Get Organized

By: Vicki Alexopoulos

If you are lucky like me, you are able to access your computer in your bedroom, kitchen table or an otherwise cozy location, where you are free to stretch out and sprawl all over your own space. Unfortunately, like my sister who is working at the Bank of Montreal this summer, the majority of jobs in Toronto are office jobs, requiring long hours of sitting at a desk, using your computer, and spreading out as much as you can over a small desk.

If you are anything like my sister, you hate clutter. But what can you do with such a small space? Here are some tips to keep your desk free of junk:

• Make sure you have a trash can near or under your desk, and become aware of the recycling bins close to your area. A very simple addition like this will help you throw out unwanted or used paper and other junk that may be clouding up your desk space
• Prioritize. Take everything off your desk, and begin to put on the desk your most important items, i.e. computer, mouse, keyboard, clock, pencils and highlighters etc. Place these items in easy reach 
• Store items that you do not commonly use in a file cabinet or in lower drawers, and if you are a labeler, go ahead and label so you know which drawer holds what
• Invest in a paper organizer. Ikea has good, sturdy metal ones in cool colours like pink, white and silver, that add height to your desk while organizing loose papers 
• If you have a drawer, kitchen cutlery plastic organizers can be your best friend. They're inexpensive, you can usually find them around your house, and they are perfect for storing loose items like pencils, erasers and useful junk of that sort
• Make room for inspirational items, be it a picture frame, a small jar with flowers, or an interesting desk calender - not only does this lighten your mood, but it gives your newly organized desk a more personal feel
• Once a week, go through all your junk that you have accumulated and throw out the stuff you know you will not need. Place the other items in a "maybe" pile, and after a month if you have not used anything in that pile, toss that junk out!

Feel free to comment any more tips on Desk Organization! I'd love to hear from you. Anyways, til next time Junk Lovers!