Expert Q&A for How to Organize Your Office

Try to come up with an efficient system for organizing and storing things. The easier it is to put away supplies and papers, the more likely you are to stay organized. Shelves and drawers are usually better than stackable containers since they're easier to access.

Create a vision of your ideal office space. Asses your current space by taking note of what's not working and what is working. Choose your selection criteria based on your vision. Break your small office down into categories, e.g., books, papers, office supplies, electronics, job-specific items, personal care items, food, and sentimental. Category by category, sort the items into sub-categories if necessary, decide what to keep, and then store what remains by using bins and boxes, making sure that everything can be seen at a glance.

Aim to discard as much as possible. Discard documents that you can access elsewhere. File the remaining papers in as few folders as possible based on when you can get rid of them, not based on topic (e.g., papers that can be kept once you complete an action, papers that need to be kept for a limited amount of time, and papers that you need to keep forever). Shorten the file names based on your preferences.

Once you have decided what you would like to keep and you have given everything a home, create a habit of putting things away after you are done using them. Only acquire items that are in alignment with your goals, make sure to create a home for any new items that you acquire, and continue to discard items once their purpose has been fulfilled.