My Organized Biz

Maggie hasn’t had her office for long, but it’s already giving her trouble. Some minor adjustments can help her create the calm, clean environment she needs.

Issue 1: Storage

“There are a bunch things stuck in cubbyholes that need to be filed or put somewhere else. There are things on my desk that are completely unrelated to working (like GPS and headphone accessories).

“When my desk was new, there was nothing on it. Now, it’s gotten to the point where there’s no place to set anything on my desk and I don’t know where anything is, or I have only a vague idea.”

Time does funny things to desks – especially if you’re busy. Items with no home get put down temporarily and have a way of becoming permanent. Fortunately, they’re not glued down.

Suggested solutions: You’ll want to give some thought to where you’d like to store those odds and ends so you can find them easily, but they’re not taking up as much surface area on your workspace. You may also want to set up a system to remind yourself to remove items that you don’t need from your desk. Every few weeks would be a good start.

Issue 2: Excess mail:

“I have at least a month’s worth of mail on the floor next to the desk waiting to be shredded or filed. That’s a problem because things that are important get lost in the pile of junk mail, catalogs, and magazines. Last month I missed a bill deadline because the statement was lost in the sea of papers.”

That’s got to be a bad feeling – and yet most of us have done it at some point. There’s hope yet.

Suggested solutions: Check out this blog post about how to stem the tide of unwanted mail – just decreasing the amount you receive will help dramatically.

As for getting rid of the pile you already have, you can take the same approach as the things accumulating on your desk. Start whittling away. Try setting a timer for 20 minutes and see how much you can get through (it might even be fun).

Issue 3: Ergonomics (or lack thereof)

“My desk is 30 inches high which is not efficient unless you’re Wilt Chamberlain. I’m 5′5″ so when I sit down, it’s not comfortable. My elbows aren’t level with the desk and if I lift my chair up, my feet are off the floor.”

Desk height is a peeve of mine – and you’re right, most desks are made for a person 6’ tall. What are they thinking?

Suggested solutions: Your desk has legs like a table, so you can simply whack a couple of inches off each one. There’s a trick to measuring this, so send me an email if you want to know the specifics. If you’re in the market for a new desk, some companies sell desks with adjustable legs and others sell furniture customized to your height.

Thanks for sharing the inner workings of your office, Maggie. I’d love to hear if these changes will work for you. If you’d like 3 suggestions for your office challenges, here are all the details.

Anyone relate to Maggie’s challenges or have other solutions that might work? Your thoughts are appreciated!

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