I know how it feels. You get a new job and your desk looks like a hurricane just blew through it. Or maybe you’ve been at this same job for 20 years and now your office has become a cluttered mess. But don’t worry, there are plenty of ways to organize an office environment, even if you have limited storage space or few supplies on hand!
Find a place for everything.
The first step to organizing your office is finding a place for everything. This means you need to get rid of the junk that’s cluttering up your space and make sure everything has its own home. You can do this by using one of these organizing systems:
- Portable File Box
- Inbox System (something you can carry around)
- Hanging File Organizer
- Drawer Organizer
- Desk Drawer Organizer * Desktop Organizer (a desktop tray or caddy)
File as you go.
When you’re working on a project, keep your files organized and easy to find. File as you go by creating a folder for each project, and then storing all of your documents in that folder. If you have the same number of projects as folders, it will be easy to find what you need!
If file folders aren’t your thing, try using Google Drive or Dropbox instead—they allow for unlimited storage space so there’s no need to worry about running out of room.
When faced with a pile of papers, sort them into three piles: to keep, to do and to shred.
When faced with a pile of papers, sort them into three piles: to keep, to do and to shred.
Pile 1: Keep
This is the pile for things you definitely want to hold onto. Include documents that will be useful in the future, such as bank statements and receipts from purchases you made this week or last year. In order to help you remember what’s in this pile, include a list of all the items on it in your notebook or computer file where you keep all your lists (see below). The key is not just making sure these important documents are stored somewhere safe; also make sure they’re accessible so they’ll be easy for you to find when needed—and make sure other people know where they can find them too! If someone needs proof that something happened at a particular time (such as an insurance claim), then having all those records easily available will save everyone time and frustration down the road.
Pile 2: Keep These Important Documents In A Safe Place
It’s important to keep your important documents in a safe place that’s easily accessible. The safest place is a fireproof safe or file cabinet, where they can be locked away from anyone who shouldn’t have access to them. If you don’t have one of these, then consider keeping them in a locked drawer or filing cabinet at home; or locking them up at work if you’re able to do so there.
Pile 3: Toss These Documents In The Trash
The third pile is for things that are no longer necessary, like old bills or receipts. These should be thrown away immediately so you don’t have to worry about them taking up space in your home or office.
Create a new filing system if you don’t have one in place.
If you don’t have a filing system in place, it’s time to start building one. The first step is to identify the various types of paperwork that come across your desk on a regular basis. Some examples include:
- Bills and statements that need paying
- Invoices (whether they’re for services rendered or products sold)
- Materials you need to save for tax purposes (like receipts and documentation showing how much money was paid out for which job)
Once you’ve identified these different types of documents, create specific folders for each one. This can be done either physically or digitally—it doesn’t matter as long as everything is categorized properly so that any given document can always be located if needed.
Work on decluttering your desk area.
- Get rid of all the stuff you don’t need. If it’s not something you use, or if it doesn’t fit your needs, get rid of it.
- Get rid of the stuff you don’t use. If there is a pen that hasn’t been used in months, or a paper clip holding two pieces together that never gets used as one piece again—get rid of these things! They are just taking up space on your desk and giving off bad vibes when they could be being useful elsewhere (or perhaps even recycled).
- Get rid of the stuff that doesn’t belong to you or belong at your desk at all—and by this I mean everything from sticky notes with other people’s handwriting on them (talk about awkward) to old birthday cards from friends who no longer work in the same building as me (where did these come from?!)
Use vertical space.
The most common way to use vertical space is with a bulletin board or cork board. This will allow you to pin up important documents, pictures and other items that are either too big or too numerous to fit in your filing cabinet. If you have a lot of papers to organize, consider using a file cabinet as well. You can then put the most important files within reach on top of it—or hang them on hooks so they’re still easily accessible yet out of sight when not needed. Another great idea for storing all those little office supplies like pens and pencils is an organizer that hangs on the wall behind your desk; these come in many different styles but all serve the same basic purpose: keeping everything organized and under control!
Make sure you have a good chair that feels comfortable and that fits your work habits and posture.
A good chair is a critical part of your work station. A chair that is too low or too high can cause fatigue and back problems, so make sure it’s the right height for you. You should also make sure that you’re comfortable and supported in your seat, but not too much so—you don’t want to fall asleep at the desk!
When looking for a new chair, consider how much time you spend sitting down during the day, as well as how long your commute is. For example, if you have an hour-long commute by car each way every day, then it might be worth getting a swivel chair with wheels on them so that when it’s time for lunch break or after work drinks with coworkers there aren’t any issues getting home quickly enough to avoid traffic jams.
Your posture matters just as much (if not more) than finding one which fits comfortably into office culture before moving on from here: make sure nothing hurts while sitting still before deciding where exactly this piece should sit within our workspace!
DIY! There are tons of ideas online for homemade organization solutions
There are so many great ideas for homemade organization systems out there. You can use things you already have on hand, like cardboard boxes and plastic bins with lids. You can also get creative with your materials by using painter’s tape to create visual dividers between sections of your drawer, or using old CDs to organize pens and pencils.
There’s no right or wrong way to make an organizing system that works for you—the key is simply knowing what works best in the space you’re working with.
It is possible to get organized at work, even if you’re working in an office with limited storage space.
It is possible to get organized at work, even if you’re working in an office with limited storage space.
There are many ways to organize your desk and workspace. For example:
- You can create a filing system for paper documents and digital files. If you have a filing cabinet, you could keep all of your papers in there and then use hanging folders on the outside of the cabinet to organize everything by project or topic.
- If the filing cabinet doesn’t fit under your desk, consider using vertical space instead of horizontal space on your desk itself. This could mean using shelving units or hanging baskets that sit above the top of your computer monitor (or as high as possible). You can also use desktop organizers for smaller items like thumb drives or USB cables; these will help keep things off of the surface area of your desk so that it looks tidy when people walk by!
Conclusion
With the right set of tools and a little bit of effort, you can organize your office and make it feel more like home. It may take some time to get things just right, but once they are, they’ll stay that way!
