How to Create a Clutter-Free Home Office

I’m going to guess that your home office might be the family dumping ground. And it has piles of paper everywhere. Also, the space is overwhelming because every flat surface is covered and you don’t know where to begin. Plus the filing cabinet is filled with who knows what. And all this clutter robs you of productivity and focus. 

Does this describe your home office space?

It is so uninviting you rarely work in it The bookshelves are cluttered and looming over you You sit at the dining room table with your laptop instead

Well, today is the day to change all of that. Here’s a step-by-step plan with 7 steps to declutter and organize your home office. Because a clutter-free space is a productive space and you can do this. Just take it one step at a time.

Your Dream Home Office

Before you dive in, take some time to dream about how you’d like your office to look and function. Search online for ideas and inspiration. I pinned some Minimalist Designs. Begin by asking yourself these questions:

Do you like all the furniture? Are the cabinets and chairs just clutter-collectors? Is this your preferred desk arrangement? Would you rather to look out the window or face the door? Do you have a professional Zoom background? Would you like space for your kids to visit you in the office? Do the pictures on the wall motivate and inspire you?

1. Remove

With this new vision in mind, remove everything that does not serve your ideal space. Consider every piece of furniture regardless of how big or small.  By creating a functional and visually appealing space, extra stuff will be relocated, donated, or thrown away.

Seriously, it is ok to remove excess pieces of furniture and leave the contents. We’ll deal with that next.

2. Clear the Desk

Clean off your desk. Sweep everything into a box or laundry basket. And only keep the computer, printer, and modem, but that’s it. You’re creating an inviting and productive workspace to work from home. Even while you’re decluttering and organizing your office.

3. Clean the Floor

Pick up all the items off the floor. Keep only furniture on the floor and nothing else. Gather piles of paper into boxes temporarily.

4. Sort Everything into Categories

Office Supplies Relocate – Stuff that does not belong in your office Donations – Items that do not improve your workspace  Electronics Recycling – Toner, old cell phones, unidentified cords Trash – Items that cannot be donated Sentimental – Items you’re keeping for this reason Actions –  Bills to pay, forms to complete, etc File/Scan – Papers to retain for future reference Shred – Anything with personal information Recycle – Papers without personal information

5. Non-Paper Items (Categories 1-6)

Downsize the Office Supplies. Keep a high-quality stapler, tape dispenser, your favorite pens, and some binder clips Disperse items in the Relocate box Put Donations in a staging area or your car Gather Electronics for recycling. Deliver Electronics recycling to Best Buy or the dump Trash – Remove trash bags often so they don’t impede progress If you run into Sentimental Items, place them in a separate box for later. For now, do not let them slow you down. Just set them aside in one box for now.

6. Paper Sorting and Filing (Categories 7-10)

Set up a work table and designate a workspace for the next week or two. Use a large flat surface for piles of papers. This is going to take some time but stick with the system. It works!

Action – Bills to pay, registration to complete, phone numbers, and addresses to record in your phone. If there is no consequence, then it is not an action. (Coupons and sale flyers are not an action. They are advertising. So, throw them away.) File/Scan – File/Scan items must be handled a second time. Do not use this as a catch-all. Your time is precious. Follow these record retention recommendations. Try to recycle as much as possible on this first pass.  Recycle – 75% of what you have in your home office will go in this box. Years ago, I set up a beautiful paper filing system that consumed 4 lateral file drawers. Over time, I realized that I had filed organized-clutter. Ultimately, our paper filing was reduced to one small drawer and I sold the cabinets.  Shred – Papers with personal identification information. Do a Google search for bulk shredding options in your area.

Before you choose ACTION or FILE/SCAN

Does this really require action? Is there a consequence? Can I find this online? Set a bookmark. If I recycle this today, could I still retrieve the information?

7. Paper Filing System

Once you have 4 manageable paper piles for Action, File/Scan, Shred, and Recycle, you need a system to maintain them. Here is the filing organizer that I use with labeled file folders. But you may prefer 4 open baskets or trays. Choose the system that supports your work style.

Don’t Give Up

Like everything else, you did not accumulate these papers overnight, so it takes time to go through them. Carve out space on your calendar. Make it a priority.  Just one pile per night. 

Remember, the reward is the home office you envisioned. Now it’s time to make it a reality.

Let’s get started! You can do it!

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About the Author: Amy Slenker-Smith is a living simply coach and writer at Simply Enough. She lives near Washington DC with her husband Steve, son Zack and Zeke the cat.