Since you can't ship out your office, how about shaping it up instead? 

1. Slim Down the Piles.
   Trim your inbox and the ever growing files surrounding your desk.  Use the TRAF system:
   1. Toss-throw it away
   2. Refer-pass it on to another person
   3. Action-complete the task
   4. File-put in a file to refer to it in the future
      
      
2. Stick to Time Limits.
   Set aside a certain amount of time each day-approx. 15-30 minutes-and your office will quickly become more organized, requiring less time per day to maintain the orderly workspace you've created.
   
   
3. Dedicate a Specific Time of Day to Organizing.
   Allocate the same to time each day to organizing.  This will ensure that TRAFing your office becomes a habit that will also boost your productivity.
   
   
4. Power Through Pile-Up.
   If your piles have been lingering for months (or maybe even years), dedicate just 10-15 minutes a day for five consecutive days just to sort through the backlog.  This will help eliminate the piles quickly.  However, be sure to spend only a small amount of time each day on the piles to prevent the task from feeling overwhelming.
   
   
5. Tone-Up Organizational Skills.
    Create a master ta-da(to-do) list, including all items and actions that you want to accomplish that day.  To prevent feeling overwhelmed by your daily ta-da list, break the list out into "current" and "do later items".  For good example: While every single idea, call, project or task goes onto the mast list, only certain items will be incorporated into each daily ta-da list  this approach helps you manage your time more efficiently and focus your efforts on priorities.
   
   
6. Increase File Finding Flexibility.
   When you're filing, don't outthink yourself with clever file names.  Group folders by creating a master hanging file with the broadest name.  Use manilla (or colored) folders with more detailed names.  For example:  Utilities may be the hanging file name, while Phone, Cable, Electric, etc would be the manila (or colored) files headings.
   
   
7. Organize Paper and Online Information into File Folders (applies to both paper and electronic files).
   While scattered papers on a desktop are a more visible sign of disorder, electronic files and email also need to be organized.  Instead of keeping a few hundred emails in the email inbox, organize them into subfolders to make retrieval simple.
   
   
8. Strengthen Everyday Organizational Skills.
   Staying organized will help you accomplish important tasks to make your business a success.  In order to maintain an organized office, keep a single calendar and centralize supplies.  All appointments should be placed on a single calendar that you access every day.  If you use an online calendar, be sure that it can be brought with you on the road.  This way appointments can be added while travelling.  If you work with a larger group, keep track of the team by organizing major department tasks on one calendar.  be sure that items on the centralized calendar are also on each individual team member's personal calendar.
   
   
9. Balance Organizational Needs on the Road.
   Traveling can lead to disorder.  If you work out of multiple offices or have meetings outside the the office, it is important to know what  files you need to bring with you and what can stay at home.  When planning for an upcoming trip thing through the documents you will need for the scheduled meetings.  If you are traveling to several cities in a row, consider shopping files to the different hotels where you will be staying.  This way you can minimize what you carry without being unprepared.  You might want to carry back-up on a thumb drive just in case the materials don't arrive in time.
   
   
10. Train for a Less "Taxing" Tax Season.
    At the beginning of each year, make sure to create a file to store receipts.  Keep all business deductions (travel, charitable donations, expenses, etc) in one place for easy retrieval at tax time.
     

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