1. Arrange your home office so that everything you need is within reach.
Take quick stock of all the equipment and supplies that you use many times a day - and don't forget things like the wastepaper basket. Put the wastebasket next to your desk and the printer within arm's reach of your chair. Keep a supply of printer paper and ink on a shelf behind you so you don't have to leave the office to get it - and can easily see when you're running low.
2. Strip your desktop to the bare essentials.
A cluttered desktop is an invitation to the gremlins that hide your most important papers. Your second step in getting organized - the first was re-arranging your home office - is to get everything off your desk except those things that you use every day. Those things include your computer, telephone, in-out mail bins and your current project. Everything else should have another home - and should be returned to it as soon as you're done using it.
3. Use drawer organizers to get your drawers neat and easy to use.
You should have a supply drawer for pens, pencils, paper clips, stamps and anything else that you use regularly. A drawer bin or organizer will help you keep those drawers organized so that you can easily find what you need within seconds.
4. File your papers the first time you handle them.
Don't let things collect on your desk. Decide where they go the first time you handle them. There should be three options - a project file, the outbox or the round file.
5. End each day by putting away.
At the end of the day, put away everything on your desk so that you come in to a clean desk in the morning. It will make it easy to stay organized, and to start work with a fresh perspective.
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