Easy Steps to Organize your Home Office

Organizing your home office doesn’t have to be difficult. With a little effort and the right system, you can easily make some organizational changes that will help you find everything and get more done. Here are some of the best ways to get your home office into shape.

1. Create a Filing System

If you’re the type of person who prefers paper documents instead of digital options, a filing system is essential for good organization. That doesn’t mean you can’t use a digital file system, of course. But if you have a lot of paper around, it’s even more vital that you create a system that lets you find things quickly.

2. Consider Color-Coded Options

Color-coding your files and important documents can help you see at a glance where everything is. If financial records are green, for example, and bills are red, you’ll easily be able to locate the folder you need and find the right documents fast. That lowers frustration, and raises peace of mind.

3. Make Use of Containers

There are always items in a home office that don’t really have a place to go. These are usually small items, and ones that have odd shapes. If you need a place to store those items, using containers can make it much easier to keep everything organized and looking neat and orderly. You’ll also be able to grab what you need efficiently, which is important when you’re working.

4. Keep Frequently Used Items Handy

Items you use often shouldn’t be put away where you can’t get to them quickly. That just takes more time out of your day, and makes it more frustrating for you to work in your home office. You can use containers, trays, or other organizational options to keep those frequently used items right where you can reach them.

5. Use the Space On Your Walls

Your walls aren’t just for artwork, or the latest soothing paint color. You can also use them to help organize your home office more easily. By putting up a mail station, small baskets, floating shelves, or other storage and organization options, you’re better able to see what you need and still have it neat and clean. Using wall space is a great opportunity to reduce clutter.

6. Divide Personal and Business Documents

Your personal and business documents are probably both in your home office. That makes sense, but doesn’t mean they should be mixed together. Keeping a separate file drawer for personal items is one of the ways to keep them separate. You can also have a separate filing cabinet or other storage option, so you aren’t mixing the two areas of your life.

7. Clean and Declutter as You Go

As you move through your home office to organize it, cleaning and decluttering at the same time means you won’t have to go back through it and clean or declutter afterward. By doing it all at the same time, your home office will be a great space to enjoy working in, and everything in it will be something you need and want to keep.