Organization for the Hopelessly Disorganized

So you're not innately organized. Yet, you find that among your chaos, you know where everything is. Many people operate an office this way. Although it may be perfectly acceptable to keep your desk looking like a disaster zone, there are easier ways to control the clutter. Learn easy ways to get organized using simple tactics.

Piles

No matter what you have strewn across your desk, you can easily make it look organized by simply making piles. Start by mapping out categories for each pile. Go through each piece of paper or folder and make a pile for each category. Make sure you allow for a miscellaneous pile.

Once you've got your piles laid out, organize them by alphabetizing or categorizing them in some way. If you've got one pile of invoices, try organizing them by number. You want to keep in mind what will easily let you reference them when you need to. If alphabetizing them by last name is easier, do that.

File Folders

The next step to removing the clutter from your desk is creating file folders for your piles. Create one folder for each pile, making sure to label each folder. You can simply write the label onto the tab or there are super easy printer labels you can use. Just make sure you read the instructions on the labels to ensure you create the right size. The directions are very easy to follow.

Once you've decided what to label your file folders simply assemble your piles and put them in the appropriate folders. Find some sort of file folder holder to stagger your file folders for easy use. For every invoice you need to recall, you'll know where it is, but more importantly, you'll be able to add invoices to the file as they are made. This allows you to keep your desk organized.

To Do

Naturally, there is stuff on your desk that doesn't quite belong in a folder yet. This may be part of your miscellaneous file. If you have pending papers on your desk, that's ok! You're desk doesn't need to be completely clean all the time, but it's just as easy to organize what you will keep on your desk.
Again, make piles of all of your pending documents. This includes anything you have yet to finish or maybe things you are waiting to finish for whatever reason. Paperclip any documents that go together and place a sticky note on top of the pile stating what's needed to finish. This will make it super easy to quickly identify where you left off.

Once you complete the project, file it away in your file folders. This process will not stop, but you'll find it's much easier to locate what you're looking for when you're asked to produce it. Not only will it tidy up your desk, but it will also tidy up the entire office. This is important to the customer. This is also something perfect to keep you busy during down time. Increase productivity and office appearance all in one step!