A productive home office doesn’t have to be a pipe dream. It’s more attainable than you think it is.
I’ve run one or two businesses from a home office since 2013, so I know a thing or two about the ideal home office setup.
One home office was the formal living space in our home that included two sofas, a bookshelf, and a separate desk for my child to do homework. Another home office was simply a desk on a dining room wall. Now, my home office is the size of a large walk-in closet.
While the spaces are all very different, I used the same principles when designing and organizing them. Here are five things to consider when organizing your home office for maximum efficiency.
Let’s Get Organized to Have a Productive Home Office
In today’s world of remote work and digital entrepreneurship, the home office has become more than just a space for occasional tasks – it’s now the epicenter of productivity, creativity, and professional success.
From tangled cords to cluttered desks, the distractions of disorganization can hinder your workflow and dampen your productivity. With the right strategies and mindset, you can transform your home office into a well-oiled machine. I will share with you how to organize your home office for maximum productivity.
Prioritize Function
What tasks do you want to complete in your home office? If you work from home, your tasks may be an obvious answer but think outside of that. You may wish for your home office to be the hub of all essential papers and administrative-type tasks for the home.
Be clear on what tasks will take up most of your time. To help get clarity, think about a pie chart. The most significant portion of your pie may be paid work tasks at 65%, home tasks may be 20%, and a side hustle or hobby may be 15%.
Knowing what tasks you’ll do in your space will guide you in organizing the cabinets and drawers. You want the items you use the most to be the most accessible. If you dedicate only 15% of your time to a hobby, then those hobby items can be stored in a cabinet away from the desk. If most of the time spent in the office is spent working, then things you need to do the job should be at your fingertips.
Divide Short Term and Long Term Files
Paper can be consuming in a home office, so a great way to tackle the piles of paper is to divide them into two categories: short-term and long-term.
Short-term files are papers you are using right now or things that you reference often. I keep short-term files in a folder in the drawers right beside me.
Long-term files are papers you need to keep but don’t need to be at your fingertips. I keep long-term documents in the filing cabinet across the room.
Set the Tone
Think about how you feel when you are doing your best work. Do you feel grounded, powerful, serene, energized, calm, or in some other way? That is exactly the tone you want to set when organizing your home office for maximum productivity.
How do you set the tone? Decor and accessories, of course! Start with the furniture. Even a desk chair can create a vibe in an office. A sleek, white desk chair has an entirely different energy than repurposing a kitchen chair, so consider everything. Then, look at larger accessories such as lighting, wallpaper, and rugs before moving on to smaller accessories such as plants, desk accessories, and wall hangings.
The office furnishings will guide your mood, which will guide your productivity.
Remove Distractions
When organizing your home office for maximum productivity, you want to avoid as many distractions as possible. Many types of objects can be distracting, so you need to know what distracts you. If piles of paper distract you, you’ll want to create files of those documents and keep them in a drawer. If knick-knacks or decor is distracting, keep those items to a minimum. For me, items that remind me of other projects are distracting, so I try to keep anything I’m not actively working on in a drawer until I’m ready.
Know what works and doesn’t work for you. If you find yourself hopping from project to project, consider if you were distracted by something tangible in your office.
Find a Home for Everything
Once you’ve removed distractions and set the tone, you’ll want to ensure every object has a home in your home office. My desk has four drawers: two shallow and two deep. The top shallow drawer is my command center. My project folders stack on the left side, and I use an adjustable bamboo cutlery tray for typical office supplies such as pens, highlighters, paper clips, and personal items such as lip balm and hair ties.
When everything has a home, it’s easy to find what you need, and it’s simple to tidy things up quickly daily or weekly.
I know this can feel overwhelming. We love to help clients make the best use of their space and organize their belongings for maximum productivity. You don’t have to figure it out yourself.
What is Your Ideal Home Office Space?
I would love to hear about your home office! How do you use it? Does it work for you? Which tips resonate the most? Let me know in the comments below!
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