Organize + Energize: 5 Ways to Upgrade Your Office

Organize + Energize: 5 Ways to Upgrade Your Office

How does your office make you feel? How well do you function in your office? Depending on the type of job you have, you may be spending more than 8 hours a day at your desk. Don’t you want to feel comfortable in your office? You may find that once you make some changes, you will be more efficient and productive and you will have a better flow to your work day. 

Don’t try to tackle all of this in one day. Break this down, make a plan and put it into motion. Once you tackle one project, you will be motivated and energized to continue.

Get rid of the clutter.   Stand in the entryway to your office. Stand there for a moment and take a look around. What do you see? Are there files on the floor that are accumulating dust? Are your bookshelves overflowing with items you never use? Is there so much clutter on your desk that you find yourself working on top of papers? It’s time to declutter and develop working organized systems so that you no longer end up in the mess you are in right now. Just focus on decluttering. Don’t worry about getting organized. You can tackle that another day. Make a plan to just take a few hours to declutter.  Stay focused and limit your distractions.

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Organize.  You’ve had this on your to-do list for as long as you can remember. Now is the time to tackle this project. Take your business to the next level just by getting organized. Re-work your filing systems.  Physically organize your drawers, supplies, bookshelves, business cards, files, emails, bulletin boards, and anything else that is in your office.  Create a system, process and procedure for everything that enters your office. After you are finished organizing yourself, make a plan to get your employees organized. There is nothing worse than walking into an office where the first person you see is disorganized.  

Are you comfortable? Have you been for a massage in the past few months because you’ve had knots in your neck and shoulders? Do you think it may have something to do with the way you are functioning at your desk? If you are uncomfortable, do you think it’s affecting your productivity? There are many great office products that will help you function correctly at your workspace.  Angela Perry-Place, LCMT, PTA, a Cranston-based massage therapist, treats clients that have some common injuries relating to workspaces that aren’t ergonomically correct.  Angela states that if the desk, monitor, keyboard and chair are not at the correct height, people could end up with wrist, forearm, shoulder or neck issues.  

How is the lighting in your office?  I remember when I used to work at Textron, my supervisor had her own office and the lights were always dimmed. She turned off her bright fluorescents and worked with table lamps. I loved the ambiance.  As soon as you walked in her office you were overcome with a sense of calm. Since then, every office I’ve ever had, I always had the overhead lighting turned off and used my own lighting. Think about the lighting in your office and make it work for you. 

Find your flow. Maximize space in your office. Once the clutter is cleared and you are organized and refreshed, think about the space you are working in. Can you switch up the furniture or repurpose some items to make your office more comfortable? Make it work for you and your clients. Create a smooth flow to your office. Remember, less is more. Just because there is an empty space, doesn’t mean you need to fill it. 

Use this article as a checklist as you move through your office and tackle these projects. Don’t use the excuse that you are too busy to get organized and you don’t have the time.  If you keep putting it off, it’s never going to be the right time. Block out some time, make a plan and start 2015 on the right foot!

Kristin Carcieri-MacRae, the founder and owner of Organizing in RI, has always enjoyed finding creative ways to streamline the environment around her. She has appeared on air on Patricia Raskin's Positive Business Radio and her articles have been published in the Rhode Island Small Business Journal and New England Home Life. Kristin's CD, Organizing Basics, is a 1-hour guide for the person who wants to get organized but doesn't know where to start. She is also available for organizing workshops. Tune into her weekly radio show, Organize, Energize! on Mondays at 8:30am on http://www.talkstreamradio.com