Did You Know that Today is “Organize Your Home Office Day?”
Having a home office is a big deal these days, but for some, organizing it to fit your needs can be even more of a problem.
Most of us have very busy schedules whether it comes to managing your home, finances, your family’s activities and schedules, your college schedules, or even running a business.
Some of us may be blessed with a large home office while others may only have a corner in a room to work from. Either way, the key is to create an environment that is efficient and works for you and whoever else you share the space with. Whatever the size of your space, here are some very important things to keep in mind while organizing your home office.
1. Purpose
What are your goals for your space? What do you intend to accomplish there?
Do you pay bills? Manage your family? Run a business? Study?
How do you think you can accomplish your goals and needs for the space and achieve good results?
Write a list of things that you need to accomplish in your space. If you do more than one activity in your office, then write a separate list for each one, then you can proceed to the next step.
2. Functionality
Is your office capable of serving your purposes? Do you have the right tools to help you achieve your goals, like a computer, printer, fax, scanner, phone, shredder, filing cabinet, etc? Is everything fully operational?
Are you being practical about where they are placed or are you more concerned about the decorative aspect? Remember, when it comes to running a productive office, efficiency is more important than how things look. The big picture is not a perfectly clean and decorated office space, but one that functions properly.
3. Logistics
This is one of the most important aspects of organizing your office space. This is when you decide where everything needs to be placed. This may be the hardest part for most, because some may have a very small space with a lot to accomplish.
This is where you would take the time to examine your space and create the flow for the activities taking place there. Refer to the lists you created and come up with solutions that will help you accomplish each goal.
4. Other Considerations:
Here are some examples of things that you should take into consideration while planning your space:
Are you right or left-handed? What activities take place here? Do you have to create or produce products or services? From which direction does the traffic flow in and out?
This will help you decide where to put things like your telephone, filing cabinet, printer, in and out boxes, etc.
If you are right-handed, keep your phone to the left and vice versa.
If you have a small space, wall-mounted in-and-out boxes would be ideal.
Always keep your active files or in boxes at arm’s reach. If you don’t have a desk drawer, use a good desktop organizer for miscellaneous items like paper clips, staplers, etc.
Your printer should be kept as close as possible as well as your most commonly used filing cabinet. Rolling open filing drawers are also great to move around the room or hide if need be.
5. Don’t Forget Storage.
Another thing to plan for would be storage for supplies. If you have a small space, you can always use a space in a closet; otherwise, your drawers and cabinets are just fine.
Establish a place to keep trash and recycling. If you have a family, keep an in-box for each person and label them accordingly. Keep a main in and out box for mail and separate inboxes for your business or school work.
Putting all of these things in place not only gives you a place for all the paper when it comes in but also creates good flow and functionality. Just remember to refer to your list and create a place for everything you need to accomplish your goals.
If things don’t work right, don’t give up or get frustrated. It’s okay to keep moving things around until you create your ideal workspace. Even the pros know that!
6. Personality
What is your personality type? Are you a Visual, Auditory, or Kinesthetic person (hands-on)?
A visual person might get distracted by things on the desk and keep them from getting their work done, yet they still like to see things or post things for reminders. Desktop file organizers and bulletin boards are great for this type of person.
Auditory personalities may get distracted by sounds or noises, so having a quiet place to work free from distractions would be ideal, yet they also work better if they have someone to bounce ideas off of. A good tape recorder comes in handy for someone like this who needs reminders of things to do or takes notes.
The Kinesthetic person is the one who probably needs more workspace and doesn’t mind having piles here and there. These are the ones that are more able to multitask and like to do things on their own. I would keep plenty of notepads available for taking notes.
Some of you may have characteristics of all three types.
7. Comfort and Style
Last, but definitely not least, establish a comfortable workspace that fits your personal style.
Choose appropriate lighting: Do you like it dim sometimes, but brighter at others? A lamp would be ideal for someone who likes a little less lighting.
Make sure that you have a comfortable chair. This might keep you from getting pain in your back or neck and help you sit for longer periods of time.
Surround yourself with things that you love, like pictures, favorite quotes, plants, books, etc.
Buy office supplies that fit your personal style and paint your space to make it feel cozier.
All of these things will help you want to be in your office more thus, help you to become more productive and efficient in your workspace.
Looking for more great reads? Check out these related articles:
- Starting the Journey to Organized Home Office Bliss
- Simply Organized: Seven Tips to Boost Workplace Productivity
- Americans Spend the Equivalent of 4 Days Every Year Looking for Things
- How to Organize All of Your Creative Ideas
- Workspace Organizational Tips & Inspiration
- Finding Your Unique Organizing Style for Your Business
