Less Is More: How to Declutter Your Home Office to Make Room for Productivity

Clutter takes up mental space.

A messy space makes it hard to find a particular thing you probably already have duplicates in your home office.

Solopreneurs rely on an organized schedule to run their every day.

So it makes perfect sense to keep everything else in your home office organized.

If you’re reading this post, chances are you’re dealing with workspace clutter that grew over time as you launched your startup business.

Our goal today is to motivate you to get started on organizing your home office and see your productivity elevate.

1. Visualize the space you want to work in.

When you go from cubicle space to your own home office, you set the rules on the environment you want to work in.

You know what works for you.

Bring in the colors you love and design your own workspace.

It helps to create a board on Pinterest for inspiration. It’s best to have a theme to work with so it streamlines the entire design.

More important than the design is the ambiance that you want to work in.

You want to be able to create a sense of calm in your home office to minimize the anxiety and stress from running your business solo.

2. Clear your desk.

Everything needs to have a home in your home office. But not everything should make its home IN your home office.

Start by clearing your desk of trash. Don’t dwell on each piece of paper. Just throw out the unnecessary. Don’t forget to paper-shred important documents.

Next, physically remove everything from your desk. Consider the type of desk you have.

A high-gloss white desk or unpainted natural wood are great options. Opt for a desk with no drawers. Having drawers encourages clutter to pile up on your desk as you “forget” to put stuff away.

From hereon, carefully select what lives on your desk.

Realize that reference material need not be on your desk. You can strip down to the bare essentials like your laptop, desk lamp, To-do list notebook, and a pen.

3. Get rid of duplicates.

Why do you keep losing your pen when you need it?

To be more intentional with how you use and keep your things, aim to have just one of what you need on your desk. For example, only use one pen until it’s out of ink.

Also, consider why you need to keep duplicates of something. Many times, you can make do with one thing and repurchase once it’s all used up.

In some cases, duplicates are necessary—such as when you sell products and need to ship them. Still, in those cases, you can manage with one pair of sharp scissors.

For supplies you need to keep, a mobile organizer is good to have as you can bring them to your desk when you need them near you.

4. Aim to go paperless.

Not only is going paper-free helping the environment, but it also gives you near-instant access to the information you need.

Invest in a quality scanner so you can keep digital files of papers you need for reference.

Those you need original copies of should be limited to a single folder or an envelope with dividers.

To make sure you don’t place the paperwork on your desk again, mount an acrylic tiered organizer on your wall. Label pretty folders with ‘Reference,’ ‘ASAP,’ ‘Receipts,’ and so on according to what you need to keep until you get it scanned on your computer.

For books, newspapers, and magazines, go for eBook versions. Sorry, but post-its have to go too. Keep a short to-do list and planner instead.

5. Make desk decorations matter.

Do you have a framed photo on your desk, some collectibles, and whatnot? The thing is, you won’t be staring at your figurines the whole time you’re working.

To put you in laser focus, you may have to find a new home for your decorations, such as on floating shelves. Again, strip down to the bare minimum. A smaller desk can help you do that.

Consider decorating with a low-maintenance desk plant, lucky bamboo or a terrarium instead. Plants not only keep the air clean but also give your eyes a break once in a while.

You can also bring in a Himalayan salt lamp in your home office as a mood booster.

For your printer, use a mobile printer stand or get creative with a step stool you can place under the table.

6. Keep cables out of sight, out of mind.

Binder clips on your desk are the cheapest way to get rid of this eyesore as well as cable wraps, wire sleeves, or a wiremold raceway. You can also invest in a cable management desk.

Go for wireless devices and wireless charging when you can.

Have a place for everything including your wireless headphones. Again, you can mount your headphones on the wall or with a monitor clamp.

7. Stick to a routine to keep your desk tidy.

When you take on the minimalist approach to your home office, you can get rid of clutter for good. Like emails, the less you have subscribed to, the fewer emails to clutter your inbox. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have to check your inbox anymore, right?

The same with your home office. Even as you strip down to the bare essentials, clutter will still try to creep in the form of paper, books, supplies, wires, and even decorations.

Clear your desk before you end your workday and reassess your workspace at least once a week.

Don’t go back to clutter

Ask yourself, what am I holding on to that is unnecessary?

What can I do without to achieve the workspace that allows me to breathe new life and productivity into my work?

When you ask these questions, not only will your home office be free of clutter but you will also have laser focus with your goals and vision.