Today I decided to work on my office/desk area, for the organization challenge. Yesterday, while organizing the linen closet, I was in my office area and realized it needed some love.

I’ve always had a designated, and even organized, office space. Between college, or trying new business ventures, or homework stations, we’ve always needed the space. For some reason, I’ve never really organized the one at this house. I don’t know if it’s because I just don’t like it or what. Because I’ve never organized it, the clutter has just been building up.

As always, I took everything out. This turned into a hot mess, and I was dreading it about five minutes in. Next time, I may just empty one shelf at a time. How you do it, is up to you. Just make sure you eventually remove everything and go through items one at a time. This is truly the best way to really know what you have and what you can get rid of.

Office desk organization tips:

Test all writing utensils.

Yes, I know how tedious this sounds. And it is. But I HATE reaching for a pen, especially when I am in a hurry, only to find it doesn’t work. Take a few minutes and just make sure what you have, works. You’ll probably find it much easier to pitch a pen that doesn’t write 🙂 If you have littles, throw away any broken crayons or markers without caps.

Let go of what you don’t use.

I find that as I go through every little item, I realize how many items I am holding on to, but I never use. Like why do I have 20 highlighters? I am not in college anymore and my teenagers never use them. Same thing applies to all of the office supplies I have purchased over the years. If I haven’t used them in a year, it’s time for them to go. If you have older kids, ask them what they still use. My 16-year-old went through her stuff today, and finally let go of old pencils and markers. I think it is good for them to be a part of the process.

Group like items together.

This is how I organize my life, and office supplies are no exception. Over the years I have used bins, bags, jars and drawers, to put like items together. Find a system that works for you. It doesn’t need to be fancy. It just needs to be accessible. Got old mason jars you couldn’t let go of in the kitchen purge? Why not throw your pencils in one? I have definitely done this before! Most of mine are currently in large Ziploc bags. That is probably where they will stay until we move. It’s not fancy, but for now, it works.

Purge or file all paperwork.

Paperwork tends to build up in our office space. I try to do this step once a week, in order to make my life easier. I don’t hold onto paperwork. Once the bill has been paid, I toss it. If it’s a card from a friend, I file it. I will get into this a little more later on in the month, as I organize my paperwork. Today, let’s just clear off our desk/office space. If you have paperwork that you want to keep but you don’t know how to file or organize, set them aside. We will get to them.

The results aren’t that fancy nor are they that impressive, but I know where all my stuff is now. Plus, I no longer have pens that don’t write. I will call that a win! See you tomorrow 🙂