12 Tips for an Organized Desk
April 11, 2007 · Print This Article
Here are twelve quick tips for organizing your desk. These are things that have worked well for me. Most of them are probably applicable to others as well. If you have any suggestions of items to add please add them to the comments.
(Update: If you are interested in seeing my desk, checkout this post for photos.)
- Get rid of pens and pencils you don’t need. - I have one type of pen I like to use, but every month or my pencil holder gets filled up with other random writing instruments. If you aren’t going to use it, don’t feel bad about throwing it out. It is just clutter.
- Have a place for pocket stuff. Your keys, phone, PDA, wallet, bluetooth ear piece, etc. should have a home. My ideal setup is to keep them in a drawer with wires already run for charging the various items. Unfortunately my current desk doesn’t have drawers, so I have set aside a small amount of space under my monitor that isn’t really usable for work anyway. I have all my charging cables right there so I don’t have to hunt for them.
- Proximity based on frequency of use. If you use it every day, it should be closer than something you use only a few times each week. This is common sense, but it is easy to arrange are desk for aesthetics instead of usefulness.
- Move electronics out of sight. Your cable modem, wireless router, firewall, battery backup, etc. shouldn’t be on your desk. Even if you have enough room in introduces visual clutter.
- Easy to access files. Without moving your chair or getting up, you should be able to grab an unused manila folder, label it and put it in your file cabinet. Easy filing is one cornerstone of good organization. The more effort it requires the more difficult it will be to stay organized.
- Scanning documents. This is something I’m experimenting with. I have a scanner and I’ll turn important documents into PDFs and keep them on my computer. I use OCR so the documents are searchable. This is wonderful if you travel a lot because it keeps everything right there with you. The problem is trying to figure out what to scan and what can just be filed. If you are good at guessing what you’ll want to have electronically this can work very well. I haven’t figured out how accurate I am just yet.
- Cleaning supplies. If you clean your desk with Windex and a paper towel, make sure you have some nearby. This will help encourage you to wipe down your work surface which will encourage you to clean it off more often. It is all about making things as easy for yourself as possible.
- Scratch notepad. During the course of the day, you will have telephone numbers, names, addresses, order confirmations, flight numbers, etc. If you can keep these all in one place, you’ll be far more productive if you need to look something up later. I have the bad habit of grabbing a nearby envelope and writing a telephone number on it. By keeping a notebook, specifically for these types of items, I don’t lose nearly as many things. The Franklin Planner method is to keep all of this info in the diary page of the planner which is probably an even better option.
- Organize those wires. It is easy to have half your desk covered with wires for various pieces of electronics. Moving some stuff off your desk can help. Some pieces of velcro wrapped around wires can go a long ways toward cleaning things up. Also make sure that you have wires that are long enough to tuck out of the way. If they are too short you won’t be able to arrange them neatly. Sometimes wireless is an option. With more and more devices supporting bluetooth and WiFi, you may be able to get rid of some wires simply by enabling the wireless settings.
- If you don’t have enough drawers. My current desk is large, but it is a sheet of glass over a metal frame. While it looks really cool, it doesn’t allow much in the way of storage. To compensate, I’ve brought in a dresser for storage. I also use bookshelves with a bunch of boxes with lids to help give me some more drawer like storage. I have a two drawer file cabinet that slides under my desk to help make better use of the space.
- Lighting. Make sure you have enough light on your desk. Maybe it is just me, but a bright work area is easier to keep clean than a dark one.
- Organize as you go. As we discussed the Iron Chef Fable, it is more efficient to stay organized as you work instead of trying to do it all at the end. You should be constantly working on keeping your desk neat. If it gets disorganized in the middle of a big project, take small steps. Clear a 1 foot by 1 foot area before you leave for the day. Make a small effort toward organization may not seem like much, but if you do it everyday, it will keep things headed in the right direction for you.
Originally published on April 12, 2007.
Productivity Links - 04/17/07
12 Tips for an Organized Desk - Productivity501 is a personal productivity blog that I recently discovered, and I very much enjoy. I have seen a consistent amount of very useful content. This article is my favorite, and it really hits the spot with my …
This is most helpful. The need to keep things I need in proximity, such as empty folders, is so simple but still enlightening! I can’t believe I’ve been keeping my empty folders in the closet on the opposite side of the room all this time…
Thanks for these nice tips. The tip to store frequently needed items closer is a good one, as well as to get rid of unused pens etc. I have my empty folders in a box on top of the bookshelf - it might be a good idea to move them closer.
Re: bundling wires.
Be sure to bundle power cables separate from data cables (USB, serial, Ethernet, etc) as the former can introduce interference in the latter, complicating things rather than simplifying.
@Pete - Thanks for your kind comments. I’m glad it was useful to you. I had a similar revelation a few weeks ago when I realized my phone was positioned so I had to stand to answer it. I had been standing to answer the phone for about a month before I finally realized what I was doing and moved the phone.
@Juha - I used to keep a empty folders in the front of my file cabinet (which was within reach of my desk). I’d keep 10 to 15 there ready to go and refill them from my storage closet whenever I ran out. My current desk has a place to keep the entire box within reach.
@Ernie- My current desk layout is such that they aren’t close together and most of my network uses wireless. However, that is an excellent point because interference problems are pretty tricky to troubleshoot–especially when you don’t expect them.
Great article Mark, thanks
I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve linked you on my blogroll over on my site
Kevin
Change your photo. You look like a munter.
I found a small mesh “box” at target that was sized for holding hanging files, and about 6 inches deep. I keep three hanging files in it (action, waiting, reference) and a bunch of manila folders. It stays by my desk as a mini-file cabinet. When a project is no longer active, I roll the 4 feet over to the real file cabinet and file it away. Keeps things at my fingertips and off my desk, like you said ;).
Great post. I like the about Scanning your documents, I might use it…
Thanks for the encouragement. I’m still experimenting with scanning documents. I generally use it for things that I may need access to on the road. I have a system that uses OCR and saves the image along with the text as a PDF, that way I can search my hard drive for a word and find it in the PDF document.
I’ve considered getting a sheet feeder scanner and trying to scan almost everything, but I haven’t decided if it is worth it or not.
We are a document scanning company in the UK and we have recognised that people don’t have the time to sit and scan all their own/business paperwork. We have started a new service where we can scan all your bits every month for you and all the pdf’s are available on line for you to do what you want with. I use 4 trays and efile-it and I am completely paperless now. All my notes are made on my palm or pc. This service is only available in the UK at the moment but there may be companies in the US that offer something similar.
@Sharon - Wow that is pretty interesting. I’m in the US so unfortunately I can’t try out your service, but I think it is a very good idea. How fast is your turn around time?
Great post, i made a translation in french of it I hope it isnt a problem.
Have a nice day,
I’m a developer, and for that reason I keep some things like file folders out of reach, actually in a cabinet that I have to walk to. Its not like I’m filing every hour so it forces me out of my chair, which is a good thing. But a pen, notebook and phone must be in reach (ideally without even looking).
These are terrific tips. I have moved to my 4th office in 8 months, and I am learning to keep things ready to pack at a moment’s notice. I now have a “web worker” job, but the desk I am at is not set up very well. I can use these tips to rearrange as best I can. Thanks!
Great article. I found that Staples has an organizer that is on the large size but sits in the corner of my desk - it’s called the Apprentice, and it holds my unused folders, pens, envelopes and even more in a neat, close at hand, but not in my face manner. It works wonders for me.
They seem like such easy tips, and yet so hard to live by. If nothing else, it’s made me realize that a kitchen table with no drawers does not make for an easy-to-organize desk. I need drawers, and lots of them.