Get Organized: The Building Blocks to a Clean Desk

“Begin and end each day with a clean desk” is sound advice – and just like “floss daily” and “exercise often” – we know we should, but many of us feel like we just don’t have the time. Compared to the expense and stress of a root canal or a missed deadline due to a messy office, a little daily maintenance is time well-spent.

Assess the Mess

What is piling up on your desk? Current projects? Old mail? Reports to be read? Papers to be filed? Office supplies? Used coffee cups and empty candy wrappers? Once you’ve identified your biggest problem areas, you can choose the right tools to combat your desktop clutter.

Divide and Conquer

Spend a few minutes and sort through everything on your desk, keeping the recycling bin close by. Depending on the scope of your clutter, you may need to invest a few more minutes to get everything under control. Once you get a good system in place, you will only have to spend a few minutes a day on the upkeep. Prioritize your piles with the goal of keeping only the items you use every day on your desk like current projects, pens, notepad, calendar, framed picture of your dog/cat/kids/significant other/boat/last vacation.

Get rid of distracting loose papers. Adopt a binder-based file system and keep the files you use every day in binders on your desk or within easy reach of your desk. Organize your essential files and current projects in Bindertek Binders. Binders keep papers in order and provide instant clutter relief. With binders, you can file as you go instead of creating a massive “to be filed” pile to deal with later.

You Don’t Need Stacks of Stuff, You Need Stuff that Stacks

Customizable modular desktop organizers like Bindertek Wood Options Organizers add instant organization to your work space. Wood Options Organizers stack together in just about any combination to fit your needs.

• Neatly conceal your daily must-haves like pens, binder clips, phone chargers, reading glasses, etc. in Wood Options Stacking Drawers.
• Prioritize daily project binders and folders with Wood Options Vertical Files, Cubes and Step-Up Files.
• Organize projects and magazines in Magazine Boxes.
• Control the flow of paperwork with Wood Options Letter Trays.
• Banish “tacky” thumb-tacked memos, price lists, and scraps of paper dotted with scribbles of important phone numbers and notes from your work area. Use a Wood Options Reference Organizer to neatly store the information you use every day.

Once you set up the perfect system for your workflow, it will be easy to maintain order throughout the day – and it will truly only take a minute or two to clear your desk for the start of a new day.