If it’s hard to get anything done at your desk these days, there’s probably one simple explanation for that: all the clutter. In a past survey, nearly half of the 2,000 office workers surveyed said an untidy workplace makes them less productive while simply cleaning up and putting things away instantly increases their productivity.
The same can go for you. Learning how to organize your desk for productivity can help you fly through your to-do list like a champ, and here are three simple things you can do to get started.
3 Ways to Organize Your Desk for Productivity
1. Give Everything a Place
To avoid clutter and keep your desktop clear, make sure everything has a place. Get a desk organizer that holds your pencils, post-its, stapler, and other things you use regularly, and purchase a drawer organizer to hold the things you don’t use as often. There’s also paper sorters to prevent piles of paper from building up.
2. Have a Paper Sorting System
Speaking of paper, it’s by far one of the biggest sources of desk clutter. In a past webinar for Intuition, Lucy Milligan Wahl, the professional organizer behind LMW Edits, said the best way to deal with an overflow of papers is to categorize each piece into three places: records (things you keep in your filing cabinet), action items (things you keep for now), or the recycling bin (things you get rid of). Once you have a system going, it will help you prevent papers from taking over your space.
3. Keep Distractions Out of View
If you want to be super productive, organize your desk in a way that limits distractions. One of the easiest ways you can do this is to keep technology—aside from your computer, of course—in a drawer instead of setting it on your desk. If you have a special place to put your phone, iPad, and other distractions away while you’re working, you’ll get a lot more done.
