As temperatures begin to creep back above zero and the ground begins to thaw from the long winter months, many people do a thorough spring cleaning to spruce up their home and living areas. Since many people spend more of their waking hours in their office than they do with their families, it makes sense to give the office the spring cleaning treatment as well.
With the new work at home environment that so many of us are now used to, we need to make sure our home offices are organized and a place we want to work in every day. Here are a few tips American Dream Management Team says could help you keep your home work space some place you want to go into daily.
Get rid of clutter
Anything you haven’t used in more than six months can probably be removed from your desk. Go through your paperwork and make three piles – trash, files, and things that need to be dealt with. File the papers in the pile and store them in your desk drawers or somewhere where you can access them easily. Throw out what you don’t need and shred anything in the trash pile that should be kept confidential. Lastly, go through the pile that needs to be addressed and prioritize them with a to-do list.
Any old magazines or catalogs that have been lying around on your desk, toss them or recycle them. File all the business cards you have collected – or scan them into your computer and create a contact list to rid yourself of the clutter. Throw out old calendars and loose post-it notes that you no longer need.
Surface area
Remove everything from your work area and dust the surface. As you replace things, dust them off as well. Lift up your computer and printer and clean the area underneath them. Check corners for cobwebs and dust. Dust all bookshelves and books and remove anything you no longer need in the process.
Do some spring cleaning in your inbox
Go through your inbox and clear out any emails that are outdated or ones you no longer need. Tons of emails in your inbox can cause your computer to run slowly which takes away from your efficiency. In addition, go through the files stored on your computer, and remove any folders and files you do not access regularly. Back up the files and store them in a CD or thumb drive instead. Your computer will run faster and you will get more work done as a result.
Once you have finished clearing the clutter from your office, you should feel refreshed and ready to get some work done! Treat yourself to a nice plant or office decoration that will spruce up your workstation.
