It’s frustrating to work in a disorganized home office with mounds of paper and work tools cluttering the area. Don’t let it happen for another day. Get organized by spending a few hours on this task.
Throw Out the Clutter
People who have piles of paperwork, pencil shavings, dog treats, and children’s toys cluttering their work space won’t be able to concentrate as needed when working from home. The first step is to remove all non-work related items from one’s home office. Also, remove all objects that aren’t used often. For example, if a person has a little tray of paper clips on his desk but uses a paperclip twice a year, they should be stored somewhere else. Keep the essentials within reaching distance and get rid of the rest.
Find a Working Filing System
Many people struggle with having piles of paperwork in their work space. Don’t fall into this trap. Clean it all one time by filing it in a system that will be easily accessible such as alphabetical order or by project. After a person files away all important papers and removes junk from his office, he can continue to keep it organized by filing all papers after they have been used. Before a person moves on to a new project, he should put away all related paperwork from the last project. If he keeps this up, he won’t have to spend an entire afternoon filing away papers every month.
Some people just can’t bring themselves to file away paperwork a few times a day. These people should at least buy a storage bin, paper clip all related papers together, and place in the bin beside their desk after use. Then that person can set aside time at the end of each day or week to file the papers in its proper place.
Essential Organizing Items
For an organized home office, a person should invest in a cork board, mail sorter for ingoing and outgoing mail, calendar, and filing cabinet. When a person writes down an important piece of information, makes notes during a phone call, or scribbles down a significant phone number, she needs a place to put it to get it out of the way until she needs it.
This is why a cork board is mandatory. All the little pieces of paper and sticky notes can be hung there. A mail sorter is necessary for a person who does a lot of mailing for work. Having a calendar that she can write down quick dates and easily access by glancing at it is a must-have for anyone who works from home.
Keep the Home Office Clean
At the end of the day, schedule ten minutes to quickly clean the work space. When a person arrives at a clean home office each morning, he’ll be ready to work. A person should dust the area, wipe down the phone, desk, and mouse with an all purpose cleaner, wipe the computer screen, use a can of compressed air for keyboards to blow away any debris from the keyboard, and throw away any trash.
Get a home office organized by eliminating clutter, finding a working filing system, investing in essential organizing items, and cleaning the work space daily.
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