Organizing Your Workspace

For the majority of us, work is an occasionally awesome but mostly unfortunate fact of life that we just have to deal with. Why would you want to sit at a desk when you could be sipping Mai Tais on a beach somewhere? If you’re lucky enough to work from home, then you have a lot more leeway when it comes to decorating your workspace (and whether you get to have Mai Tais after all), but no matter where you work, Organizing Your Workspace is an important thing to consider to keep you happily typing away.

Organizing Your Workspace

Start by taking everything off your desk – give yourself a blank slate to work with. First put back the things that you use most frequently where they are easy to reach. You will be left with a pile of items that aren’t always used, and that might be considered “clutter,” which you want to avoid at all costs. It causes confusion that you just don’t need in your life! What you surround yourself with will directly affect your mind and no one needs a cluttered mind when trying to get things done.

Now, here are some tips to create your perfect workspace, one that’s unique to you and matches your personality:

• Instead of stacking books on the floor and the desk, use a shelving unit of sorts. A great way to organize books is to use wooden crates. They stack easily, you can continue to add to them, and they can be moved around any time you decide that you want something designed differently.
• Writing utensils can be stored in mason jars on shelves as well as on your desk. For those of us that have three sets of pens, highlighters, sharpies and an array of other writing tools, jars will save space and clutter as well as make it easier to find what you’re looking for.
• If you’re someone who seems to have papers all over, all the time, you need clip boards and cork boards! These can be a fun DIY project, or just something you find at the store. Hang them up near your desk and use each board for something specific; incoming, outgoing, notes, etc.
• Don’t forget to add in some motivational décor as well. Once you take down the clutter, replace it with items that inspire you, items that get you motivated to work and move forward each day. These could be posters, photos, statues, anything that motivates you!

Organizing your workspace is the first step in getting your job – and probably your life, too – back in order, and all it takes a spare hour and a little bit of creativity!