How to Declutter Your Home Office to Increase your Productivity

Having a cluttered home office can make it difficult to want to work there, make it difficult to find what you need and also makes you not want to be there. Taking time to declutter your home office will help you stay focused on the work you need to accomplish to increase productivity.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• time
• shredder
• files
• containers for files
• pc
• garbage container

1. 
    
   allow 15-30 minutes a day to declutter your home office

   Decide to start the process of decluttering your home office this week. Once you make the decision that it's time to declutter that space, allow yourself at least 15-30 minutes per day to work on this project to avoid feeling overwhelmed by the process.

2. 
    
   shred unnecessary papers

   Organize the supplies you'll need. Make sure you have files to keep necessary papers in, a shredder to remove unwanted papers and some kind of file cabinet or other system to house the files. You'll also need a box or two for donated items and a garbage container for anything you'll throw away.

3. 
    
   organize papers into file system

   Start with a small area of the room so you won't be overwhelmed with the amount of work at hand. Begin looking at each piece of paper and decide if you really need it. If so, create a file and label the file. Place the file alphabetically in the chosen container for your new system.

4. 
    
   shred unnecessary papers

   If you decide that you don't need the piece of paper, start your shredder and shred as much paperwork as possible. Eliminating unnecessary papers from your life will begin to feel good and the more you shred, the more you'll want to shred.

5. 
    
   keep a handy to-do list

   When you're sifting through the paperwork in the areas of your room, create a to-do file folder of business items that should be handled relatively soon. Keep this file handy on your desk for now. You'll create a permanent space for it later.

6. 
    
   organize on your pc when possible

   As you begin to fill the container with all your newly organized files, decide on a place to keep the files handy. It could be under a desk, in a closet in the room or beside your desk for easy referencing later. Organize as much as you can on your computer to eliminate paperwork altogether.

7. 
    
   swiffer duster makes dusting quick and easy

   Once you've tackled your desk area, dust and polish the desk surface to remove any dirt that has been accumulating there. Your room will start to feel and smell much better. I personally love the swiffer duster because it keeps all the dust contained without it flying around in the air.

8. 
    
   desktop organizer

   After your desktop area is cleaned, allow yourself an area for your important to-do file folder. Office supply stores carry a wide selection of desktop accessories that will allow you to match a design or style of your newly organized office space. Choose a nice desktop file holder for your to-do folder.

9. 
    
   donate unnecessary items

   Donate or throw away whatever is not needed in your home office area. Eliminate any items that could cause distraction to your work. Decide to only keep your office work and necessary related items in this room so that you can stay focused on work and increase productivity. Find local donation centers in the resouce area.

10. 
     
    paint at least one wall in your home office

    Once all your floor space, desk space and any other areas are decluttered, you may want to wash the walls and give the room a fresh coat of paint. Painting at least one wall in your home office will brighten it, give it a new life and make it a place you'll enjoy working.

11. 
     
    recycle

    Make a habit of dealing with paperwork daily either filing or shredding it. Keep as much information in your pc as possible to eliminate paperwork altogether. Recycle all your shredded papers with your weekly garbage pickup to help keep our environment clean and green.Find local recycling centers in the resource area.

12. 
     
    clean, organized home office

    When you're all done organizing all your paperwork and freeing up all areas of the home office, you can now open a window to allow in fresh air without having to worry that all your papers will fly all around. The fresh air will help to stimulate you to work in your newly organized home office space. You'll soon see your productivity increase dramatically. Enjoy it and get some work done!

Tips & Warnings

• Spend a little time daily on organizing your office so you won't feel overwhelmed and continue daily until it's completed
• Gather all your necessary files, cabinets, etc. before you start to organize
• Try to deal with paperwork daily to avoid ever becoming disorganized again
• Many donation stores will pick up your unwanted items

Resources

• Find local recycling centers
• Find local donation centers

[henkai]

on 9/19/2009 Awesome article on declutter your home office. 5**

[guerrahih]

on 9/11/2009 Great info. I need to declutter my office. 5* and recommend.

[MrsPerrin]

on 9/11/2009 This is a very complete and helpful article on how to declutter home and office. I will refer to it to keep me motivated. I enjoyed the fact that this was not an article just filled with fluff for submission, but has excellent tips and ideas on how to accomplish tasks.
Thank you.

[ourlastchance]

on 8/19/2009 I do feel much more productive when my work area is clean. 5*

[regji]

on 8/16/2009 good article thanks