Details or Sample:

Cluttered, messy offices aren’t good for productivity. You waste time looking for things that aren’t in any logical places. Sometimes you actually lose important things, like a client’s contact information or a vital piece of your current project. And then there’s the discouragement of walking into that office every morning and wondering when the cyclone came through.

If you spend just a few hours – at once or spread out over a few days – organizing your home office, you’ll increase productivity and make your space more comfortable. These tips will help you get started.

First, you should figure out, and set, realistic goals. If you have an office the size of an airplane hangar, you shouldn’t expect to reorganize the entire thing in half an hour. “Take half an hour to work on cleaning the desk off” is a good goal, as is “Spend ten minutes sorting paperwork.”

Next, create a plan of action. Sketch out your office’s floor plan on a piece of paper and experiment with different arrangements. Would your desk work better for you on the opposite wall? Where’s the best place for the book shelves? What about the bulletin board?

When you try different setups, think of the things that you use most often. These should be the easiest to reach. You don’t replace printer cartridges nearly as often as you replenish the paper tray, so keep that in mind when you try to figure out where you want to store your office supplies.

Begin in one corner and start cleaning up. If you need to get things out of your way, move them into the hall or another room in your house until you’re ready for them. Your spouse will probably doubt your sanity when he or she discovers your beloved office chair in the bathroom. If so, be prepared to explain that this is just temporary.

As you clean and rearrange, make a list of storage solutions that you need to buy. If, for example, you notice that all of your magazines are piled in the corner, make a note to buy storage boxes. Make sure that you find something that works with your space: you don’t want fifteen-inch-tall boxes for your thirteen-inch-tall book shelf.

While you’re making lists, go ahead and keep track of any office supplies or other equipment you need to replenish while you’re out shopping. You’ll probably find that you’re low on something important, like pens or printer paper, while you’re cleaning and organizing.

Use storage solutions that make the most of your room. Stackable containers take advantage of otherwise-empty wall space. Short boxes slide under desks, end tables and other furniture. Wall-mounted bookshelves take up the wall space but free up some room on the floor.

Filing systems usually cause a large portion of the clutter. Clean out your filing cabinets, find your box of hanging file folders, and start working on putting everything away. This is probably going to start discouraging you, especially if there’s a very large pile of paperwork that needs your attention. Many people find that sorting out the filing cabinet a few minutes at a time over the course of the entire day, or even week, keeps them going. Setting aside just ten minutes a day for sorting paperwork will move you closer to the goal – without tempting you to throw all the papers back into a pile on your desk and playing computer solitaire for the rest of the afternoon.

Do away with things that don’t belong in your office. Your child’s skateboard shouldn’t be on your desk. That stack of DVDs probably belongs in the living room. Getting these types of things out of your way will make your space seem more like a place to work than just another room in your home. This will also encourage other family members to respect working hours: something that’s vital to your productivity.

Arrange your work areas according to your own needs. If you use paper clips once a month, they probably don’t need to waste valuable desk space.

Create groups of things that are associated with certain tasks. If you use stamps, mailing envelopes and scissors for one task, try to keep them together. This will save valuable time when you start that task, as you won’t have to look all over the office for one crucial item.

If clutter builds up because you don’t have enough room for everything, take on more space or find other places for things that you don’t use very often. If you buy office supplies in bulk, move out the things that you won’t get around to using for a few months. Keeping eight giant boxes of printer paper in the office is only going to waste room and add to the cluttered look.

When you unearth an artifact that you don’t use anymore and don’t plan to put back to work in the future, get rid of it. A shoebox filled with dead computer mice and eight-inch floppy disks isn’t going to do anybody any good, so toss them into the trash.

Find a convenient place for your trash can and paper shredder. The easier they are to reach, the more likely you are to dispose of papers that you don’t need anymore – instead of letting them clutter up your desk.

Finally, put your day planner or notebook someplace that’s easy to reach. You’re more likely to take notes, remember appointments and keep track of important information if your paper brain is handy.

You might have to experiment with a few different arrangements before you find the one that works best. The filing cabinets could be more useful in a different corner, for example. If that happens, make time to move things around and try these other ideas.

Once you’ve found a setup that you like, make a habit of putting things away before you leave the office at the end of your workday. Putting up a couple of things a day is much less frustrating than spending two hours catching up on months of scattered items.

Purchase this content for your website...

Pricing:
Usage:	$75	[Add to Cart]
Unique:	$85	[Add to Cart]
Full Rights:	$110	[Add to Cart]

Downloads: 0
Written by: Sarah81
Available File Types:Text
Words: 1020