1. Start with a blank slate:
Remove everything—everything!—from your desktop; and only bring back what you need, as you need it. You’ll quickly realize that many of those “essentials” cluttering your workspace don’t get used at all. Then you can decide what goes into storage and what gets tossed for good.
2. Arrange items to suit your workflow:
Everyone works differently, so a system of desktop organization that works for one highly productive person may be frustrating and illogical for another. Analyze your habits. What do you need to have within easy reach? What do you only need occasionally?
3. Put frequently used items in easy-to-reach areas:
This may include a shelf or a drawer. However, make sure you do not just throw the items on a shelf or a drawer. Give everything a specific place so that you always know where it is.
4. Do an end-of-day and end-of-week cleanup:
When you’re nearing the end of each workday, take a few minutes to put everything back and think about what you’ll need first thing tomorrow. Arriving to find a clean desk makes it easy to get started on tasks without feeling overwhelmed. Similarly, at the end of the week, file or scan documents that are no longer active and save them in some type of “Work” folder, labeled perhaps by week or date.
5. Go as paperless as possible:
Cutting down on incoming paper saves time, space, and trees. Opt to receive bills and transaction records online only. Having all that data in one place makes it easy to search records without having to thumb through a filing cabinet.
6. Set up an electronic storage system:
Making the switch to digital documents cuts down on clutter, but you’ll also need to establish an archiving system that keeps your files safe and allows you to find specific information easily. Don’t forget to back up your information just in case.
When you’re organized you don’t waste time searching for documents and you start fresh every morning where you can plan your day based on the most important jobs.
Olivia