OFFICE ORGANIZATION

When it comes to organizing your desk or office, I think the key is keeping your desktop clean. No matter what happens during your workday, a clean desktop will help you be more productive during your actual workday, and give you a fresh start each morning. It’s like a clean slate everyday. Not to mention the fact that taking a minute to clean your desk at the end of the day will “close your day.” If you work out of the home, the close to your day is leaving the office.  So when you work at home and space is a bit more muddled, creating a routine to close out your day helps you make the physical and mental shift into your evening. Plus if, because of space constraints, you must have your workspace in a shared space, like your bedroom or living room, a clean and sleek desk will fit in any room.

The big thing to note is that while a clean desktop absolutely requires organization, it also requires creating new habits to keep your space clean.

Let’s start with the organization. Here is a great product that you can buy to help you organize your drawers:

This one’s from Target (target.com) - search for “Interlocking Drawer Organizer Set.”

This set provides with you with a few options for organizing all those little bits and pieces, and I think it’s a great price for all these compartments. I recommend buying enough sets for each drawer. You can always return them if you decide not to use them, but it’s always best to be prepared to finish an organization problem when you start it.

So to get started organizing your drawers you must first clear them out completely. Once you have done that separate everything in piles based on use, pens together, tape together, etc. Next make sure everything works! Test all your markers, evaluate if your scissors still cut crisp lines - I think you get the drill. 

Now take a good look at everything: do you need to get rid of anything because it no longer functions properly? Is this the best place to store everything you pulled from these drawers? Does your screwdriver really belong in your office space? If it doesn’t belong here, make sure you move it to it’s new home right away. Next go ahead and clean the drawers with some soap and water. Just wipe them down real quick for a clean slate (literally!). You could also do this right after you clean the drawers out so they have a bit of time to dry out. 

Now it is time to reorganize those drawers. The compartments link together and you can arrange them any way you want to. Do you have multiple drawers? Begin by deciding where you want to store each item. Maybe the top drawer is all the little stuff like pens, scissors, tape, paperclips, staples, etc. Then maybe the next drawer is notepads, notecards, envelopes, and all these products. You know what you need to do your job well. In reality this is probably a good space for all these items even if you don’t need them for your job.

But what happens if your desk doesn't have drawers? If your desk has shelves, then I would recommend baskets to keep items in, or if not, a very minimal desktop organizer where you can stash everything.  This option from Amazon (amazon.com) has many functions, and helps clean up your desk with only one addition:

This option is from TSJ Office, and would be a great option for keeping your desk tidy - it’s also be helpful if you love a “to do” list!

Adding shelves to the walls around your desk would also be helpful. These baskets from the Container Store (containerstore.com) would look very cute out on some shelves:

These “like it” bins have a ton of sizes to choose from and they also have accessories like these labels:

and these dividers to help you separate everything into compartments:

Plus you can stack them if needed.

As mentioned above if your desk doesn’t have shelves and only has a desktop for working then I’d recommend either a very clean and minimal desktop organizer as shown - I’ve also pinned some options on my Pinterest page (Let’s Organize Together). Or, if you can, move everything to the walls. Add shelves (see the above paragraph for ideas on how to store things there), and then add cork boards, dry erase boards, or rails with cups for utensils like this one:

This one is from Russell and Hazel, and is sold at the Container Store (containerstore.com).

Russell and Hazel (russellandhazel.com) sells a number of beautiful acrylic items from desk accessories, shelves and even calendars so you can create a unified look which always makes things feel more organized simply because they match.

This one gives you the option to choose which accessories work best for you. I love acrylic organizers because they don’t hold any visual weight which means that they disappear right before your eyes giving them a very clean look while also being functional, but I have linked many beautiful options on Pinterest if acrylic is not your thing. Remember in most cases you can shop straight from Pinterest by clicking on the picture, and then once you’ve done that you can click it again to be redirected right to the page so you can buy it. No shopping required!

Ok now for the tricky part. The only way to continue to have an organized space and a clean desktop is to train yourself to put things away when you’re done using them. Create a habit of cleaning up as you finish each task and each day. This way when you close everything down for the day you can return to your life without spending a single second longer thinking about work, and when you return to your desk in the morning you will begin your day with a fresh slate!

XOXO, Kylie