Is it just me ... or do some of you also ...

[CADesign]

... Have a difficult time keeping your desk clear and organized?

When it comes to filing things electronically, I have no problems.
I have my computer organized to find things easily and a place for everything.
When it comes to filing hard copies and putting the constant inflow and generation of paper in their proper place I find it much more difficult.

Fortunately, I run a virtually paperless office (or at least strive to the the extent possible). If this weren't the case, office life would be rough for me.

It's not that I don't want to always put things in their place, it's just that I multi-task a lot and mail and hard copies of my work tend to land on my desk and stay there until I get to them.

My goal is to make more workspace so I have larger piles of paper and more clutter ...
... just kidding, of course.
Actually, a bit more work surface may be a good thing so that certain work spaces are dedicated to certain tasks.

Better use of my filing cabinets would certainly help in making my office more efficient and make my days less frustrating and items much easier to find.
Making some nice dedicated slots for folders at my desk is surely a good idea.

How do you keep your office well organized, your desk open and free and documents easy to find?

Do any of you find it difficult to maintain this organization or is it just me?

For some or even most of you this probably is routine and easy, for me it is starting to get out of hand. I'm well aware of the problem, just looking for ways that you manage the hard copies and make (work) life easier.

I work from my home office which is a business dedicated room.

Thanks for sharing your secrets on this!

Dave

[KristineS]

I have lots of files. I also try to do a clean out at least once a year. Because I'm in marketing and because we have multiple companies I generate a lot of paper. Some things stay filed for a while and then I clean out the files and recycle whatever papers I no longer need. I have a standing file rack on my desk in which I keep files I will need to consult often. Everything else gets filed in the big filing cabinet, which is culled at least once a year. That seems to work pretty well.

[vangogh]

I can't remember, but I'm pretty sure there's a desk under all this paperwork.

I'd like to offer you great tips on keeping your desk organized, but I'm one who ends up being organized through a bit of chaos at times. The one suggestion I would have is to devote some time to actually going through your piles. If something sits there long enough it's probably not as important as it first seemed.

I do have a lot of things sitting on my desk, but after a time I either file them away or throw them out.

[orion_joel]

I do hear you on the mail problem, i do not know why or how i even what i was thinking when i someone got my name on so many companies mailing lists, i seem to get anything up to a dozen pieces of mail a week which i was not expecting, plus about a dozen bills and credit card/bank statements a month.

While i do tend to keep things under control to some extent, i still have some issues. There has been multiple times when i grabbed the lid off a paper box and almost just swept everything off the desk into it, which is actually where most of the stuff from those clean up attempts still is.

The other problem i have is i do have my file system fully laid out in the filing cabinet, only problem is that 6 inch's is to far to lean over to file something straight away it is so much easier to put it in a stack on the printer, which moves to the archive box the following week and it ends up in two months i have to spend 15 minutes filing, because 5 seconds everytime i get something is to much.

I am sorry i cannot be more helpful with ideas, i just find that no matter what system i put in place i always find some excuse to put it aside for the day and that just leads to more and more piling up. i will literally almost once a month just get up and move everything to where i want it and then within 2 or 3 days it is starting to fall apart.

[Evan]

My desk tends to be messy, but I know exactly where everything is (strangely enough). It's in an order that seems to work for me.

I'll occasionally just turn off my laptop and will force myself to go through junk to shred or toss. If I haven't used it, I have no use for it. It also lets me tidy things up. Tends to be a good time to try out pens to make sure they still work or chuck them! [I hate the 8 billion pens, of which all half-work.]

[Blessed]

organized? my desk... oh I wish it were so. I'm waiting for all of you organizational guru's out there to chime in...

[orion_joel]

Been to a few industry do's hey Evan. I think the pen is just the default thing that just about every company gives out trying to promote themselves. Surprisingly even though over the time i have collected literally hundreds of vendor pens from different thing i have been to the only pens with a logo on my desk at the moment is a pen and pencil set from the company i currently work for (this is my desk at home), there is still plenty of other junk on the desk though.

Just as i was writing this reply i got the inspiration to organize, maybe this thread is a catalyst for causing organization. But then while it worked for the things i organized my desk now has twice as much stuff on it ...

[CADesign]

I appreciate the replies!

I do hope that "this thread is a catalyst for causing organization", although it certainly wasn't meant to be a burr under anyone's saddle.
So far I haven't attacked the mound of parchment on my desk, the edges of which are rapidly approaching the angle of repose but I'm gaining courage thanks to your stories and suggestions.

This all reminds me of a professor that I had back in college.
It was a course on statistics.
The professor could be seen carrying an enormous load of books and paper as he made his way to the classroom each day.
As he made it through the door and headed toward his desk a paper or two would always find it's way to the floor. Upon making it to his desk he would , quite predictably, look around for a chair or window ledge or sometimes even the floor for a place uncluttered enough to park his heavy load.
To this day, I've never seen a desk stacked anywhere near as high as his, with papers and books overhanging all sides until it could absolutely hold no more.

It was an extremely boring class, but watching this routine, the same routine each class, always made me grin.
I have no idea what was on any of those papers and I don't recall that he ever opened a book ... but it sure was important to him. ~True story ~

Guess I'd better at least get started on that desk of mine ...

Dave

[orion_joel]

no burrs here, just some inspiration to do something...

[CADesign]

I do hope it's catching Joel, I actually found myself putting a few things in their place while taking a break from the screen this morning. Will miracles never cease?