Let me guess.. you started working from home due to the pandemic and now you just can’t imagine yourself ANY. OTHER. WAY! If this sounds like you (or you have an office of any sort in any location) and you need to make your home office more permanent, this blog is for you! We are going to cover office organization from pencils to paperwork. Then make sure to catch my blog about maintenance so that once you’ve put all of the work in, you know how to keep it up as well!

First thing’s first, let’s go full Marie Kondo and categorize and declutter ALL. Pick out the few items you know you will need to keep working for a few days NOT in your office and let’s now deal with the rest. Clean out your space and make sure all surfaces and even the floor are cleared to be filled with all categories of office items. IF you plan on designing or decorating your space, DO THIS NOW. If you don’t, still “redesign” the energy by cleaning the space. Wipe down your baseboards, clean your screens and make sure everything is going back into a space that is fresh and ready.

NOW we get to the good part. Set aside a bag for trash and a place for any items you plan on giving away or recycling. Create zones in your office. For example, all paperwork will be categorized on your floor, all office supplies will be categorized on your desk. Now CATEGORIZE everything. Make separate piles for each category of paper. Don’t overthink it. If something belongs in two piles, put it in one, just pick it. Your brain will remember that it is in one of the two. Overthinking will lead to Perfection Paralysis, impending overwhelm and then quitting. It is better to get it done well than not at all for fear of a lack of perfection which, I hate to tell you, is not possible. I know I know, it’s hard to believe but there is no such thing as true lasting perfection but I’m here to tell you, forget about it. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, you should be doing well. Paper clips are all together, staple and letter opener are in a pile together for example, all tax documents are in a pile, etc.

You now know what you have and what you need so you are ready to create zones. Measure your spaces and decide what containers will best fulfill your needs. I often find that in home offices (or commercial), there is a fabulous closet space with ill-fitting shelving and much wasted space. My go-to solution for this problem is sending them to the custom shelving with customized accessories and liners from The Shelving Store. Get all the best deals on shelving, storage, and organizational essentials at The Shelving Store. I have to mention a few amazing things before proceeding. The custom shelf liners are not only attractive but allow you to store and easily access all things, including binders and books that would otherwise slip through the wires in the shelving. I also love their document holder that seamlessly hooks on to the shelving unit and would be ideal for current projects and often used, bulky items such as a portfolio. Shelf dividers are a must, as separation of items is key in organization. With proper shelving, you can finally take advantage of the depth and height of your fabulous unused closets and can keep your office space for JUST the hustling. I often say when pushing folks towards The Shelving Store that shelving is like skincare. You can get by with the cheap stuff but you can thrive with the good stuff. It will last longer and be much more durable as well.

Make sure you keep a spare space/drawer to put away all current projects at the end of the day so that you can go home or into the next room of your home, knowing that you are complete, finished and all work is put away. This will help your brain move on to the next and most important thing which is time with YOU and your loved ones. My favorite place to store current project and a small amount of just the most necessary office supplies is in desk drawers. Other than that, I like to keep as much on shelving as possible for easy viewing and access.
Below are my favorite containers for office space problem solving. Please check them out and give me a call if you need further direction and guidance!