Clutter Free Living: At Your Desk

Do you dread working in your office? Do you fear the idea of an office visitor?  If you answered yes to either of these questions, there are a few suggestions below to help your office be a productive and welcoming sanctuary. 

You CAN have a more enjoyable work environment:

1) Have a trash can, shredder and recycling bin ready. Then, toss everything that is broken and cannot be fixed (pens, tools, markers, etc.).

2) House all like items together in organizer trays or cups (staples, rubber bands, paper clips, stamps, pencils, pens, envelopes, extra paper).

3) Remove all personal items from your desk. Hang them on a wall, decorative shelf or display them on a cork board if they must stay.

4) Have your phone, computer, printer, fax machine, filing cabinet and trash can within comfortable reach of your chair.

5) Set up trays at your desk for:

- Incoming Mail

- Outgoing Mail

- To Do

- To File

- To Shred

* Sort the papers that were on your desk into the appropriate trays.

6) Gather all sticky notes. Put them on one large to do list OR arrange them neatly onto a dry erase board within eye level to your desk.

Extra Tips:

- Open mail right away & sort it into it's tray or trash bin. 

- If you have papers you need for regular reference post them to a cork board at eye level to your desk.

- Clear your desk at the end of each day. This offers a fresh start to the next day

- Have good task lighting, such as a desk lamp. 

- Fresh air and natural light give a sense of well being and comfort.

- Keep your essentials close at hand and be ruthless with the rest. Your space will immediately look bigger!

- If a spill happens, clean it completely up right away. 

- File each day, don't put it off. 

It's not inspiring to work in a space that is dominated by clutter and mess. It makes you feel out of control. You will not

want to work where clutter is distracting . A cleared desk makes you feel more in control and more confident as you work.

You can find more tips, just like these in the books listed below. In the mean time, stay tuned to the next post on Clutter Free Living.

Exerts and portions adapted from:  

- Lissanne Oliver's Sorted! The Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Life - Once and for All 

- Jennifer Ford Berry's Organize Now

- Sandra Felton's Smart Organizing

- Freed & Shapiro's 4 Weeks to an Organized Life with AD/HD