The New Year is fast approaching and this is a great time to think about how to organize your work space and stay productive. Here are a few tips to help you take action and get organized this New Year.
- Keep your workspace clean and free of clutter – The first step towards organizing your office is to get rid of the unnecessary stuff that takes up valuable office space. One of the most common types of clutters that can be found in an office is paper clutter. As businesses have to deal with lots of paper on a daily basis including letters, reports, bills, money or receipts, these papers accumulate quickly and can be totally overwhelming if you don’t deal with it regularly. Therefore, it is crucial to go through those paper stacks and get rid of duplicates. Another alternative to declutter is to switch over to paperless systems for filing. Partnering with a document scanning company helps scan and convert the paper documents into the desired file formats. In addition, pens, paperclips, thumb drives, books, calculators and other things can also take up space in your work area. So, you should get rid of dried-out pens once a week and put them in a place where you can easily access them. Use containers such as pen cups and paperclip holders to contain items and clean out your desk drawers and filing cabinets and throw out or recycle anything that you haven’t used in six months.
- Delegate – Delegation is assigning responsibility and authority to someone to complete a well-defined task. By compartmentalizing different aspects, tasks or projects, you can organize your office and increase productivity. Delegation allows you to save time and focus on your core activities.
- Set goals and prioritize them – You should set goals every year and even on a quarterly basis. Prioritize those things that are really important and tackle your top priority first and your lowest priority last. If possible, make a list of long-term priorities for the year and short-term priorities for each month and week and also prioritize daily tasks related to the overall priorities and goals you have set. Never choose more than three of each type of priority to focus on. After listing, you can organize everything else around those things.
- Gather up every item – It is essential to collect every item from where it does not belong and put it where it belongs.
- Keep the needed items within reaching distance – If you need to usea phone, reference books, planner, files, mailing supplies or printer frequently, then keep these items within reach. If there are many items you need to keep near, then use a bigger desk. Oruse a U-shaped set up with a desk or a desk and tables so that you can simply swivel around to get what you need.
- Choose a label maker that is simple to use – Label everything including shelves, bins, baskets and drawers. This will not only remind you where things go, but will also help others when they have a need to find, use or put away anything in your workspace.
- Feel comfortable at your workspace – A quality desk chair and well-lit office are crucial to your comfort and health. Your office should have natural light and also adequate artificial light to avoid eye strain when it is dark outside. To avoid neck and back issues, you should adjust your chair or computer monitor so that you are looking straight ahead, not up or down. Consider getting a standing desk or an adjustable shelf for your monitor so that you can sit or stand, as sitting for a long time can be detrimental to your health.
These tips will help transform your office into an efficient workspace.
