How to organize your desk

A tidy desk – be it at home or at work – leads to a calm mind. We give 8 tips on how to keep your desk clean and organized.

1. Begin by sorting through all the papers cluttering your desk.
   1. Put all the things that can be thrown away in the recycling bin.
   2. Put anything you need to look at later in a container, or store the papers vertically in folders so they take up less space.
   3. Put any really important papers in folders with tabs, so you can find them easily when you need them.
2. Remove any excess pens and/or pens that don’t work. Three pens, one pencil and one marker are usually all you need. Store them in a (beautiful vintage) cup.
3. Keep small things like staples, paper clips and erasers in a small container or dish.
4. Write notes on a notepad or in a notebook instead of on loose paper.
5. Connect (charger) cords to each other with fabric fasteners such as Velcro.
6. Avoid letting your desk become untidy again.
7. Set a time (at least once a week) to go through your paper container. Things that can be thrown away should go in the recycling bin (see point 1) and so on.
8. Look at all the remaining items and ask yourself: do I really want this on my desk?

• This ‘how to’ can be found in Issue 25.

Text Caroline Buijs Illustrations Louise Lockhart