Work & Business Office Organization Ideas & Tips

READ TIME: 3-5 Mins

The Key to Office Organization Comes in A Few Steps

The first step is realization. Just admit it – in someone else’s eyes your office is a workplace jungle. To you, everything is okay. There are bits of clutter here and there, but that’s the beauty of it. Then all of a sudden, your boss refers to a past project and a siren initiates panic mode in your head. You keep questioning yourself, “Where did I put it?” only to realize that retracing your steps is almost impossible.

Now you are in the denial stage. All of your life you told yourself that you are organized. You’ve made friends with a couple dust bunnies, missed payment on bills only a couple of times and pushed off laundry solely because today isn’t laundry day. Don’t worry, we’re all human and you are not alone. Work can get hectic at times, forcing us to leave things untended.

Then finally, acceptance and action. You come full circle with the fact that you are a bit disorganized and this needs to change. No more wasting time going on a scavenger hunt to find things. It is time to get things in order. Well, you’ve come to the right place. Guernsey Inc. knows a thing or two about the office, we have been serving our local businesses with office supplies, furniture and more for almost 50 years. Take some advice from the office experts and let’s explore tips on tidying up your work area.

1. Calendars and Planners Galore

Find a way that works for you. Calendars and planners are all here to help with your tasks at hand. Personally, I like to look at each month before it begins and mark the calendar with deadlines and reminders. As the month progresses, update it on a daily basis. It helps me with my time management to plan ahead for future tasks and ready myself for things to come. Also, getting a journal or planner helps immensely. Carrying one around, even during the non-working hours will gear you for productivity and fewer forgotten thoughts in your head.

2. Overhaul

If your work zone is cluttered and scattered all over the place, plan out a good amount of time to get organized. Have a shredder handy or a large trash bag to throw away things you don’t need anymore. If you don’t have a shredder handy, make sure if you are getting rid of old papers, (I am sure there is a bunch) that you don’t just throw it in the trash, but recycle them and any other recyclable items. This includes not only work documents, but also décor or furniture that has just been collecting dust. Clear off everything you don’t need on a daily basis and only put back the essential things. Afterwards, look through each of your drawers; I’m sure there are things you just threw in there. You might even find some welcoming surprises. A good rule of thumb is to leave your office as you found it in the morning.

3. File and Storage

What do you do with all the leftover things you need, but not on your desk? File them. Invest in a good-sized filing cabinet that would help organize your work files. Don’t forget the file folders, colors and labels would help out even more in structuring where things go. If a file cabinet is too big for your office area, a small desk organizer will also work. Speaking from experience, it’s been helpful in keeping all of my work in one place and easily accessible. In addition, don’t forget that your computer is also a storage unit for work files. Take the time to go through and do a full clean.

Go Marie Kondo (if you don’t know who she is, look her up), or if you feel overwhelmed, try taking one tip at a time. When you’re finished, take a look at these office spring cleaning tips – there’s more help to be had. When you spend most of your week at the office, wouldn’t you want it to be nice and clean? The goal is to increase workflow productivity by creating a welcoming environment. The amount of effort you put into it will help in the long run; less time searching for that document and more time to work. (Okay, work may not be the most fun thing in the world, but this will make it easier!)

Looking for the perfect planner/organizer? Need a filing cabinet? Used all of your sticky notes? We have all that and more!