How to organize your desk for maximum productivity

Organization, Productivity

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For a lot of people, their desks are only organized at one period of time: the moment they just cleaned them. As soon as they sit to actually use it and get some work done, it is back to the mess that it was before.

This could be frustrating; nobody has the time to rearrange their desk every time they use it, so the clutter just builds.

Studies show that you are more inclined to focus and be productive on a clean, organized desk than on a cluttered one.

In this post, we will focus on two areas you can focus on to organize your desk for maximum productivity:

  • The first step is to tackle clutter and keep your desk tidy all the time.
  • The next step is a list of a few things you can do to boost your productivity.

Without further ado,

Here’s how to tackle clutter and keep your desk tidy all the time.

Place a shelf above or beside your desk

The first point on how to organize your desk for maximum productivity is to place a shelf above or beside your desk.

This tip is helpful if you are a student or are doing research where you have to go through a lot of books and textbooks.

With this shelf, the books you are working on won’t take up space on your desk and will prevent you from having piles of them on your desk. It frees up more space for work.

You can also place binders there if you have more papers than books. Just make sure you’re only putting books and binders related to projects you are working on at that moment.

Go paperless (or semi-paperless)

Thanks to technology, we don’t have to use paper for everything. There are different apps and programs that would simplify and make your life easier.

You can scan paper files and store them in note apps like OneNote or Evernote. One of the benefits of these apps is the ability to sync files across all your devices.

You can also opt for an iPad if you are considering going paperless, as it is highly recommended by most people who use it.

The iPad has fantastic note-taking and organization apps that you can take notes on, save your files on and plan your day. Using one will eliminate the need to use any paper or book.

If you are more of an android person, you can find apps that will make going paperless on your tablet easy.

That said, go through all your files and stacks of paper (it would amaze you how useless some of them are) and figure out which ones are better off as digital files and scan them.

Get drawer organizers/dividers for desk drawers

Drawer organizers are some of my favorite tools for organization. This is because they simplify organization in ways I cannot stress enough.

They split your drawer into smaller compartments, so each item has its own space, which makes it easy to place things back in their designated space after using them.

They will help keep your desk clean, tidy, and organized all the time.

Use mugs and little containers to store supplies

Use mugs or holders for your pens. This makes it easy to keep them organized in the same place. That way, when you are done with them, you can easily place them back where you took them from.

You could also use little containers to store paper clips, rubber bands, and other types of clips and stationery items.

This will prevent you from having them all over the place on your desk.

Keep a bin close by

Keep a bin close by where all the crunched-up paper and dirt from your desk goes immediately.

Instead of keeping that paper you don’t need anymore and risking it piling up, crunch it or shred it and throw it in the bin.

This also includes wraps of snacks you were munching on. Get rid of them immediately.

Use one binder to house every paper you are working on

My final tip for targeting clutter is to have a binder on your desk where you put every paper you are to work on into. This includes assignments, mails, and whatever document you are supposed to file or work on.

The trick is to use just one binder. That way, you are forced to work on the documents in it when it starts getting full.

This also keeps all the assignments and tasks you are supposed to work on in one place. Making it easy not to forget the tasks that need your attention.

Whatever these documents are that you are to work on, don’t take them out of the binder until you are done with them.

Having tackled clutter, the next thing we are going to talk about are simple things to do to boost your productivity.

Place your desk away from distractions

The position of your desk is very important for focus. You should place it in a place with fewer distractions.

You can place it to face a wall or window rather than the entrance to the room.

Your desk should be away from the noisy part of your house. So you can focus easily and get work done when you settle down to work.

Keep it minimal

If you want to organize your desk for maximum productivity, you should consider keeping it minimal.

Set up your desk space to be minimal and functional. Keep only the things you need to decrease clutter and reduce the space looking busy.

You want your workspace to look tidy and clean with less cluttered. If you’ve got too much decor on your desk, it can be a source of distraction.

Making your desk space minimal will give you a feeling of calm which is beneficial for your ability to focus. This is better than being overly stimulated with so much going on on your desk.

Place everything you need within reach

Make sure everything you need is within reach, so you don’t have to keep getting up when you are working. This will disrupt your flow of work.

You want to place everything you need to work within your desk area so you can just sit and work for as long as you need to.

Also, getting up constantly will make it a little more difficult to get back to work again.

Use a comfortable chair

I believe a comfortable desk chair is one of the few things that are worth investing in. Your comfort when sitting down for hours to work would affect your overall experience.

A comfortable chair doesn’t have to be expensive. You can find one for your budget.

You don’t want to have aches every time you sit down to work for hours. This can increase fatigue and your stress level overall.

Bright light

Place your desk in a place with access to bright light and, if possible bright color paint on the walls.

The bright light has an effect on your mood.

You want to feel cheerful and not gloomy when you sit down to get work done.

The absence of bright light could be the reason why you are always in a slump when you are trying to get work done.

Place your motivation on the wall

The final point in this post on how to organize your desk for maximum productivity is to place motivation on your wall.

I have found that placing motivation on the wall around your desk could be a good source of motivation. This is especially true when you are struggling with work.

Whatever your motivation is, it could be pictures of your loved ones, things symbolic of where you want to be, and goals you want to achieve. Print them out and stick them on your wall.

This will also be a good place to place your vision board.

Ready to create a productive workspace?

There you have it! You have come to the end of this post on how to organize your desk for maximum productivity.

You might also like these posts on productivity:

To recap, we mentioned some tips on how to tackle clutter and keep your desk tidy all the time. Then we talked about things you can do to boost your productivity.

I hope you find this post helpful and are motivated to improve your desk setup so you can increase your productivity and get things done with less hassle.

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