So many great items are available today to help create the organized office that even the most untamed of spaces can be brought under control! Take a few minutes to walk through an office supply store and peruse all of the fun items that you can use to spruce up your office. I always recommend the basics and then show my clients how to build on them to create their perfectly organized and personalized office space at home.

Basics include:
• Filing space (minimum two drawers)
• Hanging filing folders with tabs
• Colored file folders
• Drawer organizers with several small slots for pencils, pens and other supplies
• Tape dispenser
• Stapler
• Bookcase
• Magazine holder
• File trays or file rack
• Overhead lighting, along with a desk lamp
• Paper shredder
• Pictures and awards

You should start with your filing drawers. I always recommend color-coding the files to hang within the hanging file folders. Pick one color per purpose – for instance, green for personal and yellow for business.

I also recommend if space allows (minimally, two drawers) to designate one for personal and the other for business. It is so much easier to instantly know whether the file on the desk is business or personal, and then where it needs to be re-filed. Colored folders also make filing more fun and less overwhelming as you know instantly where the folder belongs.

Next, you will need a small drawer organizer which has several slots for organizing paperclips, binder clips, rubber bands, sticky notes, stapler remover, extra pencil/pens, etc. This will help tidy your drawers and permits easy access to frequently used items.

People can feel very close to their books. Ask someone to give up one of their beloved books and you would think you were asking for them to give up a child. Most people have many books on an array of subjects. Displaying books can give you a sense of pleasure and confidence, as you can name all that you have read and which ones you highly recommend to your friends. It is nice to have books at your fingertips when needed for business reference or simply to unwind for a few minutes.

Leave a few areas where you can buy small decorative baskets to put on the shelf. These types of baskets can hold a multitude of miscellaneous items, such as cameras, cords, extra offices supplies, printer ink, etc., as you may not have room for these items in your drawers. You also will need at least one or more magazine holder to put on the shelf. This will house all of your catalogs and magazines.

A desktop filing trays and/or filing rack is a must. You always will have items on which you are working that need to be readily available until you have completed the task. A filing tray or rack allows you to keep them organized on your desk so the file remains accessible and serves as a reminder of what you must do. Use one filing tray for all the incoming items.

I recommend a few different colored file folders for the important tasks in your life. Examples: red for “Bills to pay,” blue - “Reference/Reading materials,” orange - “Banking,” purple - “To do,” etc. Using colored file folders for these types of items is helpful so that when sorting mail or handling emails or banking, you will have a file folder for such items until you have completed the task and can file it in your drawers. You may want to keep several of these colored file folders on your desk to remind you of what you need to do.

Lighting is a critical element to which you should give some consideration. I recommend overhead lighting and desk lights. Overhead lightning is important to allow seeing into filing cabinets, bookcases, etc., and the desk light is necessary for working on your computer or paperwork. If you have windows, you will not need the lighting all times, but when it is dark outside, adequate lighting is a necessity.

One cannot be too careful when disposing of paperwork with personal information. I recommend shredding all paper with any types of account numbers, Social Security numbers, mail-in offers or banking items. When you have a shredder in your office, it is easy to properly dispose of items instead of just throwing them away.

Decorate your office with a few bright uplifting pictures that you love. They will help you to be more creative. Hang awards or certificates that you have received on your walls to remind you of your accomplishments. Keep your personal photographs to a minimum; those should be displayed throughout your house.

Extra paper can be stored in a drawer if you have room, and if not, on the shelf of the bookcase.

Setting up your office to be creative and productive can be fun. Don’t think of it as a daunting task, think of it as putting your signature on your productive space, and make it reflect your personality.

HAVE FUN WITH IT!