Home Office Organization 101
Whether you work out of a home office or not, you most likely have a space in your home where you store your office-related supplies. A kitchen nook, a desk in a bedroom, or even simply a filing cabinet may be how you take care of business, but no matter your current methods, there are ways to get your home office organized. If your home office is a makeshift space, the key is to create a flexible or even mobile system so you can seamlessly transition it from your workspace to the dinner table. Creating systems of organization in your office space, no matter where it may be, makes it easy for you to maintain and keep track of your belongings, so you can get down to business. And, having an organized home office can ultimately boost productivity and reduce stress! Because the nature of business can be so personal—at least in the way you operate to get work done—we always center our product and system choices for home office organization around our clients’ preferences, but the foundations remain consistent. To get your home office organized, it’s as simple as implementing our 5-step method:
Remove all contents from the space
This step can feel like the most overwhelming, and that’s because it’s the part where you see every single thing that lives in a space at a glance. But taking it all out is really the best (and only) way to see everything you own so you can survey and make educated decisions on what to keep, where to keep it, and how to store it. Be sure to wipe down all surfaces once they’re cleared!
Categorize & Sort
Once you’ve pulled everything out of your home office space, you can begin to identify the larger categories that make up its inventory and sort through your items, grouping like-items together. This step will require you to create categories that are unique to your specific routine, but here are some general categories we often work with:
Writing utensils
Small gadgets
Large gadgets
Paper products
Mailing products
Electronics
Filing
Photo albums
Memories
Books
Discard & donate
When you’ve removed all the items from a space and sorted them into categories, it’s time to decide what to discard or donate. If you’re not sure whether something should be donated or just tossed, here are some suggestions to consider when working through your home office items:
Unnecessary duplicates of writing utensils
Any writing utensils that are broken, out of ink, or missing lids
Empty or incompatible printer ink cartridges
Old electronics (backing up any pertinent files before discarding)
Filled notebooks (keeping any important notes before discarding)
Books you’ve read or haven’t opened for more than 2 years
Add organizational systems
Because no two home offices are alike, it’s hard to concretely map out zones based on proximity. Instead, we have a few rules of thumb for different types of storage that we rely on when organizing an office. As you do map out systems for your home office, think about your lifestyle and the flow of the space you’re in. Are you sitting here for 8 hours daily? Do you hand write or mostly type? Do you need a filing system? Is most of your office inventory not regularly used? The goal is to tailor the layout of your home office to your needs, so you can save time and energy daily. These are the Jeneral Guidelines I use to add organizational systems to any home office:
SHALLOW DRAWERS
Pens & pencils
Markers
Erasers
Glue
Paper clips
Calculators
Printer ink
SUPPLY CLOSETS
Cords & chargers
Printers
Scanners
Backstock office supplies
DEEP DRAWERS
Bulky devices
Printer paper
Lined paper
Notebooks
Binders
Files
DESKTOP
Relevant files
Action items
Calendar
Mail center
Command center
CABINETS & SHELVES
Staplers
Tape dispensers
Mailing supplies
Files
Photo albums
Memories
Here are our favorite products to use in the home office:
IN SHALLOW DRAWERS
IN DEEP DRAWERS
IN CABINETS & ON SHELVES
IN SUPPLY CLOSETS
ADDED STORAGE
Maintain
Once each item and category have a home in your home office, you will always know where to return them when done with use. When organizational systems are in place, it’s really hard not to maintain them, but it does require commitment, especially in an area that is so frequented. Remember, small daily habits make all the difference!
No matter how you decide to tackle your home office, what’s most important is that you choose systems that are going to work for your needs. It’s important to really think about how you operate in your office space as you zone, categorize, and select products. Also, if you’re looking to go digital and pare down your file/paper collection, check out our blog on doing a digital detox here.
For tips, tricks, product picks, and inspiration for home organization, make sure you grab your copy of Life in Jeneral if you haven’t yet and sign up for the LIJ Book Club! There’s a 70 page workbook with exercises to help you work through your emotional barriers and goals in relation to organizing, and of course, step-by-step guidance to do the work. For even more support and encouragement, follow along with the book club on our Instagram, too!