How to Organize Your Office Desk

Regardless of the business you're in, organizing your office desk is essential to having a productive working environment. It will help you have easier access to the items you need on a regular basis. Organization does not mean the same thing to everyone, however. Different people have different methods of working and different views about what constitutes organization. Learn to organize your office desk and keep it that way for better productivity in your work environment.

Things You'll Need

• Tray dividers
• Pen and pencil divider

Instructions

1. Hide items you don't use often but need to access periodically. Put them in the lowest drawers of your desk. This is particularly a good idea for a book you refer to occasionally, such as a telephone directory.

2. Use flat divider trays for pencils and pens and keep them in a top drawer, not in a pencil and pen holder on top of your desk. The object is to keep as much cleared work space on your desktop as possible. You typically use 1 pen or pencil at a time. Having all of them in a cup on your desk tempts you to grab a new 1 each time. You'll end up with pens and pencils scattered around your desktop before you know it.

3. If you have wall space, use a wall calendar instead of a large, flat desk calendar. The large flat desk calendar tends to make writing on your desk difficult and they become (and look) worn and tattered before the year is out. Flat desk calendars are not only impractical; they can make your work area look trashy.

4. Use a single paper tray if possible. Each slot should be clearly labeled for the paperwork intended to go into that tray. Make a habit of filing paperwork in the appropriate slot at the end of your workday. You don't want to start a new day having to clean up yesterday's mess.

5. Keep your computer tower on the floor beneath your desk. Your keyboard, if possible, should be on a pull-out table so that it can be tucked away when not in use. Keep your desk phone in an upper corner of your desk, within easy reach but away from the general work area in front of you. Your printer should be kept on a separate small table, next to your main desk.

References

• How to Organize Your Desk

Resources

• Cheap Easy Ways to Organize Your Desk