Organize your office space.
Bri Lords, our guest blogger, spends much of her time organizing garages with Garage Solutions of Arizona. Interestingly, the skills she uses in garage organizing can also work for your desk. Here are some great tips on ways to organize your office space. One tip that didn’t make it on her list is not organize your desk space alone. Get someone skilled in helping you discover the best ways you can work in your office and become more productive. I’ve got you covered on that.
Margo Crawford
Productivity Coach
How many of us look at our desk after a busy day of work to find it covered in clutter? Sometimes, it feels like that clutter just springs into existence because it sure wasn’t there at the beginning of the day. And now you’re tasked with tidying up all over again. No one wants to deal with that after a long and tiresome work day. It’s a perpetual cycle. How do you break that cycle? It all comes down to a few conscious decisions.
Make a plan. I’ve found that purchasing a trusty planner with plenty of room for notes is a must when it comes to maintaining an organized desk. Erin Condren makes really amazing planners that have multiple calendar views to help you stay extra organized. These planners are completely customizable to help you create the perfect planner for your busy life. Keeping this planner open while you work helps you get things done and schedule your time accordingly. If you’re more of a digital person, Asana is a great program to keep track of the tasks and projects you need to finish.
Purchase or make your own whiteboard. I like to write things down. I’m not sure what it is about physically checking things off the to-do list but it sure is satisfying! Before I bought my small whiteboard I would write things down on notepads, which isn’t the worst thing in the world, but I was going through a ton of paper! Investing in a whiteboard was the best choice I made in awhile! It’s perfect for writing down quick notes or reminders that you can quickly erase when you no longer need them. You don’t have to worry about leaving behind excess paper clutter.
Give everything a home. There are some versatile storage products out there that make it simple to cut down the clutter in an office or on a desk. Simple monitor risers with space underneath allow you to keep papers and office supplies stored discretely beneath your desktop monitors. For those with more files or office supplies, a small set of clear drawers that can fit under your desk clears up paper clutter.
Simplify, simplify, simplify. Clearing clutter isn’t always just organizing it. Sometimes, you really have to let things go. There have been times when I have a pile-up of documents on my desk that serve no purpose. If they don’t have confidential or sensitive information they find their way to the trash can. Documents that are no longer necessary, but include personal, sensitive or confidential information are shredded.
Psychology Today said, “clutter bombards our minds.” Clearing clutter and creating an organized work space removes those barriers that would otherwise impede your ability to accomplish your to-do list. Take back your space today!
Bri Lords has worked with Garage Solutions of Arizona for a few years, helping individuals clear the clutter in the garage and reclaim lost space. When she is not at work, Bri spends her time making memories with her husband and German Shepherd.
Margo Crawford is a Productivity Coach and Professional Organizer with Wave Productivity. She works with entrepreneurs, small business owners and business professionals to help them get more focused, organized and productive in their workplace. Call 602-677-8275 or email [email protected]