If you’re overwhelmed when you sit down to work because of a disorganized desk, this article is for you! In most offices, the busier you are, the more cluttered your working environment becomes. To maintain productivity, every team needs a technique to keep things in proper order. Here are the eight best office declutter ideas to try this year.
1. Remove Everything
It’s best to start from scratch to achieve a spotless workspace. Remove everything from your desk, shelves, and drawers. Then, temporarily place them in neat piles on the floor or in another room. Once your desk is empty, wipe down all surfaces and clean your computer equipment.
2. Only Keep the Things You Need
Instead of trying to decide separately on what to save or discard, it is best to get rid of everything. Then, slowly add essential things back. Imagine it as your office desktop computer. The more software or applications you install, the more shortcuts show up on your desktop background. Only when you remove those shortcuts, do you realize how few of them you used. This principle applies to your office, whether at home or offsite.
3. Organize your office depending on practicality
Image source: Organized Living
Once you have minimized the clutter using a start-from-scratch tip, the next step is to arrange the remaining things in your office. For example, you might use your fountain pen daily but consult your Human Resources manual once every six months. Keep go-to items within reach for convenience and productivity.
4. Sort
Image credit: Amazon
Prepare three boxes or bags: keep, recycle, discard, and place them elsewhere. You should be able to find the right place for every item. Even sentimental people who tend to hold on to particular objects can find a new location. Also consider which things you can recycle like plastics and papers and plastics, and which ones you can throw away.
5. Organize your Cables
Image source: Amazon
From phone and laptop chargers to HDMI cords and headphone dongles, the number of cables in every office multiplies exponentially. Whether those cables are on top of or underneath your desk, keeping those cables under control can be a never-ending battle. Some people ignore this issue, but when a problem develops with your electronics, this lack of organization can cause considerable delays in identifying and correcting the problem.
An excellent solution to this issue is to invest in a Dymo Labeling system and then label every cable as you install it in your office. You can also invest in a cable system that can quickly and easily arrange your cords.
6. Take a photograph
Have you ever visited other offices and noticed clutter your colleague is unaware of? The same is likely true of your office. Your visitors see your office with a fresh perspective and are more observant of the clutter in your office that you may not even notice.
A great way to test this method is to photograph your office from the door. This will enable you to see your working environment in the same light as your guests, leaving you shocked by the result. Also, photographs provide an entirely different perspective, and potential problems could pop out of the picture, helping you identify the areas that need to be organized.
7. Digitize your notes and documents
Image source: Evernote
Most of your clutter is paper-based: documents, business cards, sticky notes, meeting notes, etc. The problem is that these take up space, and most of these documents are something you look at less frequently.
Take photos of essential documents you cannot risk losing, then discard or recycle the paper versions. You can switch to other note-taking apps, such as Evernote, Google Docs, and the notes apps on iOS and Android phones. These apps allow you to digitize and synchronize notes across multiple devices through the cloud.
8. Develop stronger organizational habits
The most significant change you can enact to stay clutter-free is to develop a new habit of cleanliness and organization. Whenever a new object is introduced into the office, such as a piece of mail or a new document, decide what you plan to do with it at that moment, or at least before the end of the day. Revisit the keep, trash/recycle, or place elsewhere idea to determine where to place the document. Preventing clutter is the best way to keep your office clean.
Conclusion
Having an organized desk can bring numerous benefits to one’s personal and professional life. These office declutter ideas can help increase productivity by reducing distractions and improving focus. Similarly, it can also create a positive impression on others, whether in the workplace or at home. If you need help in improving your office, reach out to Spencil, discuss the scope of the project, and sign-up for office revamp now.
About the author
Carl Deña
Share story
