Welcome to the 30-Day Organize-athon!
In today’s 5 minutes we’re going to express-declutter your desk, den, study, or home office area.
Let’s start.
Day 15: Declutter Your Home Office
Step 1: Grab a large garbage bag.
Step 2: Quickly making your way around your desk, den, study, or home office area, toss these items into the bag as you go:
- School or college notes and texts – unless you just graduated they’re likely to be out of date
- Equipment you don’t use – such as a 2-hole punch if you use 3-ring binders
- Excess stationery you won’t use this decade
- Knickknacks that provide no meaning, beauty or inspiration
- Reading piles you’ll never get to – which, let’s face it, means most reading piles
- Books you’ll never read
- Old computer or software manuals
- Birthday, Christmas and greeting cards – unless they’re genuinely special to you
- Outdated printers, scanners, fax machines (check for disposal info with your local council)
- Defunct phones, computers, cells, PDAs etc. (ditto)
- Abandoned projects and hobbies and the various accompanying supplies, storage containers, etc.
- Old notebooks not needed for reference
- Old lamps, chairs and other equipment in poor condition
- Doubles of staplers, hole punches, scissors, rulers, etc.
- Any item you haven’t used in the past 12 months
- Anything broken, yucky, tatty, or inconsistent with your standards of professionalism, especially if you work from home.
Step 3: Put your bag by the door or take it straight out to the car. (Take it to the tip as soon as you can.)
Step 4: If there’s something genuinely valuable in there, put it into a separate charity store bag. If it doubt, don’t over-analyze – toss it.
And you’re done!
Got an Extra 5 Minutes?
- Return items that don’t belong in the home office area to the proper place – the kids’ bedrooms, the living room, the kitchen, etc.
- Neaten anything else that lives in the home office area.
- Straighten the desk and wipe it down.
- Pop a cushion on the chair to make it more comfortable.
Now don’t you feel like doing some work here?
The 30-Day Organize-athon Mantra
Move fast. Don’t overthink. Let it go!
Leave Your Comment Below…
Pleave your comment below to say you’ve completed today’s task.
See you tomorrow!
[Image by aussiegall]
Already done!
A huge task. I am so late too bed although am heading off with my folder and hole punch, this will keep me busy for a few weeks with the businesses. A much needed task. Thank you for making a huge difference to my life Michelle. Blessings. I may not consistently Blog at this time although I look everyday and are kept busy with behind tasks I am thoroughly acheiving and have made a huge difference to this day. Much more time with my children and I can actually use the word CLARITY. I haven’t been able to use this before.
Heather
FYI: done all 15 so far.
Done! This one is easy. The home office is hubby’s domain. I don’t touch it – I’ve passed the assingment on to him!
This is by far the hardest task so far!! My office is the catch all for things I don’t have a place for. What a god-send today’s task is!! I hve boxed up a ton of stuff to donate, yard sale, etc. Hopefully this organizational effort will keep me on the path of declutter in this space. Thank you!!
This one took some time, but glad it’s done.
It was a start! Meaning, the pile’s lower than it was.
Done all days…. this one in particular, my half of the office is done, leaving the hubby’s half for him!! “)
done all of them so far. house is more clutter free every day. Thanks
All done. Took the extra 5 min also finish up the DVD organizing from last week, and refine the action pile from yesterday.
@Sarah: All the best for Monday! ♡♡♡
done & done! woohoo!
done…well i did the 30 mins…after the kids go down for a nap I’ll be back.
Woo-hoo, done!
Need to get as much done as possible this weekend (including office). Being induced on Monday!
All 15 days complete!
I’ve been working on my home office one hour per day, three times a week, as it is the hub of my business, closing files from 2010 now that taxes are completed.
Thanks for all of the great tips!
Aah that looks so much better.
done – all 15 days.
This one was easy as I dont have an office. Just a desk and since it is in the main living area, it has to be kept pretty clutter free.
Did a little bit more cleaning there though and it looks great
I had cleaned out so much, I had to request a donation pick up. Thanks for the tips!!