Organizing Your Desk

For example, let's say you think your desk needs to get organized. What would you do?

First, create a collection zone to collect stuff - a table, a space on the floor, etc. Set up your 4 Boxes as mentioned in the previous post.

Now clear everything off of your desk (except your computer or any stuff that is wired up or hard to move). If you're going to organize the whole desk, clear out all the drawers too.

As you clear off the desk, place each item you remove from the desk into one of the 4 boxes you set up.

Keep the Trash and Recycle boxes handy as you may want to add to them as you go through the other boxes.

In fact, you may want to use two Recycle boxes - one for paper and stuff to go to recycling and one for things you want to donate or give away.

Now, take a look at your Store Box. What might you find in it?

• outdated files - do you really need them? If not, trash them. If yes, file them in a storage space that you don't need to regularly acess.
• office supplies - extra packages of paper or enevelopes, for example, could be stored in a closet or file cabinet.
• Odds & sorts - consider how necessary these are. Can any be added to your Trash or Recycle boxes? For the things you really do need or want to keep, assign them a Storage "home" and put them there now.

As you go through the Use Box, consider how frequently you use the item. Remember to put the things you use most often closest to you, so that they are easy to access. Things like:

• your computer & keyboard
• phone
• pens
• papers
• current files

We'll take a look at filing in a future post, as it has a number of things to consider on its own.

But this should already give your desk a much cleaner appearance - and should make working there much easier for you.

Starting an Organizing Project

Okay, you've decided which of your organizing projects to start with. Now what?

Step One
Find yourself four boxes or containers to work with. Then label the boxes as follows:

• Trash - to throw away
• Recycle - to give away
• Store - to put away
• Use - anything you currently need or use

Step Two
Next, remove everything from the area that you want to organize. As you do that, make a choice about each item you remove - is it garbage, something to recycle or give away, something that you want to store somewhere or is it something you need access to now and/or frequently? Then place it in the appropriate box.

Step Three
Now deal with each of the boxes.

• Send the Trash Box stuff to the trash.
• For the Recycle Box, decide where or how to recycle this. Do you want to donate it somewhere? Are there certain items that you want to give to someone specific? Label or mark the boxes or items accordingly and leave them by the door to take with you when you leave.
• With the items in the Store Box, first take any items that already have a storage place in your office or home and put them away there. For any reamining items, decide on a place for them. If needed, find appropriate boxes or containers for them and then place them in their storage "home".
• Finally, with the Use Box, place the items in the place you are most likely to use them. Remember that the items you use most frequently should be placed as close as possible to where they can be easily accessed.

Clutter Collectors

Do you have places in your home or workspace where clutter seems to collect?

Why not find some "Clutter Collectors" to put in those areas?

For example, put a large decorative bowl or basket by the door to collect keys and mail and the other odds and sorts that you dump when you come in.

What about in your office? What collects and where in your workspace?

In my office it's paper. I am an avid ideas collector, so I'm forever scribbling down the latest find on a piece of notepaper (actually, I use a paper cutter to recycle used 8 1/2 x 11 sheets of paper that I cut into six pieces). I have a container especially for those notepapers, and then I have a container with a series of sections in it to collect these ideas in several main categories.

I'm also an avid reader, so there are always piles of books around. I now have a lovely wooden book rack in my office that keeps most of the book piles under control.  (Sheepish grin - as there are always a few that manage to escape!)

There's always plenty of paper to recycle, so I keep a box handy under or near my desk where the recycled paper goes right away. Sure makes it easier to deal with.

What collects on your desk or in your office? And what interesting container can you use to collect it?