Office Organizing Tips

1. Have a master to-do list for each day at your desk.

2. Return calls in batches.  Leave specific messages and the time you called if the      person you're trying to reach isn't available.

3. Have supplies on hand before you start. This includes trash bags, file folders,      hanging files, labels, storage boxes, pens, etc.

4. Pick a time when you know you will be able to realistically complete a       task. Schedule the task on your calendar.

5. Sort your papers by what you are going to do with them: To Pay, To File, To      Read, To Do, Pending, To Pass On, and To Throw Out!

6. Straighten desk at the end of the day and especially at the end of the week      so that you can start each morning with a clear desk.

7. Go through your In Box regularly (at least once a day) to decide what to do with

 

    each item. This will keep you from accumulating clutter and make it easier      for others to use the In Box for its purpose.

8. Keep most frequently used items, such as current projects, work tools, phone      lists, etc., nearby. You want easy access to these things, so keep them on your      desktop or in a nearby drawer.

9. If you find if difficult to get any "quiet time," try arriving at the office a few minutes     earlier than your coworkers to peacefully plan your day.

10. Name files by how you would think of them first, not necessarily by title or         source. For example, a newspaper article could be filed under "Seminar         Resources," not under "San Francisco Chronicle article."