Cleaning and office desk organization are practices, not projects. – Meagan Francis
Have you ever wondered how much time we actually spend working?
According to Huffpost Australia’s research, over the course of a lifetime, an average person spends 4,821 days at the workplace, which equals 13 years and 2 months or 24% of your life.
Big time, isn’t it? And I think you would definitely prefer to spend a considerable amount of that time in maximum comfort, peace of mind and productivity.
Why desk organization is important?
It is vital to keep your office desk organization on point, as it really enhances your level of motivation, makes you feel a lot more inspired, helps you get more things done and makes your desk visually appealing as well.
Below are 10 simple tips on desk organization ideas:
1. Clear off your space like you mean it
As Brian Tracy said, “The hardest part of any important task is getting started”, and in our case, desk organization begins with a complete decluttering and purging process.
Remove everything from your desk, clean it forty ways to Sunday, and the most important part—put back only those things you need on a daily basis.
I know, I know, it could be difficult, but keeping things “just in case” is not an option if you want to keep your desk organization to point.
Be brave and let go of the things that won’t come in handy anymore. Trust me, this has to be on top of your desk organization ideas.
2. Desk organization
You have a lot of small objects and just one drawer or none at all, right? Get some office drawer organizers that divide your drawers into multiple slots for keeping post-it notes, business cards, paperclips, batteries, flash drives, and so on.
Just so you know, minimizing your office supplies will help you reduce visual clutter at your desk. To keep all that’s left after the purge in one place within easy reach, use transparent acrylic boxes for writing utensils, a monitor stand to widen the space, vertical desk trays, and simple desk organizer with as many compartments as you can find.
If you are lucky enough to have an office drawer unit, don’t waste this opportunity and fill the space with personal things, your bags or purses, or anything to your taste. This will help keep your desk organization to a good start!
3. Arrange your computer desktop
You may have an absolutely flawless, minimalist desk organization ideas and views to be proud of.
However, if your home screen is a total mess with an unsorted array of folders, files, and images, it urgently has to be dealt with.
Such a bunch of files left unattended can lead to accidental distractions while working. Try to find at least 8 minutes a day and sort the accumulated files wisely into folders. Delete the unnecessary ones from your desktop, clean up your bookmarks and empty your trash.
Pump up with that desk organization!
4. Untwist your cords
If there are lots of plugs, cords, and wires you use almost all the time, then this tip is for you. The problem with tangling wires and hastily finding the right cord, which causes distraction, can be solved by bundling your strands with cable ties, grouping your cords together with binder clips, or buying a cable holder and attaching it to your desk.
This has to be the go-to-hack for many people looking for desk organization ideas.
You can even take it to the next level and label your plugs, wires and chargers with colored tape to avoid confusion with your co-workers.
5. Reconsider your system of grouping things
As to the manner of sorting, you can categorize your stuff either alphabetically, by importance, or in any other way that resonates with you.
Thus, each item will have its proper place and you will know exactly where everything is, just in case you need it.
You are LITERALLY going for the perfect desk organization this way!
6. Personalize your workplace
Striking a work-life balance is a challenge, especially at your desk.
Family photos, vacation mementos, your favorite figurine, a plant, or even an amusing coffee cup can brighten up your space, make you feel more at home and bring you some inspiration.
But don’t get too personal. In order to avoid distractions, a couple of personal items should be enough to keep on the desk.
You can also arrange some visual borders so that no one disturbs you, using personalized door hangers that gently claim your special zone but also does it keeping in mind the perfection of desk organization.
7. Comfort is above all
Everybody’s got their own understanding of the word “comfort” at the workplace. However, in general, you should:
- Have a comfortable chair at the computer height in order n
- ot to curve your spine.
- Wear indoor shoes or slippers to keep your feet from excessively sweating.
- Use natural lighting whenever possible, as it gives your body vitamin D and dopamine, which improve your eyesight and really increase your productive efficiency.
- Use a humidifier to keep the air moist and a diffuser filled with essential oils to create scents that you enjoy and that will increase your productivity.
- If you enjoy listening to music, create a playlist of your favorite songs, which will surely bring you energy, inspire you, and motivate you while working, as we do at Chanty.
8. Keep your to-do list, calendar or planner nearby
Without further ado, not everything can go digital, so keep your to-do list close at hand for outstanding work tasks.
Also have with yourself an hourly planner or calendar to plan like a boss and a notebook to make some notes like reminders, necessary emails, or useful phrases.
9. Use the space around you
Do you always feel like you’re running out of desk room? If yes, then a good solution at your fingertips would be a so-called “under-desk basket,” which will provide you with valuable space and a place for all your digital accessories.
Have a vacant windowsill beside you? Feel free to put a pen holder there, or a picture you are fond of. See that nobody claims an open space on the wall? Don’t hesitate to hang a neat shelf or a memo corkboard for your trip photos or weekly productivity planning.
10. Wipe it down before you go
Nope, you don’t need to deep clean your desk with a wet cloth every single day—I’m not crazy. My advice is to neaten up your workspace and keep your office desk organized in the last five minutes of your working day.
Throw yourself a 21-day challenge and declutter your desk daily, either from used-up coffee cups or from the disorganized pile of papers. The result will surprise you, and besides, it would be a pleasure to start your morning at a clean desk.
Desk organization summing up
Use one tip or all desk organization ideas—it’s up to you. But bear in mind that office desk organization is a significant asset to your productivity and efficiency during the day, as it saves time and minimizes distractions at work.
So, go for it and check weekly to see that every piece is still worth keeping at your workplace.
Let us know of your favorite desk organization ideas too!
Very good advices in this post. I would recommend trying to use a wall for sticky notes so that important information is in a prominent place. You can also try digitizing some documents to make future searches easier.
This is a great list of tips for getting your desk organized for maximum productivity. I definitely think that having a clean and organized workspace can help to increase productivity and efficiency. Some of my favorite tips from this list include using a desk calendar to keep track of important dates and using a desk drawer to store frequently used items. Thanks for sharing!
I like all the ideas. I am eager to work and be more productive with an organized and neat workspace.