How Do I Organize My Home Office?
Today almost every home includes an office. It may simply be an area where the family pays bills and stores financial records, or it may be where someone in the household actually goes to work each day. Whatever the particulars of how your home office is used, keeping it organized is key to making it productive. Here are four ways to keep your home office running smoothly.
How to create an organized office?
The most important basic step in organizing your home office is having a place for everything and putting everything in its place. Because a home office is often an improvised space that isn’t big enough or was never designed for office use, this can take some creativity.
Group items by their functions. Keep extra paper near the printer. Have long-term files but maintain desktop baskets or racks for things that are actively being used.
How do you declutter an office?
So many things accumulate in an office just because we’re not sure immediately if they need to be kept. They are left on the desktop while we figure out if they’re needed, but by that time they’re buried under other things and never get disposed of.
Take a few minutes once a week to evaluate everything and throw out or file everything that is no longer needed or is out of date. The same goes for that jammed stapler or that bent three-ring binder; if you can’t repair them, toss them.
How do I stop my cords from tripping me?
It seems that electrical outlets, phone jacks, and ethernet ports are never where they need to be, leaving us to run cords all over the office to keep everything connected. Soon we’re tripping over cables, which can cause injuries to us or damage to our equipment.
A good first step is to buy longer cords so that they can be run along the walls instead of across the floor. It’s also helpful to purchase some simple items that will gather cords together and keep them in place. It’s generally not a good idea to cover them with rugs because cables can be damaged by foot traffic or rolling chairs.
How do you keep your phone cord from tangling?
There is probably no more frustrating mess than a spaghetti-like wad of phone cords and other cables tangled together under a desk or behind a file cabinet. These messes aren’t just unsightly. They can also make it difficult to relocate the phone or install new equipment. Over time, the constant pulling and shifting of the cords can lead to wear and tear on the cable, plugs, and jacks, causing malfunctions and costly repairs.
The root of this problem has two parts. First, there is always extra cord, and second, the wires can move around too easily. Getting those two problems under control requires careful installation on day one so that the cords never get the chance to tangle.
Conclusions
You should see three basic ideas here about creating an organized office: Good planning, the right equipment, and good management. There is no reason for power cords, phone lines, or internet cables to turn your home office into a chaotic scene. Instead, some simple cable management devices can not only keep your cables where they belong but also keep them from getting damaged.
With a good management strategy that you faithfully follow, you can keep a home office organized and functioning efficiently. You’ll have a more productive and enjoyable place to work, whether it’s for writing up this month’s water bill or sending out a quote for a big sale.
Originally published at https://www.bluekeyworld.com on March 26, 2020.
