Organizing and Maintaining Your Workspace

Organizing Your Workspace - 2 In the previous blog, you learned why it’s important to have an organized desk instead of a messy one. Cleaning up your act is well worth the effort, and can even give your career a boost.

Taking the time and effort to reorganize your workspace can help you find specific items quickly, rather than having to dig through piles to find something you need. Also, your productivity will increase because there will be less visual distractions, leaving you more time to focus on your work.

Here are a few quick tips to get your cleanup started.

Necessary Items.

  • Keep only your essential, frequently-used items on your desk. Your computer, telephone, inbox, stapler, note pad, and other items of that nature can be considered as essential. If you regularly use a printer or fax, keep those within reach.

Organization Method.

  • Determine how you want things to be organized. Do you want to file documents in a folder or binder? Do you want items color coded or labeled? Each person has their own style of filing, so make sure you find the style or system that works best for you – Stacks of paper on the left and more stacks of paper on the right doesn’t count as organization.

Throw Out Old Materials.

  • Don’t hoard old files that you haven’t used in years. Discard or shred these old materials to clear up space. Remember to double check files, such as financial records, before you toss them. Items like tax papers need to be kept for seven years.

Manage Your System.

  • Create a system of organization that is sustainable. It would be a wasted effort to de-clutter your space if it can’t preserve its cleanliness. Make sure your system is simple enough and adapted to your work style.

Keep It Clean.

  • Tidy up before you leave each day. Make sure things are in order to ensure you can get off to a fast start when you arrive the next morning. Doing so will also help you maintain your area. People are a little more reluctant to tackle daunting tasks, but tidying up every day will prevent messes from growing too large and overwhelming.

Methods for de-cluttering are as countless as the benefits of having a neat work area. Being organized and in control can display your efficiency and consistency as a worker – which can help your career in the long run.

What systems work best for you? How do you keep your system of organization from failing? Let us know your tricks in the comment section below.

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