Organizing a Cluttered Office

It's time to clean the office when there is so much clutter that only one person will fit in the room and you can't find a spot to set your coffee cup. Yes, for those of you who are tsk,tsking my awful cluttered mess, take a look around. Could your room use a little TLC too?

Start with a huge black trash bag and the most obvious piece of furniture in the room...your desk. Clean it off! Don't think too long about each item you pick up or you will never get rid of anything. I use a black trash bag for cleaning so that when the item is discarded, I can't see it again, and neither can my family. Out of sight, out of mind. Keep the computer and the essentials like, in/out files, note cards and calendar but remove all the clutter. You do not need little Billy's forgotten building blocks, 30 coffee cups or coupons that have been expired for six months. If you don't want to throw something away put it into a laundry basket until you can decide where it's new home will be. Once the desk is cleared you may actually have a surface you can dust.

The bookshelves are next. If you only have books on your bookshelves, you are ahead of the game. My bookshelves are crammed with books, magazines, folders, notebooks, containers and too wide a variety of things to list. My bookshelves will still need to function for more than books but as I look it over, I realize there are, of course, numerous things that can go. Files need to go in a file cabinet and unnecessary books need to go elsewhere in the house. Outdated magazines can be discarded. If your magazines have usable articles, tear them out and file them before tossing them. If you have an abundance of containers like I do on your bookshelves, go through them and discard what you don't need. You may even rethink what you put in them.

If you have gotten this far and are still overwhelmed by the clutter in your office, don't give up. Your local discount store is brimming with organizational ideas. One of my favorites is stackable plastic drawers. They come in many different sizes to fit what ever need you have. If you already have some, go through them to organize. Stack more drawers on top if needed. They even have miniature ones for stacking on shelves.

Now you are getting close to the finish line. Go through any excess piles or boxes that have accumulated and if you have a bulletin board, clean it off. The main thing to remember is, if it doesn't belong in your office get it out.

Ahh...now you have room to sit down a coffee cup.