1. Pull all the items off your desk and give the surface a good wipe-down

2. Clear some space on the floor and sort the items into categories, placing ‘like with like’

3. Go through each pile and do a stock take of items you no longer need. If you come across any duplicate, broken or unnecessary items, throw them into a garbage bag or recycling bin. Be ruthless in deciding what to keep in your workspace.

4. Place the essential items back on your desk. We only use 20% of our office items 80% of the time. So your desk should only contain the items you use each day, such as a desk calendar, a few stationery items and your computer, mouse and keyboard.

5. Items used regularly, but not on a daily basis, should be stored in a filing cabinet or above-desk shelving. Lesser-used items, such as bulk office supplies should be stored in a stationery cupboard or area away from your work station

6. In-trays make it difficult to keep track of things to do. A better option for organising current paperwork is to label manila folders with categories such as ‘To File’, ‘To Finish’, ‘To Forward’, ‘To Call/Email’, ‘To Read’, ‘To Pay’, put the folders into a toaster rack/vertical file holder and place within easy reach on your desk. File any papers that comes across your desk into the folders and schedule a time each week, say Friday afternoon, to process the paperwork.

7. Ensure the space under your desk is clear and clutter-free. Try not to use the under-desk area as a storage area for gym clothes, shoes and miscellaneous items.

8. Email clutter can have just as big an impact on productivity as physical clutter. Go through your emails and decide what to file, forward or delete. Sort emails into folders as soon as they have been actioned to ensure a clear and clutter-free inbox.

9. Spend just 5-10 minutes each minute each day putting items back in their spot and clearing your desk space to keep clutter at bay.

article produced by: Kat Tate is a professional organiser and owner of Kat & Kaboodle, helping small businesses and corporate clients to organise and streamline their workstations for greater productivity. She also offers a unique online training course, The Organised Office, to streamline your office for success. Visit http://www.katandkaboodle.com.au for more information.