If you are a remote worker, your home office should be organized in a way that helps to stay productive and efficient with no distractions. A well-organized home office contributes to a more productive and stress-free working experience.
A home office should also encourage a positive state of mind. One of the things that can help you stay organized is how you keep your files organized, how well you communicate with your clients, keeping track of your bookkeeping, and so on. When you look for something that you can't find, it adds to your stress levels and can make you less productive. It is essential that you file every week and keep things neat and organized to find them later.
Plan on How You Will Organize Your Things
It is essential that before you clean up your desk, you know where to put everything. In short, you must have a place for everything. When you have several papers on your table, for example, you have to decide if this is for filing or shredding (trash).
Once you have filed all the necessary documents, you need to identify each file’s retention period. This depends on how long you're required to keep your documentation.
Scan and Organize Everything
Organizing things in your home office does not stop once everything is filed. The next step is to revisit the files and see if you need to keep them or not.
If some of them are still necessary for filing, scanning, or photographing them and making sure to have a backup of these files unless you must have some of them on paper. There are new ways that can help store files online.
Tame Your Cables
Do you always trip over on various wires and cables in your home office? Having too many exposed cables is not only a tripping hazard but it’s also a fire hazard.
To reduce the number of wires, invest in a wireless device, like a mouse, keyboard, or printer. But if the cables cannot be eliminated completely, better to look for a cable clip organizer. Many cable organizers can help cords and wires stay in place and out of your way.
Relocate Personal Items
Since you are working from home, it is best to sort out personal things and office-related stuff. Take away all the unnecessary things for your job to avoid distractions and place them in your living room, bedroom, etc.
Keep Your Computer Desktop Clean
Your desk and filing cabinets are not the only parts of your office that need decluttering. Your computer also needs a good cleaning. Organize your computer files by having folders for each category.
For instance, there should be a folder for your files, one for accounting files, a folder for monthly reports, etc. Keeping your computer files organized, similar to your filing cabinet and desk. Like throwing out old paper and documents, get rid of any files you are no longer using. If data is no longer relevant or necessary, clear them out, and delete.
It is also essential to clean your email inbox, create folders to store messages by topic, sender, or date. Go through old messages and delete anything that you don't need. Back up old files through external drive or online storage service.
Stop Hoarding Unnecessary Equipment
One of the reasons why a workspace gets so cluttered is because we hoard and keep things we no longer need. Other things that need to be thrown away are used pens, old magazines, and newspapers. These items can still be recycled. An organized home office cannot be done overnight, and it needs careful planning. Plus, a disorganized office can contribute to a lot of stress. Getting organized can pay off as this can make a more productive and stress-free worker.
ColourYour Filing System
A functional office has a well-organized filing system. Time spent searching for misplaced documents or files is primarily caused by improper filing. If you have a colour-coded filing system, it increases data accuracy, making it easy to find them. When you have organized file folders with colour-coded file labels, it makes your operation more efficient and productive.
Assigning colours or numbers to your filing equipment will allow you to find files quicker. It helps your mind associate with the colours rather than having black and white name labels. It saves time and reduces the misplaced files.
Conclusion
Having a more efficient system to keep track of the essential papers and appointments can help minimize stress. So, tidying up your house will not only make you feel better, but it will also make you more productive.
Keeping things organized in your office may seem impossible sometimes, especially if you have a lot of paperwork to sort, pens and pencils and other storage boxes you’ve meant to sort out but didn’t get to. The best way to go around it is to start small.
Finally, clean and sort a small cabin or drawer, do a digital cleaning on your computer and simply gather the courage to throw out the things you no longer use. If you follow these tips, you’ll see positive changes in time, and you’ll ultimately feel more productive.
