Being efficient at work depends on many factors, and the most important one is how organized your workspace is. You can’t be productive if your desk is a mess or if you have too much going on in your office. You could do so much more in less time if you just paid attention and tweaked your surroundings a bit. Although this may seem like a lot of work, you’ll reconsider it when you read these tips and see how just a few minutes of your time can have a major impact on your productivity.
Table of Contents
Start with the desk
The key thing in your office is your desk, and it needs to be organized for the type of work you do. Remove everything, clean it thoroughly and put back only those items you actually use. After that, you need to create different stations: one for keeping files that are done and one for those you’re still working on. Also, you can add a desk organizer and keep papers there to avoid having them all over your work area. If you’re not working on your laptop constantly, think about having a screen, a Bluetooth mouse and a keyboard instead – this will allow you to move things easily and switch from working on a laptop to dealing with papers.
Add an organization board
Managing all the responsibilities, working on deadlines and attending numerous meetings can be stressful, and handling them is a burden that will surely make you nervous. So to avoid additional stress, hang a whiteboard or a bulletin board and write yourself reminders of your chores.
To make it more organized, use different colors to point out the importance of a certain task and prioritize your list. Apart from that, add some inspirational quotes to stay constantly motivated. If you aren’t into reading someone else’s words, write down your feelings after accomplishing a difficult task and keep that as a reminder for yourself.
How to organize furniture
Even though it seems like a small thing, choosing the right furniture can play a significant role in your productivity. You need to have a comfortable chair and a big desk to be able to organize everything and avoid having neck pain or major back issues. Also, you need to have sturdy doors to prevent any noise from outside of your office from entering. This will allow you to work in much-needed silence and actually complete all your work. If you have enough space, think about adding a small sofa or an additional comfortable chair to create a space for reading your work material. Many offices keep bean bags or Pilates balls that allow people to reduce the amount of load they put on their backs by sitting in one position the whole day.
Use storage boxes and containers
Storage boxes can be a true lifesaver when it comes to storing items you don’t need on a daily basis but you still can’t picture your day without. By using a grouping and labeling system, you’ll realize how helpful these items are, and placing them into different parts of your office will create stations for different parts of your work. If you have a closet, you can sort everything in there and avoid clutter in your office. Storage boxes can also help you hide things you don’t always use but want to keep close by, just in case. To make these boxes more appealing, color-coordinate them with your possessions and effectively cut down on the time you waste on searching for office supplies.
Make it personal
It’s important to introduce a personal touch into your workspace, just to have a reminder that there’s a life outside the office. Hang some photos that show your favorite moments and update them every once in a while. Also, include a few items from your home to avoid that sterile office look and make it more natural. Buy a couple of plants that will not only make your office more beautiful but will boost your health as well. Together, these items will make your workspace more welcoming, create additional depth, produce a homely feeling and ultimately, boost your productivity.
A well-organized office makes you feel like you’re in control of your work and keeps you on the right track when it comes to finishing everything on time. Keeping your office neat and decluttered can eliminate distractions and save you a ton of precious time you can put into doing something important and useful. Don’t look at this as a one-time project, because it’s actually an ongoing project you simply have to work on every single day. Once you organize your workspace, keeping it well-maintained is going to be much easier than before, when you had to fight your way through the clutter.
