Guest Post by Ariane Benefit, M.S.Ed.,
Organizing Consultant & Author of the Neat & Simple Living Blog
http://blog.neatandsimple.com/
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Can you imagine trying to make coffee in the morning if you didn’t have everything you needed handy? Imagine if you kept the coffee pot in one corner of the room, far from the sink, and your coffee mugs, sugar bowl, spoons, etc. were scattered all over the room. Unfortunately, this is exactly the kind of situation many people have in their office and cubes! Granted, your work & desk are much more complicated than making coffee. But the same organizing principles apply. Your desk should and work areas be organized to support the activities you perform. It should give you a place be creative as well as to accomplish your routine tasks like processing mail efficiently! (See photos of my personal home office makeover here.
So how do you create this productive paradise in your own personal home office or work area? The first step is to assess your needs carefully. Then make sure you everything you need to do the things you do is handy, easy to find, easy to use and easy to put away! This is much easier said than done, but it is possible. Here are a few tips to get you started creating the home office of your dreams!
ASSESS YOUR NEEDS
One of the most common issues that keeps people from organizing their workspace efficiently is that they are not clear about what they actually do and what they need. Most people don’t have a list handy of their routine tasks and the special projects they have underway. Creating such a list is extremely helpful and makes organizing much easier. Here are a few questions to ask yourself to better understand how you need your desk and work space to support you.
· What activities do I perform at my desk? e.g., Process incoming mail, book appointments, write proposals, develop presentations, etc.
· What work areas are needed to perform these activities easily and efficiently?
· What layout & flow will optimize my efficiency?
· What supplies do I need handy to perform those activities? What storage is needed to hold the supplies so that I can easily see what I have and access them.
· What will make me really love working in this space? E.g., aesthetically beautiful, welcoming feeling, good quality supplies and furnishings.
· What is my organizing style¹? Am I a natural Maintainer who loves organizing enough to use sophisticated organizing systems? Am I a natural Innovator / Creative type who requires simple, non-traditional systems because even one extra step, like having to open a lid or drawer, is one step too many? Am I a visual person who must have things out in the open or do I need everything put away out of sight?
Âą To learn more about organizing styles, see Organizing for your Brain Type by Lanna Nakone.
· Based on my style, what criteria should I use in selecting supplies & storage? E.g., allows me to see everything I have at once and get instant access to my things, easy to label the contents, allows me to use piles but keep them neat…
ORGANIZE YOUR WORK SPACE & DESK ACCORDING TO YOUR NEEDS
Once you have a clear assessment your needs, the organizing part can actually be a lot of FUN! It’s so much easier to create the workspace of your dreams, when you have it broken down into specific activities instead of thinking about the whole task at once. Here are some tips to help you design your workspace and organize your desk to make it easy to get things done efficiently.
· Create an L or U shape to create lots of workspace and storage at your fingertips. Most people require at least a computer desk, writing space, file drawer, supply drawer and book shelves in their immediate work area.
· Set up supply zones or kits for easy access to items you need to perform activities such as shipping, mail processing, and bill paying. e.g., If you ship frequently, consider creating a shipping supplies kit or even a shipping station near your work area.
· Keep current, frequently used project materials near your desk. Choose containers to suit the kinds of materials you have, how much you have, how often you use them, and your personal organizing style. For example, to organize a project you are working on, you may want to keep related materials in a neatly contained pile in a basket on a shelf, or perhaps create a file folder and keep it in a step file on your desk, or keep a labeled binder with tabbed pockets on a bookshelf next to your desk. Another solution might be to keep a magazine file handy to hold the media and other items that don’t fit in a folder. The key is to choose a solution that feels natural to you and that you like using.
· Use an inbox! This is one of the most common mistakes people make in their work spaces. Everyone needs a place to hold the paper that enters your office, but doesn’t have a home yet. The inbox is where you keep unopened mail or any or paper that is homeless and needs you to decide where it will end up.
· Create homes for frequently used tools and supplies such as your calendar, To Do Lists, tape, stapler, etc.
· You can create extra storage space on your desk using magazine files, a desk shelf or a shelf to raise your computer monitor. If you don’t have desk drawers, create them using small containers under or on top of a desk shelf. Just be sure not to block your access to them!
· Keep pens, scissors, ruler & letter opener in mugs or similar vertical containers so can you always find them and to keep your drawers less cluttered.
I hope you found these tips helpful! To see more photos of office organizing makeovers, check out http://www.neatandsimple.com/gallery/homeoffices.html
You can get over 100 more tips for organizing your office & desk in my free 29 page e-book called, “Neat & Simple Guide to Organizing Your Office” at http://www.neatandsimple.com/free-ebook.html
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Copyright © 2007 Ariane Benefit
Ariane Benefit, M.S.Ed is an organizing consultant who specializes in helping people create the home offices of their dreams! She guides people in clarifying priorities and making the difficult decisions needed to conquer clutter, change habits, and take charge of their lives. You can read more of her tips on the Neat & Simple Living blog at http://blog.neatandsimple.com/. Learn more about how Ariane can help you overcome your organizing challenges at http://www.neatandsimple.com/.
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Thanks Ariane!
To see how I organize my office go here.
Mrs. L says
Laura,
Thanks for the helpful article & to Ariane.
Okay, please don’t laugh, but my desk area is simply a small fold-up table with my monitor (regular size), keyboard, printer and assorted papers and clutter, lol. It’s challenging to manage – would you have any tips of how to pare it down & make it look neater – although I cannot figure out how to have space to write upon or how to effectively store papers (the computer stuff takes up all the space). It’s really the only option I have for now for a desk area.
Hope you are having a fun vacation!
Ariane Benefit, Neat & Simple Living says
Hi Mrs. L!
I’m glad you found the article helpful! Without seeing the actual work area, my ideas are just that – ideas – not sure if they will work, but here goes.
– perhaps install a shelf above the work area that can hold the printer, or perhaps magazine files with labels to hold papers.
– for a writing work area, if you can’t add a desk, use a kitchen or dining room table and create a portable office kit that fit in a nearby cabinet or closet or even in a low flat box that goes under the sofa.
The key to deciding what to do here is to first clear out any clutter you don’t need to free up all possible space, then look at all your available spaces and ask yourself how you could create storage and work areas that would make your life easier!
Hope this helps! If you can email me some pictures and I’ll post more ideas for a solution!
Marcia says
Dear Ariane
How lovely to be able to comment on a post of yours live instead of emailing you!
Great article as usual and also, congratulations on your blogiversary. Wow – 400 posts in 2 years is impressive!!!
I think I’m on about 160??? in 18 months. Mine is in Feb 🙂
Have a great weekend – guess what I’m doing? Writing blog posts for our new blog!
Organising Queen,
Clutter Control Freaks and
Marcia’s take charge blog
JUlie Nield says
Your home office e-book doesn’t appear to be free after all. That’s misleading advertising.