We always work best when we feel comfortable and happy in our workspaces, so creating an organized space that works for you is important! Everyone is different and our spaces need to suit our styles of working. That means they will always look different - but there are some common tips that can help you create the organized office space of your dreams, whether you’re working in an employer’s office or your own remote space.
1. Remove Everything
If you’re planning a full declutter and revamp of your office space, the first step is to pull everything off your desk and shelves. You won’t believe what you would find in hidden corners!
2. Hide Wires
When putting your stuff back in place, finding a way to hide your wires will make your space seem far less covered. Cable concealers are widely available online and can keep your wires out of the way.
3. Label Everything
The next step is to label everything - including your charging cables. A lot of wires can look the same, so adding a tab for laptop, phone, tablet, and so on can keep your wire management functional as well as looking good.
4. Digitize, Digitize, Digitize
The fastest way to get rid of paper clutter is to simply get rid of it by making it all digital. It’s much easier to organize a desktop full of spreadsheets than a filing cabinet of documents.
5. Make the Most of Wall Space
If your desk feels too full, try putting up shelving to get papers, folders, and notebooks out of the way. Plus, you can decorate them to fit your aesthetic.
6. Go Vertical
Under-desk or vertical shelving for mail, books, and papers keeps items that you don’t need that often out of the way, without taking up too much floor space. You could even create a desk with a worktop placed on top of two small filing cabinets for extra storage.
7. Create Levels on Your Desk
Storage doesn’t just belong away from your desk; using levels on your desk to raise up monitor screens or other desktop items gives you more room to write or work on.
8. Desk Organizers in Different Sizes
If you need more space on your desk, desk organizers can keep the items you need close at hand, including pens, highlighters, and paperclips. You can even make your own by simply painting old boxes or upcycling containers in your favorite colors.
9. Streamline Your Digital Workspace
Your digital space is just as important as your physical one. Staying on top of emails and cleaning up your desktop will make your computer feel like new. Set aside 10-15 minutes at the beginning and end of every workday to clear as many emails as you can.
10. Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Your drawers are an easy space to get out of control, so consider introducing drawer dividers to make sure your stuff stays where it belongs.
11. Everything Has a Place
Put a tray down to carry anything that doesn’t belong in the office out at the end of the day, like dirty cups and mugs, to minimize the build-up of clutter.
12. Develop a Routine for Decluttering
Along the same vein, get into a rhythm with organizing. Set a calendar task once a week to take out the trash, file paperwork, and generally clean up your space. Friday afternoons make for a perfect time!
13. Create a Landing Pad
Use a placemat, tray, or dish to create a section of your desk as your landing pad. This is now the only place where you can put stuff like your phone and pens down, keeping clutter to a minimum.
14. Use Transparent Storage Boxes
When we can’t see things, we can forget about them - and then we might as well not keep them! Use transparent boxes and labels so that you always know what’s inside.
15. Make It Your Own With Decorations
As noted above, your workspace will only last if it works for you. Decorate your space so it feels like yours and you’ll be much more comfortable - and motivated to keep it clean and tidy! Throw in an office plant (real or artificial) for a nice, green touch.
16. Turn Mementos into Decor
Keeping a space neat doesn’t mean you need to remove personality. Pin mementos like pictures and postcards up on the wall for some added decoration, while also keeping them off your desk.
17. Go With Your Flow
Your desk also needs to be functional, as well as tidy. If you regularly take handwritten notes on your desk, make sure there’s space for that. If you need a lot of electronics, use levels so you can see them at the same time. Be sure it’s designed to suit your workflow.
18. Stay Focused
Don’t keep anything in the workspace that doesn’t need to be there. Shopping lists, kids’ toys, and other non-work-related items should find a space somewhere other than your workspace.
What do you think of these 18 ideas? I hope a couple of them will stick with you! If you like this kind of content, you’ll also enjoy this four-part blog series I wrote with Mike Haynes:
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