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It may sound simple, but it’s important to think of everything as part of a workflow, including your paper piles. Take a look at your paperwork when you’re sitting at your desk. Do you have a designated place for papers once you complete the task associated with it, or are they placed at random around your space?

If you don’t create a workflow for your paper, it will hinder your productivity because there is no clear beginning, middle, or end. Too many people have all three stages in a single pile. Below is an example of a simple workflow to help you process your papers efficiently. You may want to designate a separate bin for each stage of the workflow.

Suggested workflow for your paperwork:

1. A place to arrive

2. A place to live when they’re in progress

3. A place to go when they exit the workflow or are complete

Being productive is about moving things along and not letting them get stagnant. A simple workflow can help you keep track of your paperwork and ensure everything is moving along.

Interested in additional help with your paperwork? Check out our file management consulting!

Need help selecting organizing products for your office? There are so many products on the market to choose from, but where do you start? Here is a quick list of 4 of our favorites and why we like them:

1) Product: iStand

Why We Like It: Frankly we’ve been kind of surprised how much we’ve used the iStand at our desk. We especially like to use it when we use the TimeTimer app. The iStand props your phone up so you can see at a glance how much time is left when you’re giving a presentation, in a meeting, or completing a task.

2) Product: Magazine Pockets

Why We Like It: These make great use of the vertical space in your cubicle, small office, or home office. You can hang the pockets on the wall to serve as your in and out boxes. They also serve as a magnetic board to post important notes, mini calendars, or hang keys.

3) Product: Cordies

Why We Like It: How many times have you had to crawl under your desk to fetch a stray cord? Cordies help keep cords manageable and within easy reach. They are especially good for phone charges, USB cables, and laptop chargers.

4) Product: Mesh File Crate Solutions

Why We Like It: These crates fit comfortably under your desk or table, so you can tuck them out of the way when they aren’t in use. This product is also great because you can stack multiple bins on top of each other, put them on a dolly, and wheel them wherever you want.

Sign up for our free Organize Small Spaces Webinar on July 25th for more tips!

The next step in transforming JoAnn’s overcrowded space into a functional office was scanning.  JoAnn has been saving paper copies of her past work, as well as other reference materials, in large binders in her office.  They were taking up valuable space and creating clutter, so we suggested that she scan the documents she no longer needed physical copies of.

While JoAnn had considered this option before, she never followed through because the task of scanning that many documents is fairly time consuming and overwhelming.  Thankfully, we were able to partner with Scan-Doc to help us tackle the project.  Scan-Doc was able to convert five entire bankers boxes worth of JoAnn’s binders into electronic files stored safely on a flash drive and organized into convenient sub folders.

Many of JoAnn’s reference materials are now paperless, stored in electronic files to save space.  She told us the scanning “was one of the most exciting parts of this whole experience.  I was over the moon to receive five bankers boxes worth of scanning; it cleared out so much space and now that they’re electronic, I can use them so much more efficiently.”  JoAnn can now reference what she needs from the comforts of her computer, rather than sifting through piles of paper.

Continue following our blog for the final steps we took in JoAnn’s office transformation, as well as the big reveal of her new functional office!

Photo courtesy of Leo V. Santiago.

Special thanks to Scan-Doc for their scanning services.

Happy National Clean Off Your Desk Day! It doesn’t matter if you have five-minutes to clean your desk or five-hours, our team at Innovatively Organized has compiled five ways you can celebrate this productive holiday.

1. Clean & dust your desk - When you take a moment to think about everything that comes in contact with your desk, it’s surprising we don’t disinfect & dust it more often. Here is a quick how-to for cleaning your desk.
2. Control the cord chaos - We live in a world where cords seem to be coming out of our ears. Take a few minutes to purge cords you no longer use and tidy the cords that are permanently plugged in around your workspace. Read more tips on organizing your cords and cables here.
3. Place items you use most within easy reach - Create a semi-circle around you when seated at your desk to use optimal space. Take into account whether you are left or right handed and be sure to make use of vertical space by installing shelves and bulletin boards on the walls around your desk.
4. Think paperless & organize your digital clutter too - Set-up a desktop scanner (our favorite is ScanSnap S1300) and start using virtual notebooks to reduce the paper clutter. To cut down on digital clutter, download the Monthly Computer De-Clutter Checklist.
5. Nominate yourself for the Messiest Desk Contest - If your desk (or your coworker’s desk) needs a complete organizational overhaul and you live in the Puget Sound Region, nominate yourself for our Messiest Desk Contest here. Nominations accepted until January 19, 2013.

For monthly tips on productivity and organization in the workplace, sign up here.

The countdown is on: just ten days left in the year!  For many of us, that still includes about a week left in the office working.  Take advantage of this time to prepare yourself for the New Year.  Rather than leave your office and your work a huge mess, racing to complete deadlines and get to the holidays, use this time to get organized.  Here are 15 tasks you can do this last week of December to help you return next year ready to hit the ground running!

1. Go through the pile(s) of papers you’ve been meaning to sort.
2. Set up a system to help your business go more paperless—we offer paper management and filing systems services for business.
3. Deep clean your desk or workspace—here are some tips to organize your desk.
4. Empty your email inbox—here’s one of our webinars to help clear your inbox.
5. Set your “out of office” for the day and work on 2013 strategic planning without interruption.
6. Write and send thank you notes to networking contacts, clients or strategic partners.
7. Attend a webinar to add to your skill set—here is a list of our upcoming webinars.
8. Update your LinkedIn profile.  Write recommendations for people or endorse their skills.
9. Go back and read industry newsletters or blogs you’ve been meaning to catch up on.
10. Go through the pens at your desk and toss the ones that have dried up.
11. Pre-write content for your blog or newsletter so you don’t have to do it later.
12. If you use a paper calendar/planner, set aside time to purchase your 2013 calendar and get it organized.
13. Read a book you’ve been meaning to read—here are some of our book recommendations!
14. Identify 3 repeatable tasks you can delegate to someone else and write the necessary instructions.  That’s three items off your list in the New Year!
15. Write down your individual goals for 2013 and set an appointment with yourself each month to track your progress.

Good luck during this last week of the year, and may you have a relaxing break for the holidays!