Are you cramped up in your office? Do you see dozens of pens, outdated electronics, and miscellaneous notepads spread out all over the room?
Follow these 5 simple steps to get your home office in tip-top shape at one fell swoop.
1. Tame the Paper Monster
Paperwork systems can easily get out of whack if they are not efficient. Piles can stack up quickly if the documents are not processed in a timely manner. Address this mess by spending time sorting the paperwork into categories such as receipts, action items, forms to file or review, etc. Recycle paper that isn’t needed, and contain everything that needs to be shredded (which can be done later).
2. Contain Pens, Paper Clips & Rubber Bands
Many have too many writing instruments, paper clips and rubber bands scattered all over their office. Instead of starting out by testing which pens work, just gather all of them in one container. Pick out your favorite few and place them in a pen holder on your desk. You can deal with the rest of them later, deciding which to toss, donate, or store. Usable paper clips and rubber bands can be stored in small containers as well.
3. Streamline Your Office Supplies
Sort through your supplies such as staplers, notebooks, staple removers, and other tools to decide how many you need on your desk and in your drawers. With the leftovers, decide whether you want to donate them or store them in a closet to use for back-ups. If business cards you have collected are spread all around the room, get a business card organizer and categorize the ones you want to keep in it.
4. Let Go of Unnecessary Promotional Swag
If you don’t want your office to appear too cluttered, you may have to part with some office swag that is strewn about. Say goodbye to the desk toys, convention handouts, squeeze balls, old cards, and other similar items that aren’t sentimental. This will also give your office a more “adult” sophisticated look.
5. Dust and Disinfect
Finally, it’s time to do the cleaning. You can use a dust cloth, Lysol wipes, dust buster, and air duster (also used to clean computer keyboards) to get all the surfaces squeaky clean.
Finish up by completing any other small tasks that are required to get your office presentable. That’s it!
Enjoy your “new” office space, and make sure to reward yourself for your hard work!
