Comments on: 12 Tips for an Organized Desk

By: Lily

Lily — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 03:06:24 +0000

This was a really great article. I’m a college student and these tips were really helpful in creating a clutter-free table top. Thanks for an awesome post!

By: Angela

Angela — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:05:59 +0000

Great items. I too like the scanned document suggestion the best. We print far too much paper unnecessarily and hold onto stuff we could scan. Thanks!

By: Russ

Russ — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:56:48 +0000

I enjoying seeing other peoples’ work habits, and environments. For me a computer is really all I need, and a scanner. Since everything I do is digital, i enjoy having everything, and i mean everything, on my computer.

By: Mark Shead

Mark Shead — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:32:01 +0000

@Debra – Great idea. I think that is part of the usage pattern behind the Franklin planners–you keep everything forever.

By: Debra Russell

Debra Russell — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:28:16 +0000

For #8 – I don’t use a scratch pad – it’s too easy to throw things out by accident. I use a bound composition notebook. On the side edge in sharpie – I’ve written Phone Log – and the date range. It takes me about 2 years to fill one up but I keep it forever. Periodically, I have my assistant input the people into my list database and contacts.

By: Joan

Joan — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:59:44 +0000

As a professional organizer for small business, I have to say – your tips are great!
Utilizing your space and resources actually boosts the bottom line of any company. The time you don’t spend looking for something, or going to get something that isn’t easily accessible adds to productivity and that results in a stronger profit margin at the end of the day.
Being organized also makes you feel good, and that attitude is seen by customers and clients for repeat business…

By: Dave

Dave — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:14:39 +0000

One of the greatest feelings is to have a clean workstation or desk. The minute I became a minimalist a few years back, a burden of trash and uselessness was lifted.

Great advice…Thanks…
Dave

By: Steve

Steve — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 15:29:52 +0000

#8. Scratch Notepad

I have spent the last couple of years reducing (to zero) post-it notes and other disposable (losable) places to write things down. My Moleskine goes with me everywhere, and is always available to note random things down.

The number of times a phone number ended up on a missing post-it note because “I wouldn’t need it again” started to become a distraction that I now avoid.

By: Zack Allen

Zack Allen — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 02:05:20 +0000

#6: Why not adopt the rule “If it’s worth keeping, scan it.”

By: carbonboy

carbonboy — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 01:47:42 +0000

Great basic list – about all one needs. I happen to use multi-colored pens, so scratch #1 for me.

#12 – imagine if everyone did that for everything they do – work, house, garage, cooking, bathroom counter, etc!

BTW, I found this site from a tweet from the zen habits guy. Thanks Leo!

By: Mr. Alexander

Mr. Alexander — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 23:48:54 +0000

This comes in handy a lot, I’m glad you shared this with us. My desk has never looked better!

By: Martin S.

Martin S. — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 05:59:49 +0000

Actually, it’s quite useful to use Notepad or similar for quick notes instead of a notebook. I try not to use anything analog.

By: Rico

Rico — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:47:59 +0000

I’ve been scanning for about 1.5 years now. EVERYTHING goes in there. 100% digital. Recycling goes up, paper storage goes down, searching speed increases, archival of important stuff increases onto SD cards (I keep my biz files on 2 GB cards, around my place in various locations). Of course on a Mac, the combination of Spotlight and Launchbar makes this super easy to search. Fujitsu Scansnap is a brilliant machine, at any speed. Just wish it scanned to text, as that could seriously open up some huge bidness.

I cut my textbooks (3 degrees in biochemistry and MBA) and recipe books to go through the scanner and OCR. All my loose MBA notes are in there as well. Literally 100’s of pounds of paper, all back in the system now, and in my puter. Talk about emptying the house. LESS IS MORE. Good for environment too. Got me thinking everybody should post urls to grab manuals for hardware (bought anywhere), etc. Also I shred all sensitive papers, keep a Rubbermaid 50 litre bin under my desk for recycling. Out every 2 weeks. Does my club soda cans, other paper, packaging, etc.

Modem, power bar, router, another hub, all into a pegboard using wire, held on bottomside of other desk, so I can access and view lights. Printer and scanner on a two-level small side-table bought on Craigslist, that I shoved casters into, to move table around. Also make big use of plastic storage bins for everything, stacked in closet. Craigslist is cool cool for inexpensive desks to drill through and modify to your needs. Cheap monitor mounts at Ikea, to get VESA mountable monitors off desk, onto Home Depot steel angle iron that is pre-drilled, attached via bolts, to rolling file box that has casters.

Most important: Multi-port video cards get my Mac Pro with 2 19″, 1 24″, 1 30″ monitors. All 1 desktop. Real Estate = Productivity, which is the biggest boost I have ever known. I write software, need real estate. Mac Pro can handle 8 24″ monitors apparently. Gotta love it.

Cheers

By: Stephanie Armstrong

Stephanie Armstrong — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:14:03 +0000

Thanks for the tips! My desk is a complete mess right now and I needed these tips. I think I’ll tackle one drawer at a time.

By: Mark Shead

Mark Shead — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:21:48 +0000

@Kim – Initially scanning everything in took awhile, but I had my assistant do it. Now I just put anything that needs scanned into a drawer and she scans it all in every few weeks. Also you need to have some type of really good backup method if you are putting all of your documents into a digital format. I use Time Machine, a disk image, and occasionally dump things out to a DVD and put them into a bank safety deposit box.