As seen on Dayton Daily News, January 31st, 2014
Some of you started the New Year writing down goals related to your career. Maybe you want to make more money, get a promotion or leave the office on time so you can have more personal time.
Getting your desk organized is an important step to help you attain your goals. You will also feel more confident and in control of your workday.
Start by sitting in your chair and extend your arms out in front of you. Leaving your arms extended, spin your chair around until you are facing your desk again. This area, the spaces you could touch without leaving your chair, is your prime desk area.
You should be storing only the items you use frequently in this prime area. In general, the items you use on a daily/weekly basis. Items used less frequently can be placed further from your reach in other areas of your office.
Now focus on the top of your desk. Think of your desk top as a work surface not a place to store items. Some of the things you currently have on your desk may not be needed to accomplish the projects you are currently working on.
Beginning at the left side of your desk top and working to the right, eliminate items that are not helping you reach your career goals. Extra office supplies, multiple coffee mugs, empty flower vases, promotional items picked up from trade shows, outdated paperwork and plants that are no longer thriving are items that should be removed.
It’s a good idea to remove items, such as a candy dish or hand sanitizer, from the top of your desk. Community items such as these attract co-workers, which interrupt your workday and decrease your productivity.
Once your desktop is organized, it’s time to tackle the drawers. Each drawer in your desk was designed with a purpose in mind.
The lap drawer should be used for office supplies you use everyday. Pens, paper clips, highlighters and Post-it notes are the types of items that work best in this drawer. It should not be crammed with papers.
The smaller drawers should be assigned different purposes so your work and personal items are not mixed together.
Use one drawer for additional office supplies such as extra staples, envelopes, small notepads and your business cards.
A second drawer can be use for your for personal items such as lip balm, hand lotion, medication, change for the vending machine and your car keys.
Keeping your personal and work related items separate will help you find the items you need more quickly.
Many of you are using your file drawers to store items like snacks, an umbrella and paper goods used for lunch. These items are needed, but not in your prime area.
Once those items are moved to other parts of your office, the file drawers can be used to store paperwork in labeled file folders. Therefore, eliminating the paper stacks on your desk.
I’m not suggesting you never have anything on your desk or even clean it off completely before you leave the office. Having an organized desk is about making sure the items at your fingertips are the ones that will help you reach the goals you set for yourself.
Organizing class
Lori Firsdon will teach an organizing class from 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday at the Brookville Library, 425 Rona Parkway, Brookville. It’s titled “Organizing Solutions for Parents.” For more information, call 937-496-8922.
View the PDF of Make your desk a productive partner here.