Today is National Organize Your Office Day.
Organizing your office takes time and you are a busy person. But be aware of how much time disorganization can cost you.
Don’t think you have to organize your entire office today but today might be a good day to make a start.
Look around. What hot spots do you see?
Do you have stacks of paper on your desk? Perhaps there are stacks of projects or bills to pay. Perhaps your desk is littered with scraps of papers where you have written notes from a phone call or a quick reminder to do something.
Have papers not been filed because your files are just too full or disorganized?
Time to take some action:
1. Gather all your papers and do a sort and purge.
2. If you do not have a desktop or action file, set one up and put papers into the appropriate folder.
3. If you have ongoing projects, gather all the paperwork and put them into project bins.
4. Use a notebook planner or journal for all those scraps of papers that have reminders or notes from calls.
5. If you have items that need to be filed but your filing system just isn’t working for you, schedule time to rework your files.
Now your desk area is clear of papers and everything you have is retrievable. Just pull out the papers you are currently working with and then when the time to work on them is up, place them back in the correct spot.
Think about how you organize your office space. Do you zone out your space so that you can efficiently work? Consider having a main workspace where you do your daily work, a reference area, and a supply area. The supply area could even be in a different room.
Notice the difference.
Once your office is decluttered and organized and set up to your liking, you will enjoy going into your office. You will spend your time working in the clutter-free environment!
If you recognize that you are struggling with setting up your office organization or want some help or accountability in developing and working your organizational home maintenance plan or other projects, join Diane Quintana and me in our Clear Space for You virtual support group.
Jonda S. Beattie, Professional Organizer owner of Time Space Organization, and co-owner of Release, Repurpose, Reorganize. She is based in the Metro-Atlanta area. As presenter, author of four books as well as a retired special education teacher she uses her listening skills, problem solving skills, knowledge of different learning techniques, ADHD specialty, and paper management skills to help clients.
You share great advice. Knowing how to keep daily mail separated from notes and projects is important. It's much easier to get work done when your office is organized.