Spring Clean...Your Home Office

How can anyone work under that mess?

What does your home office look like right now? As of Wednesday afternoon, my home office looked exactly like the above picture. My piles of papers and receipts were stacked higher than I would like. As soon as I finished the project that was causing much of my mess, I decided that my office needed a good spring clean up. I had let my desk get out of control...once again.

As I was removed everything from the desk, I decided right then if it was trash and needed to be shredded, needed to be filed or put elsewhere, or donated. I also cleaned out the drawers.


I wiped down the desk. I also dusted my monitor with a microfiber cloth. Dust bunnies be gone!


Much better. Don't you feel so much more productive when you are working at a clean desk?

Six Tips to a more Manageable Home Office:

1. Deal with mail immediately. Shred any trash with your name or address on it. Either pay bills immediately or put them in a To-Be-Paid file. If you are getting too many credit card offers, look inside and you should find a phone number to have your name removed from their data base. I don't get any credit card offers anymore.

2. Contain your paper. One of my most popular posts is How Long Should You Keep Financial Records. I spent a snow day last year cleaning out my filing cabinet and it has remained organized ever since. Now if the top of my desk could be so lucky.

3. Invest in a shredder. They are really not that expensive considering that they will help prevent identity theft.

4. Create a visual reminder to help you manage your important to-do list. I am a paper person and keep my to-do list on my desk at all times, but you could easily keep a list on your computer too. This simple reminder has helped me keep track of my monthly and quarterly responsibilities for our business and my home office.

5. Keep your most important papers, projects and financial information organized with a simple binder system.

6. Take a few minutes once a week to clear your desk. Very often, my desk ends up looking like the top picture. This is where I work and it is very hard for me to be productive and focused when papers, books and knick knacks are everywhere. My goal going forward is to clear it off every Friday when I'm done for the week.

Does your home office need a good spring cleaning? Do you have any tips for keeping a clutter-free home office? Let us know in the comments.

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