Office Organization 101

1. Clean off your desk.

Do not keep anything on your desk that you do not use on a daily basis. Things that should be removed include personal mementos, award certificates, photos of family and friends, and your favorite snow globe. These things only serve to clutter your workspace and will better serve you if they are hung on walls or placed on shelves. This way, you can still view them, but they won't interfere with your everyday tasks.

2. File your emails.

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If you are one of the millions of employees using Microsoft Outlook, you should learn to take advantage of the program's electronic filing system for emails. In the left-hand column of the screen, you can right click on "Inbox" and select "New Folder." By creating new folders and labeling them appropriately, you can file away your emails so that they are easier to find. Whether you label the folders by sender or by project, you will find that this saves you tons of time when it comes to locating your emails and replying to or forwarding messages. It will also clean up your inbox so that you don't feel overwhelmed.

3. File your electronic documents.

Many people make a habit out of saving everything they work on in their "My Documents" folder. This can create a big problem when you go to locate something. Instead of saving all of your electronic documents in a bulk folder and wasting your time scrolling through them all to find what you need, create folders on your desktop that are specific to the projects that documents are for and save your documents in the correct folders. You may also want to begin using project-specific names when you save and name your documents. This will make locating documents even easier.

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4. Buy a planner, and use it.

If you don't already have one, go to the office-supply store today and buy yourself a day planner. Recording your daily events, lunch plans, business meetings, and daily schedule in a planner will cut down on the number of post-it notes cluttering up the sides of your computer and your workspace. Using a day planner will also help you prioritize your tasks for the day, which will keep your overall daily schedule and life more organized.

5. Designate a daily organizational hour.

Whether you designate an hour in the morning, at lunch, or before you leave for the day, it's very important that you set aside one hour of your time during the day to file, clean up after yourself, clean your keyboard, dust, or throw away any lingering soda cans or napkins from yesterday's lunch. By designating one hour a day, you will ensure that your office stays organized and that you maintain a level of cleanliness that is essential to the reduction of your stress level. While you might dread this hour at first, you may actually come to appreciate the peace that comes with keeping yourself organized.