Does your desktop need a makeover? Do you need to organize your desk and need a little inspiration?
Our desk in the front living room became the landing for all things. And by all things I mean, pie plates I needed to return to an owner, who obviously has not baked a pie in weeks. Our desk had puzzle pieces, coupons, hats, mail and… You name it, it has been placed there over the course of the last two weeks. While I’ve had busy teaching coupon classes in the evening, the organization of our home imploded.
The desk was the most disorganized area in the house. We don’t use this room, and so therefore anything we didn’t know what to do with – well it went there.
Besides needing a clean-up, we needed a system. The key to organization is not only to clean up the mess, but to create a place to organize what more than likely, may end up there again. (Except, of course, pie plates.) You need a system and a new habit to keep the mess from coming back.
5 Steps to Desktop Organization
Step 1: Identify the problem
Our desk became the landing place for all things paper. (Keeping it real!) My husband would walk into the house with the mail, throw it on the desk and run to play with the kids. I don’t want him to feel like he has to go through all the bills at that moment, the kids come first. However, it was obvious that we needed a landing pad for the mail so that he could go through it in the near future, without having it pile up. We also needed to stop placing items on the desk, just because we didn’t want them somewhere else.
Step 2: Clear the area.
We spent a couple of hours together going through everything on the desk. It’s amazing how many items you end up throwing into the recycling! Most of what was piling up were items we don’t even need. Who needs another Kohls’ catalog!? Everything’s always on sale.
Step 3: Create or Purchase Organizers
We needed a place for the mail. We needed a place for mail to be placed when it needed to be mailed. We needed a place for Cleverly Simple mail to go. Because we had identified the problem (see: step 1) we were able to recognize what kind of items we would need to organize. At the same time, I purchased a number of organizers, not really knowing what would work and what would look good. (A girl likes it to look good!) You can always take it back. And take it back, I did.
Tip: Leave the price tag on what you buy! You can take it back if it doesn’t work for you.
Step 4: Give it a test run.
Our original mail organizer was great in theory. However, the first day, I came home to see the mail in it’s place – with my husband’s keys and wallet laying beside it. It was therefore obvious to me, I needed something else that could house the mail AND the keys. A new problem emerged and we therefore looked for a new organizer.
Step 5: Use the system you created.
This is a very important step. Organizing means creating a new system or new habit. Use the organizational method you create to keep your desktop free of clutter! Don’t go back! If you find that it’s piling up again, then you didn’t get the right organizer, or create the right system. Go back to Step 3 and try again.
I can’t tell you how a clean desk feels! Everything has a place and a purpose. There is no more lost mail, and things look presentable again after a few hours of work! I’m planning to add a few pictures to personalize the space – but that’s it! I like it nice and clean! :)
More Makeover:
- 5 Simple Steps to Desktop Organization
- Kroger MarketPlace : Additional 20% OFF Home Goods (Including CloseOuts)
- Staining The Deck – Here We Go! (Yard Makeover Part 3)
- Uncovering Our Deck (Yard Makeover Part 3)
- This is What Happens When You Don't Mow Your Lawn… (Yard Makeover Part 2)
- The Dumpster Project (Yard Makeover Part 1)
- The Half Bath Final Cost ($100 A Room Makeover Challenge)
- $100 Room Makeover Challenge (The Half Bath, Part 1)
{ 0 comments }
