Office organization in a small business is an important factor that affects work performance and productivity. A well-organized workplace has been shown to make people more productive. Being organized can be a real struggle – and you are not alone. Quite often, you do not know what it takes to structure your office. Before now, a very long time ago, I was in that position myself – a victim of an unorganized environment and work schedule. That is why I am going to share with you the important things that I have learned and applied myself over the years:

1. Organize yourself
   Pull back: If you are working in the office and you find yourself absentminded, not entirely focused with work, close your eyes, a deep breath and cool yourself down. Start to explore what you are grateful for, shift your focus to things that make you feel good and hold on to that.

Stop multi-tasking: Multi-tasking scrambles the mind. Do you know that people who multitask waste up to 28% of their day?
Put your focus on things that matter.

Take a break: A change of scenery can refresh your mind.

2. Organize your time
   Have you received any type of training, formal or informal, on how to organize your time? Here’s some advice for you:

Be clear on your goals.
Be clear about your priorities.
Establish time blocking: block time to protect important work that you need to do without distraction.

3. Organize your workspace
   Office layout is important and positively associated with ratings of organizational culture. The ratings show a close relationship between office layout and total job satisfaction as it can influence employees’ perceptions and satisfaction at their place of work.

Here’s how you can organize the layout of your workspace.

Consider all the things that you are going to need. Have all your essentials within easy reach.
Ignore and get rid of all the non-essentials: the only things to be in your line of sight are the specific things you really need. Clear your desk as much as you can! Keep it neat.
Are your main file folders in order on your digital workspace? Or do you lose time looking for files? Save your time by reorganizing your files and making sure they are clearly labeled so that you know exactly where what you want is.

4. Organize your projects
   Get a To Do list: A To Do list simply means: all the things you will do – but you should do first. Look at your To Do list and put a priority on what’s at the top – this will ensure effectiveness.
   Be clear on your milestones and your goals.
   In conclusion, increasing your productivity through organization is usually efficient after all factors have been duly considered. It makes daunting tasks look relatively easy for you – You get to enjoy what you do and make money. However, this does not mean you should overperform because you have worked out the perfect plan. Take breaks at the appropriate time and not when you are stressed out. You might be surprised at how healthy and effective you would become.