Start The New Year With An Organized Desk

Whether you work in a home office or in a giant corporate headquarters, your desk is your home away from domestic life. While some of us have pristine desks, most of us have clutter, disorganization and some level of chaos. As we head into the New Year, why not resolve to have a more organized desk so you can be more productive, have everything you need at your fingertips and don’t cringe every time you sit down to start working? Here are a few genius hacks from the design experts at Desks, Incorporated in Denver, Colorado.

1. Create personal space for your belongings, like your wallet, keys, phone or purse. By putting them away, you’ll reduce the amount of distraction they can bring, as well as recue clutter.

2. Organize your computer desktop. Can’t find anything on your desktop? Digital messes can also be distracting. It’s hard to get to work if you can’t find what you’re looking for on your computer. Create folders and streamline your home screen. It will make work easier.

3. Get rid of stuff. Before you can get organized, you have to eliminate the stuff you don’t need, like that Secret Santa gift from two years ago. Ask yourself if you really need/use it. If you don’t, get rid of it.

4. Straighten your desk before you leave each day. You’ll start your day more peacefully when you’ve got a clean desk for a fresh start each morning.

5. Get rid of paper. Scan your documents and save the files as PDFs instead of trying to store paper everywhere. For the paper you must have, make sure you’ve got a place for those folders so they don’t pile up on your desk.

6. Organize your papers using a two-tray system. One if for papers to be reviewed and dealt with. One tray is for things that need to be addressed or filed.

7. Use a digital calendar to keep track of your projects, memos and notetaking. Then you won’t need Post-It’s and scraps of paper reminding you of projects and tasks.

8. Keep a trash can under your desk so you can toss that unneeded paper and trash every day.

9. Tether and organize your cables. A messy pile of wires on your desk is distracting. While you’re at it, don’t keep your modem and router on your desk, either.

10. Create a charging station, so your devices are always ready to go.

11. Put office supplies in a desk drawer instead of in a desk caddy. It will make your desk seem less cluttered and you’ll still have access to your stuff.

12. Do a deep clean every Friday before you leave for the weekend. File stuff, get rid of papers and trash, organize your work for Monday morning so you can start fresh.