Small Space Organization

You know, it’s harder than I thought to write about organizing. However, I did promise. So, here goes.


I have an extremely tight area for working on reports. It’s not ideal, but I am working on it. I think the key to working in a small space and keeping it organized is to make sure that you are only keeping the items you need in the space. I currently have my monitor, speakers, headphones, telephone, coffee mug, pencil holder, and three-ring binder on my desktop. Luckily, my desk does have a sliding shelf for the keyboard and mouse that keeps them tucked out of the way when I’m not using them. Considering how much I use my mouse and keyboard, they tend to stay accessible except when I’m away from my desk.

My desk is very close to a large bookcase, so that adds more opportunity for clutter to gather. Umm…I mean storage options. As a bookcase, it’s quite acceptable for holding my reference materials and CDs. But, I also use it to hold the boxes with my office supplies, storage container holding my excess cords and cables, and my printer. Nothing is quite within easy reach, but it’s not on top of my desk surface. A shift of my chair and everything I need is within finger reach.

In order to organize my desk, I first had to take it down to the basics. Then, adding piece by piece only the things I use EVERY DAY. Anything else was tossed in the trash (difficult for a pack rat), dealt with, or saved in a folder to deal with in the future. Books and folders hold all the important papers. Out of sight, but not completely out of mind.

Every organization tipster out there has three basics they use for organizing. Light, clean, and a space for everything.

Taking the first thing, light, you need to decide if the light you have is adequate. Is it bright enough to help but not directly in your eyes? You also need to decide if your desk space is going to get natural light in sufficient quantity to be useful or hurtful. My desk currently faces the western wall of my house. It’s not directly in front of the window, but it’s perfect for afternoon sun to come in and glare at me. Good curtains on that window definitely are a must for the afternoon!

Next is clean. I’m not sure if it’s just me or not, but I love the feel of clean surfaces under my fingers and hands. There’s something very distracting about dust particles under my skin. Sometimes I wonder if I’m related to the princess from “The Princess and the Pea.” Dust, dirt, food crumbs, even the occasional hair all feel like a major obstacle to smoothly running my hands over the keyboard or piece of paper I’m using.

Grandma’s advice of “a place for everything and everything in its place” really comes home when you’re trying to function efficiently. Are your pens and pencils scattered everywhere? Is your mail just a pile on top of your desk? Do your headphones have a home? Are your supplies like paper, extra pens, stapler, binders, erasers, scissors in their homes? If you’re more like me they tend to just kind of wander around without rhyme or reason. Kind of like the Alzheimer lady that keeps getting lost in my neighborhood. I have now multitasked a makeup brush holder for my smaller every day tools. My supply holder is attached to the edge of my desk and keeps all the little stuff from wandering. It is amazing how quickly your hands get used to pulling something from the same place each time. Now, it is about training them to put things back too.

Of course, the true test of your organizational efforts is how efficiently you can get things accomplished. Handle things as little as possible until they are given their final placement. Trash what you have not looked at or touched in a while, use file folders, and a cabinet, label everything so you KNOW what is what and where it is supposed to be.

Finally, once you have found your little Alzheimer patients their homes, keep them there. You will be less stressed, more efficient, and ultimately more productive. Isn’t productivity the name of this game?