An Organized Office

While few consider their desktop when discussing organization, the truth is that it is often the most cluttered and least organized part of our entire office. Piles and stacks of paperwork, loose writing utensils, folders ready to topple at any minute, mail scattered everywhere, and worst of all, Post-it notes stuck all over the place in an attempt to remind us of things lost past.

Organizing your desk does not have to be difficult, although the first time may be time-consuming. Here are a few simple steps to clearing your desktop:

1. Purchase an organizer for small items. Large supercenters, office stores, and similar stores offer a wide variety of drawer organizers, desktop organizers, and like items. Use these to store pens, pencils, erasers, white-out, highlighters, paper clips, staples, spare notebook, etc%u2026 Store the organizer in a drawer if possible, and, if this is not possible, set it to the side so it is handy without being in the way. One other thing, don't overload the organizer. Keep only what you need for a week at a time.
2. Consider utilizing a mail-sorting system to get rid of mail, incoming and outgoing. Place outgoing mail in one stack to be picked up or taken to the Post Office. Use the other stack to sort mail that needs your attention. Deal with this stack and file each piece where it belongs as you are able to (on a daily basis if possible). This includes mail, files, and similar items. File the folder where it belongs when you are finished with it!
3. Put the trash in the round file (the garbage can). Don't wait until the trash accumulates until your desk closely resembles a landfill. Take care of trash by shredding it when appropriate and dumping it in the trash can in a reasonable manner.

After these three simple steps, your desk is already beginning to appear more organized and you can find things that you didn't even remember that you had before.

Now that your desk is looking better, it's time to tackle the drawers and stacks of paper most of us have in abundance. While the idea of filing sounds both easy and quick for some people, for others it sounds like a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. The more behind you get, the harder it is to keep things filed properly.

* Use a filing method that works for you! You do not have to use a method simply because someone else says it is the best method. Find one that works for your needs! Whether you choose to use a milk-crate system, filing cabinets, or boxes in the closet, stick with the method that works, and file things immediately.
* Label what you file. Sticking every piece of paper in the filing cabinet is like sweeping the mountain of dirt under the rug. Separate the paperwork into relevant information and label it. For example: "2008 Tax Paperwork" is easier to decipher than "Taxes-Misc." Colored labels, alphabetical coding, and similar methods are very effective, but find what works for you.

Can you believe it? You almost have an office again! Only one more step and you will be clutter-free and ready to tackle the more difficult chore of dealing with stress and organizing your mind, so to speak.

Some reading this will wonder what your furniture has to do with organization. The way we sit, read, type, and focus will affect how organized our desks appear to be, believe it or not. If we are slouched at our desks uncomfortably squinting at the monitor, we will appear unorganized and unprofessional. First appearances mean everything in the professional world, and if you look professional, you will enhance the way people view you the first time (and every subsequent time) they see you.

* Your desk should be appropriate for the space you have. A desk that is too small will look unnecessarily cluttered even if completely organized. Conversely, a desk that is too large will look empty and over-stated in an otherwise small office. Choose a desk that suits your needs and your office space.
* Your chair should be suitable for your particular needs. Allowing your body to be comfortable for the period of time you spend in the chair is crucial. Feet flat, thighs parallel to the chair, back straight, shoulders able to be back and relaxes, are the ideal options for your chair. It should be adjusted to make sure your eyes, wrists, and hands are at the proper angles to do their jobs as well.
* Bookcases should be appropriate for your unique needs. If you need a lot of books (such as reference manuals, user manuals, etc%u2026) you will need a bigger bookcase with more shelves than someone who needs little or no book storage space.
* Lastly, don't forget filing space. Filing cabinets and other methods of storing files are also office furniture in that they take up space in your office (and could constitute a significant amount of space for paper-intrinsic jobs). Keep an adequate amount of storage for any given time plus a small amount of extra storage space for emergencies or unexpected filing needs.

Pat yourself on the back, you are well on the way to becoming an organized and successful individual! Your desk -and office-are looking good and neat, and your boss, family members, coworkers, and whoever else sees your desk and office on a frequent basis will have long since noticed the change in your workspace, and will soon be offering congratulations on the new you. You will probably find yourself doing much less forgetting these days, and will soon be ready to tackle the mess that is your computer next.