This post is all about home office organization.

Let’s be real—your home office will never look like those inspirational Pinterest pins, and that’s okay! That’s why I’m here to help you keep your workspace functional when life gets busy.

For more visit my Pinterest @lifewthvee

The “Good Enough” Attitude

Your new best friend will be a large basket or box, and I’m going to explain why.

Everyone is different; some people like to wake up early and start working, and others (like me) are more like night owls. Some work really well on Mondays, but some prefer a more “flexible” schedule. Because, let’s be honest, motivation isn’t enough to make everything work.

But the one thing we all have in common is that we tend to clutter our space a little bit, and all you need is one “good enough” answer for that: the large basket is there to help you when you need a quick cleanup. Does it do a pretty job? No… but it works!

Your Desk: Chaos Check

There is no such thing as a perfect desk, so forget those cute and aesthetic home office pictures, and aim for a more “findable chaos” approach.

• Keep today’s stuff near you

Whatever you’ll need for the day to work, keep it near you. Otherwise, everything else goes in your bestie basket/box. This also applies to things like a water bottle; nothing more important than staying hydrated during work!

• One pen cup

The goal is to keep things simple. Why? Well, if you think about it, the more containers you have, the more time you’ll waste finding what you need. So, one pen cup equals less wasted space and time. AND you’ll only keep what you actually need (back to the previous point).

• One spot for paperwork

Put ALL your physical papers in just one spot; it can be a tray, a basket, or even a folder, and deal with them only when you actually have time – which means it doesn’t need to be pretty at the beginning.

Embracing the Digital Life Without the Hassle

Nobody has the time nor the patience to create 1000 perfectly labelled folders, so try this instead:

• Two-Folder System

No need for a complex folder organization; one folder named “Active” and one “Old Stuff” should do the job. Put stuff you’re currently working on in the “Active” one, whilst for everything else you might need someday in the “Old Stuff” one.

• Use Your Phone as Your Scanner

Most phones have built-in scanning apps, like Notes for iPhone. You can easily send your paperwork directly to your email or cloud storage. And the BIGGEST bonus about this hack is that photos are usually searchable, which means you don’t even need to stress yourself naming your files to perfection.

• Search functions exist for a reason

You don’t need super-organized folder structures, that’s why search functions exist. It’s like having a personal assistant who knows where everything is.

When Your Plans Meet Reality

Things rarely go as planned. So let’s see how work actually works and how to make it work for us:

• Unexpected video calls: Use the basket sweep method.
• Working on the move: no judgement if you decide to work from the couch or in a cafe
• Forgetting to clean your office: Hey, you’re not alone. Join the club.
• Kids/pets/partners share your space: Keep important things in a closable container and use noise-cancelling headphones.

For more visit my Pinterest @lifewthvee

Remember This

There is no such thing as a “perfect organization”. Here’s what success looks like in real life:

• You can find most of your stuff when you need it
• You have a somewhat clear space to work from

A “good enough” system you actually use beats a perfect system. Now go tackle that pile of work (or don’t—tomorrow is another day)!

This post was all about home office organization