Having a desk at home where you work can be a blessing or a curse. If the desk is tidy, smartly set up and comfortable, productivity can skyrocket. On the other hand, a disasterarea doubling as a desk can leave you distracted and lead to procrastination.
MIND YOUR DRAWERS
People often pack desk drawers with paperwork, files and important documents, but how often do you really need 5-year-old tax returns, old electric bills, your passport and the like? To free up space, organize and archive these items in plastic storage boxes or file bins and keep them elsewhere such as in a closet or basement. Technology is allowing everyone to move toward a paperless existence, so aim to keep minimal files in your desk. For small office supplies like paper and binder clips, thumbtacks, stamps and sticky notes, as well as craft supplies, use compartment boxes or bins typically used for tools or jewelry.
HIT THE WALL
If the top of your desk is littered with scraps of paper, sticky-note reminders, business cards and other stuff, take it vertical. Paint a portion of the wall above your desk with chalkboard paint or hang corkboard to create message and reminder boards. Whatever the style or type, these approaches help tame clutter and make reminders easier to see.
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
It may be easier to focus when you have some sort of system to capture incoming documents. But old-school plastic or wire "in" and "out" boxes take up valuable desk space and are, well, old-fashioned. Instead, try hanging baskets, galvanized buckets or magazine holders on the wall. Or label a few empty large coffee cans or oversized jars or canisters and line them up on the side of your desk or lay them sideways and attach with double-sided tape to create cubbyholes. Another idea: Cover a few basic clipboards in fabric or paper, and then hang them near your desk and clip up to-do lists and papers as they come in.
DISPLAY TO DECORATE
Simple office supplies such as a tangle of rubber bands, a rainbow of markers, pens, paper clips and more take on an almost art-like aesthetic when organized in nontraditional containers such as Mason jars, glass vases and planters. Color coordinate cups, baskets, bins, glass bottle and more with decorative paper or spray paint.
TAME WILD TECHNOLOGY
A tangle of cords, wires and cables can be just as distracting as piles of papers. To centralize cords, drill a hole in the back of your desk and thread wires through it. Or, hang a wire basket typically used for storing kitchen items from the bottom of the desk using hooks.
Source: Press Release
