If you think ‘organizing desk’ isn’t an important task for an entrepreneur, then you’re in for a surprise.
Having a well-organized desk allows you to work efficiently, locate items quickly, and save yourself valuable time.
In my work as a productivity consultant and time management coach, I work with clients to help them organize their desks in a way that suits their business, workflow, and preferences.
The following five tips can help you better organize your desk by taking the big picture into consideration.
Nix the urge to buy organization supplies first
Contrary to common belief, office supplies won’t necessarily keep you organized.
Yes, they can provide a helpful framework and structure. But ultimately, you’re the one who will handle, remove, and store office supplies in their designated location.
Save yourself the hassle of spending money on supplies you don’t need, returning products, or being saddled with non-returnable items.
Only after you’ve decluttered and organized items should you consider office organization products for your needs.
What’s more, as you tidy up your space, you may find you have unused or suitable organization products you can put to use, thereby saving you a trip to the store or an online order.
Declare open season on decluttering
Any desk, no matter the business, industry, or profession, will build up clutter over time. This is just the natural part of the world of work.
We use, wear out, or outgrow items. As such, items will need to be removed from your immediate work area on a regular basis.
If you haven’t decluttered your desk in some time, begin by removing any obvious trash, recycling, clutter, or unwanted items from your space.
If things are in a manageable state, seek to create a regular decluttering habit for yourself to frequently remove items you no longer want or need.
Depending on your schedule and preferences, you can quickly round up items at the end of every week, every two weeks, or every month.
The length of time is less important than the actual physical action, so schedule time in your calendar to complete the task.
Create with a clean slate
This next step asks you to spend time away from your desk so you can lay the foundation of a new desktop layout for yourself.
Spend time in a different room or area, or head outdoors.
Now, ask yourself this question: If you could have your desk organized in a way that would make you feel incredibly productive during the day, what would it look like?
Would you have files neatly organized in holders on your desk?
Would you have office supplies stored near your desk lamp?
Maybe you’d have an incoming and outgoing letter box or a convenient centralized location to charge your devices.
Envision your desk’s setup in your mind’s eye or sketch a layout on a piece of paper. Read organization websites, magazines, and product catalogs for inspiration.
Be sure to ask yourself what would be both practical and aesthetically pleasing for your needs.
Develop an organization plan
Just because you’re keen to organize your desk, doesn’t mean it will happen automatically.
Approach organizing your desk just as you would any project in your business: with a plan.
Now that you’ve got your newly organized desk in your mind’s eye, it’s time to break it down into smaller actionable steps.
What is required in order to organize your desk? Do you need to further declutter archivable work files and materials and move them to storage?
Sort and organize project papers? Corral pens, pencils, markers, and small desk office supplies? Create and assemble file folders?
Remove unnecessary materials from your desktop? Store binders and books?
Follow the golden rule of organization
Take a few moments to flesh out your organization plan a step further.
You’re going to take each of the items described above and break them down into smaller mini-projects.
Be sure to include the following steps in your plan: declutter, sort, organize, and store.
Doing so will allow you to see each of the steps as separate parts and not a giant overwhelming mega task of “organize desk.”
For instance, if your desk is awash with stacks of papers, you’ll want to declutter any unnecessary items from the stacks and sort through the remaining papers.
You’ll then organize like papers with like — such as documents from similar projects, assignments, or clients — and store each as necessary in file folders.
Honor your personal preferences and habits
One of the things I commonly see in my work is people trying to shoehorn themselves into a particular type of organization system or method that doesn’t match their personal preferences.
This may appear efficient at first glance, but in the long run it can quickly turn into a disaster.
Don’t be afraid to embrace your natural workflow and habits. For example, do you find it easier to work with more or fewer items on the top of your desk?
Which tools or materials do you prefer to use in your daily work?
How do you like to work at the computer, use your notebook, add entries to a calendar, or review large paper plans?
Asking yourself thoughtful questions like these can really get to the heart of the matter for yourself and how you go about organizing your belongings.
Learn How to Go About Organizing Your Desk
Desk organization is a must if you want to work efficiently and effectively in your business.
If you want clarity around having an organized workspace, book a free 30-minute video strategy session with me today.
How about you? What are you going to keep in mind when organizing your desk? Join the conversation and leave a comment below!
This post originally appeared on Inc.com.
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