orderly. Use a small basket to keep writing items or other office supplies together. Don’t forget to place the most frequently used items at the front of your drawer (so you can easily access them).

Sort through paperwork

File those items that need to be saved as needed (read more about filing important documents). Toss or recycle anything as needed. Set your bills aside and make sure they are always kept together in a location where you can find them easily (so you never miss any payments).

Place kids’ school papers in their proper bins (see more about that here). If you find notes, add them to your planner or make an online document to keep them together.

Clean up writing items

Test all pens and highlighters and toss anything that does not work. Sharpen any pencils that are dull. Keep only a few items on your desk, and keep the extras in a central location. Place in your drawer or use a cup or other type of storage to keep them on your desk.

Return items to the top of your desk

Try to limit the number of things on top of your desk. It should include your laptop (or tablet), a few family photos, a cup with writing items, small calendar, and even a place for a few papers you may need to refer to soon. Try not to allow papers to pile back up again by filing them away as soon as they come into the house.

Wipe down the desk and any shelves

Place small items on the shelves, but do not allow them to become over-cluttered. Only use one or two small paper storage bins on your shelf so that it does not become overcome by paperwork again.

Vacuum or sweep

Now your office is clean and organized!