Avoid desk clutter by setting up your "IN" basket somewhere other than the top of your desk.  A basket on a shelf or a wall pocket by the door are good places for incoming papers to land.  Use your desk only for papers that demand your immediate attention.  However, your "OUT" basket can be placed on the desk; this allows you to see what you've accomplished during the day.

The Rule of Reach

The more often you use an item, the closer it should be placed within your reach.  Keep day planners, tablets, pens, and contact lists within easy reach of your chair.  The paper punch, reference files, manuals, and project binders can be kept nearby.  Extra office supplies, finished projects, and archive files can be placed across the room or in a storage area.  Save the area within easy reach of your chair for those things you use on a daily basis.

Use Major Subjects Consistently 

When you organize your office according to your major work tasks or subjects, you dramatically increase efficiency.  Create a list of your most common general tasks or subjects and use this list to organize your files, emails, office zones, contacts, smart phone, references and more.  For example, your subjects might be:  fundraising, finance, personnel, insurance and marketing.  Use these subject headings for file drawers, email archive folders, storage boxes, etc.  Using consistent major themes in your office allows you to find whatever you need quickly and efficiently.  

F.A.T. Paper Pile Management

There are only three things you can do with paper:  file it, act on it, or toss it.  When paper piles start to take over, sit down with the papers and sort into three piles:  File, Act, Toss.  The TOSS pile is a no-brainer.  The FILE pile can be further sorted by your major subject themes.  The ACT file can be prioritized by task or urgency.  Here's a neat trick: it helps to remove all thick periodicals or folders first; makes the remaining paper pile seem smaller!

My Best & Simple Organizing Tools 

The eyeglass case

Use an empty clamshell eyeglass case to hold flash drives or digital memory sticks.  These cases work as convenient carriers for pens, business cards, laser pointers, and small office tools when on the road.  Plus they provide a hard case for security and protection.
 

Plastic food containers and zipper baggies 

Use these cheap containers to organize small desk supplies,

electronic cables, pre-packaged client brochures, business cards, or anything that has to be contained and separated from the pack.

Zippered baggies can be labeled for easy identification in

a drawer or briefcase.  Drop, zip and go!

Poly Project Jackets - See-through project folders are great for doing a quick sort of loose papers on your desktop.  Use to gather bills to pay, outgoing mail, receipts, papers awaiting action, or meeting notes.  These are simple to take with you in portfolios, binders, or purses.  Simply remove papers when done and set aside the empty jacket for reuse later.  Hint:  use sticky notes on the inside cover to denote the contents.  Be sure to get the ones with two open sides (top and side); some have a small tab on the open side to keep papers contained.  I buy these at Staples.com.  Note: save the three-hole punched "page protectors" for more permanent storage.

File Folder Holder - These hard-to-find folder holders are versatile and efficient for storing everything from projects to periodicals to binders.  They fit nicely on a shelf and are made to fit into a file drawer.  The grab-handle opening on the back makes them especially handy to take on the go.  They also fit into many canvas tote bags for easy carrying.  I've searched hard to find these at a reasonable price.  You can pay much more for very pretty ones, but the best buy is through the educational supply company ABCStuff.com.  They are called "Student File Boxes", item #SF001.