7 Tips to Organize Your Workspace

There is nothing worse than coming into work and trying to be productive in a space that feels chaotic. Your workspace should be a reflection of your mindset, so if your desk is buried beneath clutter it might be a sign that it’s time to organize. An organized space is a motivator, it invites you to create and inspires you to put your best foot forward. It doesn’t matter whether your space is small or large, as long as it gives you the capabilities to take care of business.

1. Get Rid of It

The first step when organizing is to remove everything from the area, so you can physically see every item in front of you. This is the time to throw out any trash, to find all of those missing pens and USB cables you’ve lost over the years and to decide what you really need in your office space during your work day.

We’ve all heard of the “konmari method” where you hold something up and determine if it sparks joy. Since “sparks joy” might not be as relevant when it comes to your office supplies, instead hold up the item and ask yourself “do I need this?” or “will I ever use this again?”. If the clay pencil holder your nephew made you in preschool has turned into a “paperweight” on your desk – maybe it’s time to bring that home and find a new special place for it. When it comes to what is sitting on your desk, the rule of thumb is: necessities only.

2. Categorize

Now that you’ve decided what you need during your work day, make sure you group them together in ways that make sense. For example: all of your writing instruments (pens, pencils, highlighters, erasers) and paper products (legal pads, envelopes, letterhead, printer paper) should be together.

3. Think with Your Instincts

When you’re grabbing for a pen or looking for where you put your stamps, it should be instinctual where you grab for them. It doesn’t make sense to keep your pens in the closet and your broken calculator in the top desk drawer. Think about your most-used items and place them in the spaces nearby. Anything that you don’t use day-to-day can be tucked away.

4. Utilize Your Space

If space is an issue where you have too much office supplies and not enough storage space, consider adding in alternatives like desk organizers, drawer units or shelves. Floating shelves can be installed above your desk (if your workplace allows it) or you could fill a storage caddy that fits under your desk to easily grab files. These solutions guarantee instant storage space without taking away floor space.

5. Label Your Supplies

One of the reasons spaces get so cluttered, is that when you are searching for something in particular, you tear apart your space until you find it. Think preventatively and label your items so that you always know exactly where everything is.

6. Clean Up Before You Go

Set yourself up for success and don’t leave a mess behind at the end of your workday. How many times have you said “I’ll get up early tomorrow instead and take care of this” and how many times have you actually followed through? For many of us, that conversion rate is very low. Make the choice each day to end on a positive note. Straighten up your desk, close your drawers, empty your trash and take care of any clutter that might inhibit tomorrow.

7. Maintain

Now that you’ve created an organized workspace, make the choice to keep it that way. If things are starting to feel chaotic again where you can’t find your stapler because it’s buried under a stack of papers – start from the beginning and reorganize. You’ve done it before, so you can do it again!