According to The Productivity Experts, 87% of workers claim that a cluttered workspace negatively affects their productivity. An organized office saves you time, eliminates stress, boosts creativity, and makes you more money!
Take a look around, is your office in need of some love? Whether you’re back in your office building or working from home, I bet your work spaces could use some organization. Here are the seven steps you need to get your office organized.
Declutter your space
The first step to organizing literally anything is to declutter. Set aside some time, even if it’s ten minutes a day, to comb through everything in your office. Toss or recycle any items that are trash and donate items that can be used by others. Decluttering will help get you into the organization mindset.
Display items that inspire you
I don’t know about you, but my motivation lately has been pretty low. I like to hang inspiring quotes and messages throughout my office. Choose decor and accessories that bring you joy. Do the ceramic goats in my office serve a purpose?! HELL NO, but they make me smile! Consider a brightly colored rug or unique artwork to spruce up your office space. Who says your office has to be boring?
Sort your office supplies into like categories
Once you’ve de-cluttered your office items, sort them into like categories. Some categories may include: writing utensils, paper, mailing supplies, shipping supplies, paper clips etc. Once you see your items in front of you, you can determine if
1. You need containers to hold some of these items (You better not be putting loose paperclips on a shelf hunny).
2. Where are these items going to go? Which brings me to my next step…..
Assess your office storage
So many people feel disorganized because they lack any type of storage. You can’t put items away if there’s nowhere to put it! Assess your space to see what type of storage you have. Check out your desk, does it have drawers? Do you have a filing cabinet for papers? A bookshelf? A closet? An armoire? If the answer is no to all of the above, it may be time to go shopping for some new office furniture. Take measurements of your space, determine what type of storage you need, and get to shopping. I recommend a good mixture of open and closed storage to keep things looking tidy.
Determine where your supplies will live
Once you’ve assessed your storage, start putting your supplies away. When each of your items have a home, it makes for a quicker clean up time when your space get messy (and it will). Use labels to keep yourself and any office mates accountable for putting away supplies.
Create a system for papers
Does your office have stacks on stacks on stacks of papers? Most of them do! No worries, now is the time to create a system for your papers. Your office is in need of two types of paper systems: daily intake and long term storage. Use paper trays or magazine holders to organize your daily mail and paper intake. I label my daily mail intake folders as “needs attention” and “to file”. Once the filing magazine holder is full, I take it over to my filing cabinet where it is saved. Take some time to clean out your filing cabinet. I’m sure there are some old files that can be recycled or shredded. Use clear labels on your file folders and alphabetize them for quick access.
Absolutely dread papers? Consider creating a digital filing system by scanning all of your important documents. Make sure to name them properly and create digital folders to hold all of this information.
Tidy up your workspace daily
This is the key, the magic sauce to keeping a space organized! Set aside a few minutes at the end of each day to shut down, put items back in their place, and set yourself up for success tomorrow.
Need extra help organizing your office or setting up a filing system? Schedule a consultation today! Email me at sara@socoorganizers.com with any questions.
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