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7 Ways to Organize Your Back-to-Workspace
- Think First, Then Act: Before setting up your desk, go through the motions of a usual workday. Consider how and when items are used or not used. Sketch out a workable design. This "time and motion study" can save you needless work... wasted movements... and put everything within fingertip reach.
- Pass an Anti-Clutter Law: The more on your desk, the harder it is to work. The harder it is to work, the less you get done. The less you get done, the more you have on your desk.
- Become a Labor Organizer: Put paper, pencils, clips, and other supplies neatly in their own containers. (Check out Day-Timers webstore for a variety of attractive storage options.) Store seldom used materials in drawers. Clear your desk at day's end to minimize labor the next morning. Write down tomorrow's 6 most important to-do's in your Day-Timer planner.
- Wing It: Place your phone, computer, and other equipment on the left wing of your desk. Keep the right wing free for work. Or, do the opposite depending on work habits. Another excellent way to organize your desk is to assign an "in/out" wing. Decide which side of your desk is for completed and outgoing items and which is for incoming projects to be addressed. Keeping a directional flow on your desk helps organize your work and gives you a sense of accomplishment as you watch papers dwindle in your to-do pile. It also keeps completed work separate and ready to move to the next step (or person) in the process.
- Keep at Arm's Length: Place nearby whatever tools you use most. You lose valuable time and needlessly strain your body when continually stretching across the desk. Nothing important should be beyond easy reach.
- Don't Form Attachments: Regularly go through paperwork. Toss everything but the essential in the circular file. Only keep present work on your desk. Hide other files away.
- Be True to Yourself: Once setting your workspace rules, don't give in. Beware! It's easy to become lax and untidy, especially when other priorities arise. Schedule a weekly 7-minute "Express Clean-Up" in your Day-Timer planner. That's long enough to get things tidy, but short enough to not be intimidating.
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