By Chelsea Babin

Career success can be attributed to many things: the skills you have, the relationships you build, the work you do, etc. However, one thing that people often forget contributes to their career success is their desk and workflow organization. If you’re looking to lead your career down a more successful path start by using these 4 optimal ways to organize your desk and improve your productivity!

1. Keep Your To-Do List Handy: What’s the point of making a to-do list if you don’t keep it handy? When you place your to-do list next to your keyboard with a pen on top it will always be around when you need to cross it off or abruptly add something on. That way the list is always up to date and effective which will save you a lot of time and energy as well as keep your workflow organized.

2. Have a System to Find the Files You Need When You Need Them: Whether it’s physical filing cabinets or files on your computer, keeping them organized can save you a lot of wasted time down the line. There is no one way to do it though! With tons of organization apps and methods available to you, you can spend however much time you’d like developing a system that works best for you. But, our suggestion is that you find that system as fast as you can and then stick to it. The sooner you have a system in place to find the files you need when you need them, the sooner you can start being more productive and less stressed out on the job.

3. Keep Your Daily Plan Out: When your plan for the day is visible you can easily tell when you’re falling behind, when you’re ahead of schedule, when you have a meeting approaching, or when you can fit in a little extra work if a coworker asks for your assistance. Whether you have a physical planner or a favorite app on your desktop, make a daily plan and keep it visible throughout the day so you can hold yourself accountable for the tasks you need to accomplish and the work you’re doing.

4. Hide What You’re Not Working On Right Now: Besides the plan and the to do list there should be no remnants of other tasks out on your desk. Keep at least one drawer or box saved for any physical documents you need to work on later, sort your files so they’re hidden from your view on your desktop, and close any tabs that don’t relate to the exact task you’re working on. This out of sight out of mind approach will keep the work you’re not currently focusing on from distracting you and you won’t run the risk of forgetting it because it will already be listed on your to-do list that’s nearby and your daily plan that’s out and visible.

If you’re looking to get more organized and have a more successful career this list can really help you out! Follow these 4 steps and your workflow will improve with ease and you’ll never have a disorganized day at work again!