5 Tips for Better Office Organization

Disclosure: As a career writer and Work Life Management expert, I have partnered with Boise Paper to share my office organization tips in this compensated post. The opinions expressed within these articles belong to me, and are not indicative of the brand mentioned.

Create an optimum workspace with my 5 tips for better office organization.

“A place for everything, everything in it’s place,” —Benjamin Franklin

In the book that I recently co-authored entitled Personal, Professional, and Positive: The 30-Day Challenge, I discuss at length the importance of organization. In Chapter 26, Order is Everything, I wrote about the importance of having an organizational regimen for a better and more positive life. While many of us do not like the work it takes to declutter, it is this proactive act that can save time, money, and stress. Since time is money and money is time, one of the first places that we must focus on for cleanliness and organization is our workspaces.

I’ve found that being creative and working to truly make your space work no matter the size can help aid in having an orderly workspace and office. So I am sharing with you my 5 tips for better office organization to assist you in priming your work area so that you aren’t only efficient and neat, but also a better performing person personally and professionally.

Here’s my list:

Use Mason Jars

Because I lack drawer space, I’ve come up with systems to help store my items for easy usability. Mason jars are not only a functional way to keep my pens, markers, highlighters, and other goodies, but they stack well and make awesome decor for my office. You can use them to store scissors, rulers, glue sticks, almost anything that you would reach for throughout the day. And since you can use different jars for different things, you won’t have to constantly look for the tools you need—-it’s glass so you can visually see what you need and grab it. (click HERE to read more on how to create Mason Jar Cubbies).

Declutter Hour

Take an hour weekly to declutter. This will go a long way not only for the neatness of your workspace, but will help you save time later since you are only keeping the items you truly need. How many pieces of old mail or papers are sitting around your work area? Dedicate a designated hour each week to shred the access paper and rid yourself of all of the junk and trash. You will thank yourself later.

No paper, please

Speaking of paper, which is the number one debris item in most offices, have a no paper please policy. Meaning each day before you clock out of your workspace, make sure it is paper free. No paperwork on your desk or in any of your outside areas. This will force you to shred the paper you don’t need or file the papers you do need. Getting in the habit of this will make you more organized and will allow you to come to your workspace everyday with a clean work area. You can also recycle the paper that you aren’t using, which is better for the environment.

Boise Paper X-9^®Multi-use Copy Paper is certified by the Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI), ensuring responsible forestry in the product sourcing, and is 99.9% jam free, so if you are looking for more sustainable paper options, its a great selection.

Stack and File

If you have a small workspace like mine or not much desk real estate, investing in stackable file bins can help keep you organized and on top of your game. You can stack them to save space and label them with that type of paperwork it will hold. For instance, I keep to in my workspace and they are entitled: to be completed and completed to invoice. This helps me have a place to store the work I need to finish and the work I am finished with that needs to be invoiced or put away for accounting purposes.

Labeling

One of the quickest ways you can help stay organized is to use labels on your files, folders, bins, and other items. Labeling makes it easy for you to find things, and gives you an incentive to store everything in its proper place. You can buy a label maker machine which can make your labels look amazingly fabulous, or you can utilize store-bought labels that you can make yourself with the help of your computer. Not only will labeling help save you time, but assists others who you may work with find things quickly in your absence.

No matter how you go about organizing your office or workspace, make sure you have systems in place to help keep you functional and efficient. I hope these 5 tips for better office organization help you turn your work area into a nirvana of cleanliness, or at the very least, inspires you to come up with some systems of your own.

For more of my previous Boise Paper content, click HERE.