How to Organize a Desk

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Whether at home or work, having an organized desk will save you the exhausting task of constantly digging through piles of clutter looking for important documents or a paper clip. Getting your desk organized may be a task you dread, but the hassle it will prevent in the long run is certainly worth the effort put forth today.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Cleaning Up

Step1

Clear everything except for the largest items off your desk. Give your desk a quick wipe-down to get rid of excess dust and dirt.

Step2

Go through the desk's contents and throw out anything that that you no longer need.

Step3

Sort through what is left, grouping like items such as writing utensils or office supplies.

Step4

Remove infrequently or rarely used items from your desk altogether to avoid cluttering your work area. Shelve or file these objects in a place other than your desk.

Putting it All Together

Step1

Arrange items back onto your desk, placing the most-often used items within immediate reach on top of the desk or in drawers. Less-frequently used objects can be placed in lower drawers or toward the back of the desk.

Step2

Label any files that are not already labeled; use a system that is clear and obvious to you. Then store them away in your desk's file drawer or in a clearly marked basket.

Step3

Utilize desktop organizational caddies, such as a pen and pencil cup or a tray designed to store paper clips, rubber bands and White-Out. Place like objects together in a system that makes sense to you.

Step4

Place to-do work in a desktop tray or in vertical stacking trays. If you have a large workload, create folders dividing your work into logical categories, such as the day of the week on which the work is due.

Step5

Display knickknacks or picture frames in an unobtrusive location on your desk. Consider eliminating some altogether.

Step6

Put items away immediately after using them, and deal with new items quickly. This will avoid the dreaded desktop-clutter build-up.