There's hope for your home office

We all have a home office of some sort. A place set aside to pay bills, plan an upcoming event, fill out a birthday card, and more. 

It can be anything from a large room with a built-in desk and bookshelves, to a corner of the kitchen table and a drawer housing important papers. Whatever it looks like, a designated workspace can help your life run smoother. 

If your home office could use a reset, first take a good look at your desk area. If it’s not a place where you can get work done, generate great party ideas, or hatch a plan to rule the world, then it's time to dive in with these four easy-to-follow steps:

1. Roughly sort items into the Big 3 – Keep, Toss and Elsewhere. The Keep pile is for important papers and items you need. The Toss pile can be subdivided into Recycle, Shred and Trash. The Elsewhere pile contains items that should not be on your desk at all – items that belong to others or should be stored in another location.
   

2. Clean the desk surface, computer monitor, and keyboard with dusting spray or sanitary wipes, and compressed air.
   

3. Place items you need regularly (pens, stapler, notepad etc.) within reach on the desk or in a shallow drawer. Use drawer organizers and containers as needed.
   

4. File reference papers and pass along papers that should live permanently with others. Paperwork that remains should be what you are currently working on or items needing action. Consider using a desktop file box to manage incoming mail and papers going forward. 

Once you've conquered the desk surface move on to the piles on the floor, drawers, shelves, whiteboard, and more. Take a break after 45 minutes and assess how you are feeling. If you are done working for the day, schedule another time on your calendar to continue clearing the space. 

Finally, once a month take a few minutes to review your home office setup and go through the steps above again if needed.