One work drawer...a new life
Have you ever opened your desk draw to get a paper clip, scissors or any other office supply item and realized that it's really time to get it organized? Well that's what happened to me the other day, when a co-worker asked me for staples and I had to go on what seemed like an expedition to search for them. That was the big clue that I needed to get it under control.
Here are 5 tips on how to organize a work draw.
1.) Pull everything out of the drawer and access what you want to have in that drawer. Since this was the top drawer of my desk and my "go to" for the basics that I use pretty much on a daily basis, I kept only those items that I needed in that drawer. The picture of the man you see is Oscar de la Renta. I found out that the post office created forever stamps of a few of his beautiful dresses. When I saw them on line www.usps.gov I knew that I had to get them. I always get questions from the receiver of a letter or card that I've sent, asking how did I find these stamps.
2.) Shop your own work space first. Since I had a few small containers already in the space, I took a look at what was actually needed and then I used the correct size container for those items.
3.) If you need to add containers for storage, make sure to measure the inside space in your drawer, BEFORE heading out to a store. I have on many occasions, not followed that sage advice and thought I could just "eye ball' it, which always lead to me having to then measure and return the items. Save yourself the hassle and always measure...twice.
4.) In the empty drawer, arrange where you want each of the items to be located. More often than not, you may have to move containers and items around until you get the fit that you want. I found the container with brass paper, binder clips and push pins at Home Goods and since it was already self contained, I didn't see the need to buy more containers. I kept all of the "sign / date, notarize, initial here stickers facing towards me, so that when I open the drawer I can easily get to them. I also use pens and highlighters frequently for forms. There are also two cans of L'Occitane Precious mist www.usa.loccitane.com that I keep to hydrate my face whenever it feels dry. It's also great for refreshing your makeup at the end of the day, for after office events.
5.) Take a before and after picture with your phone. This will help you in remembering those odd item(s) that you may run out of before you can re-stock them. It will also give you a sense of accomplishment, which also help to be motivated to keep it organized.
While "shopping" through all of the items, I found a few other things and placed on top of my desk right above the top drawer. The small white tray and small dish are from Home Goods. The planner is from the Happy Planner, which I purchased at Michael's.
The small dish I found at Marshall's and I loved the quote "Fashion changes but style endures" by Coco Chanel. The pen is from one of my favorite you tube channels, At Home With Nikki, who has a subscription box called N Style. It was one of the items in the first box.
