Throughout my years working the 9-5 Daily Grind, I have met many interesting people and have made many friends. I have also seen my share of conference rooms, cubicles and desks, that quite frankly, shouldn’t be called as such, since they are taken over by clutter and disorganization. I have walked into a myriad of offices where you couldn’t see the top of their desk. They had papers everywhere, in horrible manilla folders, that you couldn’t tell apart from one another! No wonder we hardly get any work done and always sweat the deadlines…you cannot find anything in your office, let alone, on your computer! If you want to get organized, and on the right track, follow these 4 tips and you will feel refreshed and productive!
Purge Your Office
This is the first place you must start. You cannot effectively organize an office or work space without first going through every piece of paper, every folder, and every box to see what you need and what you do not need. You first need to separate the folders and papers into 4 categories: Shred, Trash, Recycle & Keep. Once you have shredded all important documents, recycled everything that isn’t trash, and have thrown the trash away, you are left with the Keep pile. From there, you organize it into the subjects and categories that reflect your job position. While I was a Legal Assistant, I organized my office, since I came into a mess of an office to begin with, and designated areas for my correspondence, reorganized the whole filing cabinet system, and even organized where my pens and pencils were. It made my life and my job simpler and I completed tasks faster!
Dump the Manilla Folder
I hate the manilla folder. Why keep different categories and topics in the same color folder? You cannot tell the two apart! You can try to label it, but the label always becomes frayed and you waste work time by sitting there trying to figure out what the heck you wrote on it to begin with! Dump the manilla folder and upgrade yourself to the Multi-Colored Folder. I love these because you can coordinate the colors to correspond to the different categories, topics or subjects you may have to work on at your job. Once they are all organized, create a color coded chart that tells you quickly which subjects are in which colored folders. You will save loads of time and your office will be neatly organized.
Label, Label, Label
I am a huge fan of the label. Yes, I said that I hate manilla folders with labels, but if label correctly, it will save you a boat load of time and become organized. If you have a label maker…well you are set! Go Nuts! If you do not have a label maker, type up words in 18 size font, print them out, cut them out and then tape them on your drawers, folders, etc. with clear tape. If you do not have a printer, take a piece of paper and a magic marker, write your label in all caps, so it is easy to read, cut it out, and tape them on what ever you want to label! You will see where everything is without opening up a drawer or pulling out a folder and you will feel productive and organized!
Go Mr. Clean on your Computer
I do not understand how people can use their computer, without it being cleaned and organized. I have seen countless computer desktops filled to the brim with icons of documents, software, games and alike. I get dizzy by looking at it all. In a technological world, organization is key on any desktop or mobile device. If you do not know where something is, you could waste time by just trying to find it. To keep your computer organized and you productive, delete any shortcuts from your desktop that you do not use on a daily basis. Once this is complete, organize the existing desktop shortcuts into individuals folders. You can organize them into “Current Clients” or “Taxes 2010″ or “Resumes 2011″, or whatever categories you have most on your desktop. Technology is fast-paced and if you stay organized on your computer, you can be even faster.
Follow these steps and to become organized in your office, work space, or cubicle! You will feel refreshed, rejuvenated and people will notice the difference in your work space and productivity!
