Your productivity hinges on the organization of your workspace. With that being said, it wouldn’t be unusual if you’re home office space needed a serious clean-out after some time spent working remotely. The tell-tale signs usually include paper clutter and seemingly little space to place anything. Using these simple ideas can help cut down on office clutter, making you more organized and productive.
Start by cleaning out and organizing your office files. File cabinets tend to become overstuffed, making finding your documents a challenge. Purge your file drawers of old, unused files and documents that you no longer need.
After that, clear your desk of unused items. Knick-knacks, old letterhead, extra coffee cups, and any other items you don't need for the day-to-day work you do should be removed or placed into a supply cabinet. This also applies to outdated reading material. It is easy to hold onto magazines, trade journals, newspapers, and sales material, hoping that you will one day have time to read them. However, most of the time, they just end up taking up precious space on your desk. Either toss them altogether or organize them in storage boxes on a shelf.
If your desk is consumed by your computer monitor, try moving it. Place it on a computer stand to give you space underneath for storage. Even better, consider upgrading your monitor to a slimmer flat LCD screen, which takes up a third of the space of a traditional monitor. If you have multiple pieces of office equipment, such as a fax machine, printer, and scanner, in addition to a computer monitor, consider investing in a multifunction unit that can house all of this equipment with much less space needed.
Finally, consider mounting shelving near your desk. Doing so adds visual interest to your walls, while also allowing you to store desk items in a way that they are out of the way but still within reach. You can also use this hidden storage space to display photos of loved ones, prized art pieces, and more. Hey, who said your home office has to be all business, anyway?
Skyline at Kessler Apartments in Dallas, Texas