Organizing messy desks - your questions answered, part 2

In case you haven't read part 1, here's the link. 

Question:  How we do organize the typical office clutter?

Some of the tips have already been covered in a previous blog post - so read that first.  

Calendars

Find a calendar that you can stick up on your cubicle walls, rather than one that takes up space on your desk.  Get one that shows several months on one page, so you don't end up flipping to and fro all the time. 

Books and notes

For paper notes, put them in a ring file.  Try not to place the ring file on your desk.  Some offices may provide a small cupboard in your cubicle, or a ledge underneath your desk.  Make full use of that. 

As for books, try to see if they can fit into your drawer (binder side up) or a set of shelves.  If not, limit them to a particular area of your desk by using book ends as boundary markers.  When the area is full, practice the one-in-one-out rule - a new book cannot be accommodated unless an old one is removed.  If you have too much, donate them to the local library - they may need it more. 

Snacks

Put them all into a snack box and keep it in your drawer or on a shelf.  You may leave a few out (in a jar or a small Tupperware) for colleagues who drop by your desk for a chat, but keep the rest.  Refill the jar or Tupperware when it runs low. 

Bags or shoes

Hang your bag on a bag hook.

Get some transparent stackable shoe boxes for the high heels that you use occasionally when going for meetings. 

For the office, it is not necessary to buy fancy storage equipment.  Simple items work best. 

Question:  The idea is to have a clean desk, not a sterile one.  So how can we add some personal touch to our desks, without being in danger of cluttering it up? 

Instead of using the top of your desk, go vertical.  Use the cubicle walls, shelves (if there are), the fat top of cubicle walls, the top of your stationery pedestal, hooks, etc.  Anything but the top of the desk.  Make use of shelf-height extenders and under-shelf hanging baskets to maximize the space.  

One trick is to set physical boundaries for your personal items.  For example, limit them to 1 shelf.  When shelf space runs out, it cannot (and must not) take over another section in your cubicle.  Instead, every time you put in something new, an older item must be removed.

Remember, less is more.  Having less space helps us to decide which personal items are the closest to our heart.  Having just a few items on a shelf makes them stand out, instead of being buried among other superfluous ones.  

If you have furry objects, do give them a good tumble in the washer and dryer every 1-2 months, because they accumulate dust and can cause you to fall sick. 

Have a burning question about organizing your cubicle/desk at work, and haven't found the answer yet?  Drop us a note at info(at)edits-inc(dot)com.