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8 Strategies for a Clutter-Free Desk
Learn the key tricks for a tidy and productive work space
Clutter exists because our brain tricks us into thinking everything’s important. Sound familiar? Are you looking around your desk, and totally relating? Me too, which means it’s time to declutter our desks (and clear our brains in the process). Follow these strategies to help nip clutter in the bud now and keep it that way.
2. Eliminate
Sit at your desk, look at all the items and ask yourself these questions: What’s the real purpose for it being on your desk? Are you keeping it because you need it, or because you might need it one day? How often do you use it? You get where I’m going here… These answers will give you the basis for what needs to stay, and what needs to go!
Sit at your desk, look at all the items and ask yourself these questions: What’s the real purpose for it being on your desk? Are you keeping it because you need it, or because you might need it one day? How often do you use it? You get where I’m going here… These answers will give you the basis for what needs to stay, and what needs to go!
3. Be ruthless
Now you’ve eliminated the first line of clutter, it’s time to get tough. Take everything off your desk and out of your drawers, and put them in a box under or to the side of your desk. This is also the perfect time to give your desk a good wipe down. Only when you need an item from the box can you put it back on the desk or in a drawer. Keep this process going for a week. Anything left in the box, you don’t really need. Once you’ve streamlined everything, you may find your desk is way too big. This is the cue to decide if you need to invest in a new desk that better suits your needs.
Now you’ve eliminated the first line of clutter, it’s time to get tough. Take everything off your desk and out of your drawers, and put them in a box under or to the side of your desk. This is also the perfect time to give your desk a good wipe down. Only when you need an item from the box can you put it back on the desk or in a drawer. Keep this process going for a week. Anything left in the box, you don’t really need. Once you’ve streamlined everything, you may find your desk is way too big. This is the cue to decide if you need to invest in a new desk that better suits your needs.
4. Give everything a home
Now that you’ve worked out what to keep, you need to give everything a home. Organise your desk drawers by importance – the stuff you use most often goes in the top drawers, in easy reach; everything else goes in the bottom drawers. Next, give your desk a left-to-right ‘flow’, so that work comes in on the left, you work on it in the middle and everything that is finished leaves on the right. If you need more storage/filing space, slide an extra filing cabinet under your desk.
Now that you’ve worked out what to keep, you need to give everything a home. Organise your desk drawers by importance – the stuff you use most often goes in the top drawers, in easy reach; everything else goes in the bottom drawers. Next, give your desk a left-to-right ‘flow’, so that work comes in on the left, you work on it in the middle and everything that is finished leaves on the right. If you need more storage/filing space, slide an extra filing cabinet under your desk.
5. Sort the cables
Organising the mess of cables under and on top of your desk (everyone has them) can make a huge decluttering difference. There are some great cable organisers and concealers on the market at office supply and storage solutions stores, including Howards Storage World and Officeworks. Once they’re out the way, your work area will appear much clearer.
Organising the mess of cables under and on top of your desk (everyone has them) can make a huge decluttering difference. There are some great cable organisers and concealers on the market at office supply and storage solutions stores, including Howards Storage World and Officeworks. Once they’re out the way, your work area will appear much clearer.
6. Move books to the bookcase
Yes, keep all your books off your desk, unless you’re actually reading or using them. Sounds simple, and obvious, but books tend to pile up without you noticing. Once you move them to the bookcase, you’ll have so much more workable space. You could also make more use of your wall space by building shelves above your desk, painting the wall with chalkboard paint or creating a pinboard on which you can hang your stationery.
Yes, keep all your books off your desk, unless you’re actually reading or using them. Sounds simple, and obvious, but books tend to pile up without you noticing. Once you move them to the bookcase, you’ll have so much more workable space. You could also make more use of your wall space by building shelves above your desk, painting the wall with chalkboard paint or creating a pinboard on which you can hang your stationery.
KEEP IT TIDY
Now that your desk is nice and organised, try to keep it that way.
7. Don’t dine at your desk
Repeat after me: “Your desk is not a dining table.” Tempting as it is, don’t ever eat at your desk. It’s never great getting crumbs stuck in your keyboard, or spills over precious documents, and besides, you need a break to be more productive. You can have a glass of water or coffee on your desk, but just one at a time, and always take it to the kitchen when you’re finished (see what I did there? Gave you the perfect excuse to get up and stretch!).
Now that your desk is nice and organised, try to keep it that way.
7. Don’t dine at your desk
Repeat after me: “Your desk is not a dining table.” Tempting as it is, don’t ever eat at your desk. It’s never great getting crumbs stuck in your keyboard, or spills over precious documents, and besides, you need a break to be more productive. You can have a glass of water or coffee on your desk, but just one at a time, and always take it to the kitchen when you’re finished (see what I did there? Gave you the perfect excuse to get up and stretch!).
8. Reboot every night
Reboot and reorganise your workspace every night. No matter how hard you try to keep your desk neat during the day, it’s going to get messy – it’s called ‘working’. To make sure you don’t get over-cluttered again, try to clean off your desk every evening. It’ll take five or 10 minutes and you’ll be thankful you did when you arrive at a clear desk with a clear mind in the morning.
TELL US
How have you organised your desk space? Tell us or post a picture in the Comments section.
MORE
12 Out-of-the-Ordinary Desk Ideas
Find the Right Desk for Your Needs
5 Decluttering Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Reboot and reorganise your workspace every night. No matter how hard you try to keep your desk neat during the day, it’s going to get messy – it’s called ‘working’. To make sure you don’t get over-cluttered again, try to clean off your desk every evening. It’ll take five or 10 minutes and you’ll be thankful you did when you arrive at a clear desk with a clear mind in the morning.
TELL US
How have you organised your desk space? Tell us or post a picture in the Comments section.
MORE
12 Out-of-the-Ordinary Desk Ideas
Find the Right Desk for Your Needs
5 Decluttering Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Yes, everyone has them, the spots that keep getting loaded with more and more ‘stuff’. Stand back from your desk and take a hard look at your work space to figure out your ‘clutter hotspots’. Can’t see them? Take a few pictures and you’ll be surprised at what you’ll see from this different perspective. Your clutter trouble spots will stand out big-time.