It’s that time of the year again. The leaves are changing, and we’re all looking for ways to get more done before winter sets in and gets us down. To help you out, below are 5 tips for organizing your workspace and get more done while maximizing productivity.
Purge Your Office
A cluttered office causes distraction, which is among the enemies of productivity. Toss out the junk you haven’t touched in years and get rid of what you don’t need anymore. Besides, you can always replace or buy new ones whenever you need them.
Establish Work “Zones”
To maximize productivity, strive to establish workstations for specific tasks. For example, you wouldn’t use your coffee table as your study desk or your bedroom floor as your exercise mat. The same goes with organizing the office. A designated workstation for each of your projects will help you stay better focused on each task.
Additionally, you can organize your workspaces into 4 zones:
- Main Work Area: This area should be where you do most of your work. You can set this up like a typical office desk with a computer and monitor, reference manuals, and other printouts, as well as legal pads for taking notes.
- Reference/File Area: A file cabinet or bookshelf can serve as the perfect storage space for all of your documents and other printed materials. Alternatively, you can store all of these items in a filing cabinet or shoebox. This will ease the sorting out process when needed.
- Communication Area: This space should be where you keep your phone, voicemail recorder, and other communication devices.
- Storage Area: An area where you can store common office supplies, snacks, or even extra office furniture.
Organize Your Desktop
The more cluttered your desktop is, the more cluttered your mind will be. Besides, you need some personal space on your monitor for your own to-do list. Whenever you have several windows open, it can get overwhelming and stressful. It may also lead to data loss.
The best way to avoid this is by creating folders for your files and implementing a consistent system in organizing these. You could also try grouping similar programs together and minimize the number of open windows on your desktop.
Clear Off Your Desk
Many times, we tend to pile up our desks with too much stuff. This not only makes the area look messy, but it also makes work inefficient. Always set a day within your weekly schedule to clean off your desk and sort out all your files in order. During the clean-ups, ensure you go through all your files and determine whether or not they are worth keeping. You can discard or recycle any that are useable to prevent clutter.
Use the Right Tools
Using the right tools to get your work done will save you a lot of time and effort. Learn to use the tools available, such as:
Personal Organizer
An excellent personal organizer will help you stay on track with deadlines, meetings, and your daily schedules. You can create one by writing down all your plans in a notebook or planner, along with other important information you may need to refer to later on, such as passwords, credit card numbers, and phone numbers.
Label Maker
Labels help organize files, paperwork, cords, and other items. Using decorative tags also makes the work area look organized and inviting. Using label makers will also save you time because you can quickly identify where everything goes back after using it, instead of guessing or wasting time doing trial-and-error organization.
Hanging File Folders
Hanging file folders are much more efficient than the typical folder because they take up less space and prevent files from getting lost or misplaced. You can easily label your hanging folders for easier access, as well as keep them in alphabetical order.
Power Clamps and Strips
Power clamps aid in powering all your devices in one location. They are also considerate to the environment by reducing power usage. On the other hand, power stirps are an excellent cable management tool since they help you reduce the number of power outlets needed for your office equipment. Using them also makes it easy to switch off every device instead of unplugging them one by one.
ConclusionOrganizing your office can be a little tricky, especially if you have to deal with several items simultaneously. However, the tips mentioned above will help you get started with an organized work area, even if it’s small. You can begin by clearing off your desktop, working on it for a few minutes each day, and making it a routine. Eventually, you will find yourself organizing every area in your office effortlessly.
