June 26, 2008
Organizing Your Desk
Have you tried to bring order to your messy desk before only to find yourself going through the same drill again a couple of weeks later? If so, it’s probably time to rethink your approach.
Keep in mind that your desktop is a workspace not a storage space. A cluttered desk is mentally distracting and leaves little physical space for the tools, equipment and information you need to do your best work. Clearing it off can have a significant payoff with a minimum amount of effort in fairly short order.
Begin by getting rid of any trash lying around - empty coffee cups, candy wrappers, orphaned pen caps, etc. Gather up any business cards you find. Remove your own and put them away. Rubber band the remaining ones together; put them in your top drawer and schedule time in your calendar in the next few weeks to add the ones you want to keep to your contact system.
If you’re the type who has post-it notes or scraps of paper cluttering your desk, you’re not alone. Most people just grab the nearest piece of paper when they need to jot down a reminder note or information taken over the phone. Instead, think about using a spiral bound notebook to capture all this information in one place. Once you get in the habit of doing this, it will be much easier to find the information again when you need it or want to transfer/save it somewhere more permanent.
If you’ve got a lot of photos and knick-knacks on your desk, keep just a few out and put the rest away. Rotate them when you want to change things up. If you don’t use an item often, try keeping it in a desk drawer rather than having it take up precious desktop space. Most people don’t need more than one pen & pencil holder, so remove all but one and fill it with each type of writing implement you like and use regularly.
True organization requires a paper management system that actually moves papers off your desk. Otherwise, all you're really doing is tidying up. Your papers will most likely fall into one of four categories: toss/shred &recycle; file; delegate and to do. The first two categories are obvious and easily taken care of. I suggest keeping incoming mail/paperwork and items that need to be delegated to others in horizontal, stackable letter trays. With the first three categories now out of the way, you can actually see what you need to work on! Consider using desktop step files - files with vertically graduated slots that allow you to see all your work-in-progress simultaneously - for corralling your “pending” and "action needs to be taken” paperwork. Put all your reading material in a container, but don’t let it accumulate too long or the odds of you getting to it will not be high. When you see that the container is full, it’s time to read what’s in there or lose it.
The more steps it takes to do something, the less likely it is to get done. Keeping everyday supplies close at hand is invaluable in helping you stay organized and productive. If you like your desktop clean and streamlined, achieving that means you’ll need a desk that has good drawer/storage space or a storage cabinet close to it or shelves above it or an over-the-desk hutch. A basic list of supplies you’ll need to stay organized and high functioning should include: scotch tape, glue, writing utensils, a ruler, scissors, liquid paper, rubber bands, staples/stapler/remover, post-it notes, binder/paper clips. Also, be sure to keep a shredder and a wastebasket/recycle bin within reach so it’s easy for you to purge paper you don’t need.
Make sure the surface of your desk is big enough to accommodate your phone, computer, files and, of course, an actual work area. Desktop accessories should work hard to help you stay organized as well as be attractive. Matching them will help to reduce visual clutter and calm desktop chaos. If you’re like a lot of people, you probably have several electronic devices that require charging. Using a charging station will eliminate cord clutter, as will cord organizers. Google “cord organizer” and you will find many to choose from.
Obviously, if you’re comfortable at your desk, you’ll be more productive and inclined to want to be there. A chair that swivels, tilts and has adjustments that can be set to the appropriate height for your size will make a big difference in your comfort level. Make sure your keyboard is at a comfortable angle for your wrists and your monitor is at a comfortable level for your eyes and neck. And don’t forget lighting. It can help you to read better with less eyestrain and make your desk area more inviting overall.
Armed with this wealth of practical knowledge and information, you should be able to get your desk organized so it stays organized. If you do, you’ll feel less overwhelmed, more focused and in control and better able to get down to work.
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MILLER ORGANIZING. All rights reserved.
14 Stuyvesant Oval
NYC, NY 10009