Are you one of those people who dread sitting at their desk because they know they’re going to waste time trying to find what they need amongst piles of paper?

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Or who can’t even sit at their desk because the top is too cluttered to permit any work?  Or who struggle to focus on their work because they feel distracted or even stressed by the clutter around them?  Well let me reassure you, you’re far from being alone!  But if you’re ready to reclaim your desk and create a more productive workspace, read on.

Start By Purging Your Desk

Get rid of trash and whatever is broken. Gather all your papers into a neat pile (dealing with paper is an exercise in itself and worth a separate post). Put various office supplies into categories e.g. pens, highlighters, staplers, cartridges, folders, paper etc. Once the desk is clear, give it a good clean.

Your Desk  Is A WORKING Space, Not A Storage Space

Keep on it the essentials i.e. your computer, your phone, their respective cables, a pencil holder, a notepad, and your active files. Put your phone on your left if you’re right-handed so that you can easily take notes while on the phone. Move your printer to a side table or cabinet, but not too far so that you don’t have to get up to collect your printouts.

Equip Your Desk With The Items You Need To Perform The Activities You Conduct There

For example, if you pay your bills on your desk, have envelopes, stamps, chequebook, and bank OTP devices in one drawer.  Less often used office supplies and equipment such as cartridges and extra stationery can be placed further away from your desk in bookshelves, drawers, or cabinets.  Remember, you only need a couple of pens and pencils, one sharpener, one ruler, one pair of scissors etc. on your desk.  The rest can be stored away in a container, box, or basket.

File, Don’t Pile

Piles of paper attract more paper and result in clutter. They also make it very difficult to find a document. So keep your papers upright – in manila folders and magazine holders, for example.

Invest In Drawer Organisers To Keep Loose Items Together

You can buy proper desk drawer organisers, or make do with old plastic food containers or boxes. Just don’t keep the lid on to avoid wasting time removing and putting back the lid.

To Keep Cables From Getting Tangled, Utilize A Rain Gutter Or A Cable Management Station

Label the cables to easily identify which device they belong to.  Use bread clips and write the name of the device on it.

Not Much Storage Space?

Add wall-mounted shelves above your desk, or a rolling filing cabinet or chest of drawers underneath your desk.

Limit Personal Items

Even though you want to make your space conducive, too many personal items create clutter – and can be very distracting, and make you lose focus.

Spend Five Minutes At The End Of Each Day To Clear Your Desk And Return Things To Where They Belong

Starting the day at a bare desk will make you feel energised.  It’ll also keep you motivated to keep your desk clutter-free. Make sure to have a wastebasket by the side of your desk so that you can throw things right away.

Still lacking the motivation to get started? Well, look at it this way. You might find in your desk cheques and vouchers that haven’t been banked in or redeemed on time, or bills for which you had to incur late payment fees. For some of the clients I have helped, it amounted to several hundred dollars! So it’s definitely worth it to organise your desk, don’t you think?

Work With Nathalie

Let go of your clutter and feel in control of your home and life again! Contact me today.