How to Declutter Your Home Office

hi matt buyer of map by organizing with how to declutter your home office are you working more from home these days are you finding it hard to get things done in your home office is it getting out of control you don't know where to begin then this video is for you if you've tried getting organized before and the clutter keeps coming back then watch as give you step-by-step instructions for organizing success step number one get the right tools now i'm not talking about organizing supplies in fact do not get organizing supplies until after this video what i'm talking about are processing tools here's what my team of professional organizers use on every decluttering job first and foremost is your number one organizing tool clear work surface now know you've got desk but you'll also need this as decluttering tool next up 10 pack of banker boxes great size for sorting and with lids they're stackable that saves space for labeling and sub sorting like the retractable sharpie never lose lid post-it notes of the super sticky variety quartz size and gown size ziploc bags step two set the stage if you have the space set your decluttering stage outside your office i'm borrowing my wife's library keep your table in the middle store nothing on it on one side set up generous trash bin recycling bin and shred box here's something to make the process easy zone signs you can print these out from my link below hang the review zone sign in an area of items that you haven't reviewed yet keep zone signed for items you've reviewed and definitely want to keep and here's something that's strangely useful empty zone sign to keep the empty bins in boxes separate and hang an exit zone sign near the door for items heading out step 3 plan of attack address clutter in this order floors surfaces shelves cabinets and drawers why because done in this order each stage will make the next stage easier step four sort like with like now this stage may feel counterintuitive but trust me it also makes the next stage easier keep the categories super general so that you can sort fast for example electronics reference office supplies decor keepsakes loose paper and keep an elsewhere box for items that don't belong in your home office do not distribute this while you are processing or you may get distracted in other rooms step five prioritize we're now at the point where we start decluttering bring items from your review zone to your processing table one category at time that way you can see items in context and context drives decisions for example i'm looking at electronics now it can be in electronics mode use your table as tool to spread out and sub sort you have more options than just keep or talk you can donate sell give to or just store more remotely but nothing goes back to the review zone depending on the amount of clutter in your office you may want to review items from the floors and surfaces first then set up another review for the shelves and drawers step six circulate paper circulation is the subject of my book the circulation solution that is the key to staying organized but to get organized you first need to sort your paper by stage by the way whatever space you're decluttering you want to save the largest category for last and in the home office that category is paper when you save it for last you give yourself more focus and more space to process when you're down to decluttering just paper you need four empty boxes box one is for running files paperwork you want to make point of acting on box two is for sitting files files you need to be able to find reliably box three is for sleeping files that you need to keep just in case this is probably the most important stage to recognize because you can store these more remotely that can free up ton of space box 4 is for dead files which you need to shred if you're not 100 sure you're ready to shred just get them into one of the other boxes for now the most important thing at this stage is to sort fast focus more on dates than on content know there's school of thought that says only touch piece of paper once but say when you've got this much paper forget that rule because it can slow you down the speed at which you process matters because momentum makes magic once you do this basic sort by stage then you can focus on each stage one at time then you can focus on content and declutter further because you have singular focus you can move faster where the reduced contents of your home office should now go is covered in my video celebrate national clean off your desk day every day to understand what happens with the four stages of paper check out my paper organizing video thanks for watching i'll see you around