Best Desk Organization for Busy Moms

Start your day off right with these ideas for desk organization for busy moms. The beginning stages of any entrepreneur journey usually looks a lot like late nights, early mornings, paperwork scattered here and there, and work being done from wherever you can manage to get it done- kitchen counter, leaned over the couch with your laptop on the coffee table, or sitting in the bed while you simultaneously binge a Netflix show. Not to mention the madness that occurs when you add kids to the mix. Maybe, you get some work done, but likely you’re spending more time exhausting energy. Too busy trying to keep up with all of the mental notes about the to-do lists, upcoming projects, and remembering where you put your files. It’s not efficient. Reorganize your workspace for better productivity and ultimately get more time in your day.

Office Organization Hacks:

Busy moms are constantly juggling to find the best work-life balance solutions. These home office organization hacks are solutions the whole family can easily get on board with. Make the best use of your space and your time when using these tips to plan for success.

1. Create A space:

Maybe it seems obvious, but creating a designated workspace is the number one home office organization hack. Gone are the days of working from my kitchen table. And, while working from the bed may be comfy it isn’t efficient. It’s also horrible for your back and long-term productivity. Trust me, I did it for years, and this momma is way too young for all of the backaches she endures. When we moms work from home, we share our attention with kids, household chores and somehow squeeze in work. For the best results when “squeezing in work,” creating an official workspace is key. Your brains trigger to start and stop “work” when it arrives and leaves that space. You have better focus because you know this space means “get to work.”

It’s ok if you don’t have another room, a simple corner, or spare wall will do the trick as well.

2. Organize your Files

Let’s be honest; it’s the files that get us. If you’re thinking “I don’t need a file organizer” or you find them unnecessary, unthink that thought now. We often start with the best intentions. We even remember where we put things and what we named our file folders. Time passes, and those memories fade. Things get lost. Now everything on our office desk is out of wack. There is no desk surface area and your desk space is a hot mess. But, when we’re rushing to complete projects, we can’t afford to waste precious minutes looking through the mess.

Go for it and place your papers in a filing cabinet, but be sure to place them there with intention in order to keep them once and tidy for the long hall.

Easy ways to organize your files

These tips work as a desktop organizer as well as with physical filing systems to give you additional desk space, and a clear desktop. The essence is to clear the clutter in your workspace.

• Folders and Dividers
• Place all documents in one place
• Create a File Station
• Use labels
• Go Digital- Stop using paper storing systems

Desk Organization for Busy Moms: Easy-to-Follow Files System

• Inbox
• Outbox
• Action Station
• Waste Station

3. Organize your Office Supplies:

It’s so easy to throw pens and pencils and other smaller supplies in desk drawers and move on. That is until you need a pen and there isn’t one in arm’s reach. Or until you’re in a hurry to get a package out or trying to quickly organize a few files before you run out of the house to make the afterschool pickup. Because if you’re anything like me, you’re the queen of leaving the house just in the nick of time to make the last school bell- with no repercussions. But, if you know where everything is, you can avoid the hustle and bustle of added delays with proper desk organization. You may even make the morning pick up with time to stop by Starbucks for a latte.

How to organize your supplies:

Categorize them by:

• Color
• Biggest to smallest
• Smallest to biggest
• Use/Function- Computer supplies, printing supplies, Thank you notes, File organization, important files, paper clips, papers, and notepads, etc
• Labels
• Containers- mason jars- small storage boxes

4. The Best Desk Organization for busy moms: Add Calendars and Clocks

Perhaps it’s obvious, but calendars and clocks in your home office are a Must! Time seems to escape quickly when you’re busy running a business from home and taking care of kids. To stay on task, make important meetings, and not miss deadlines knowing the dates and time of day are essential. Make it easy for yourself by tacking them on a highly visible wall in your office space. Now, everyone is on the same time schedule and there is no need for excuses.

5. Storage Shelves to Organize your Desk

To maximize your storage space, whether you’re in a big office or operating on borrowed space from other rooms in the house, you want to get the best use out of every inch of the room you’re using. Desk organizers are perfect but often expensive. If you want extra storage space and need small desk organization tips, this is the best solution.

Storage shelves are a lifesaver, especially when you have kids. With storage shelves, you get to create more storage in areas that would have otherwise been dead. Hang shelves high and keep important or sharp things out of reach of small children. Plus, shelves can be used in many ways- including to add cool desk accessories like personalized decor or motivational quotes.

6. Map out your workflow: Best desk organizer for busy moms

Desk organization needs to be sustainable. When it isn’t, our desks are right back in their same ole state of the hot mess that brought us to this post in the first place. But we’re working smarter, not harder, this year. Follow this genius desk organization method to keep things organized so you can focus on work when you need to. So, map it out.

Easy Workflow map for work from home moms

• Be clear about what your workspace is for.
• Keep your goals in mind.
• Consider how you work and separate your major task into 3-5 categories
• Create zones for each category (design and craft zone with art supplies, phone answering station with headphones, notepaper, and writing utensils, blogging station with SEO checklist, and common keywords that you’re using posted in an easy-to-read place, etc.)
• Use post-it’s to map out each step of that goal and keep your thoughts and documents organized

7. Give everything a home

When things don’t have a place, we all know they end up wherever we can hide them- leading to a cluttered workspace. And, if we’re cleaning up fast because family suddenly decided to show up, or the dinner party we planned a month ago arrived much faster than we anticipated (clearly I’m forgetful), it’s much easier to put all of the things in their proper drawers when we know where they belong. Giving everything a home is home organization hack 101. It’ll save you so much time and energy in those moments where there isn’t enough mom to go around.

Nothing will be spared. Every paper needs a home in order to avoid a cluttered work space. Every pen, pencil, note, and stapler needs a home. A special home can even be made for your desktop monitor stand by using a monitor riser to clear some desk’s surface area. For best practice, leave a few spaces empty to grow into your office. That way, in six months, when you realize you have an obscene amount of electronic chords for your office supplies, you can make a home for them in an empty drawer.

8. Desk Organization for Busy Moms: Charging Station

No one uses landlines anymore. Well, almost no one. Texting on your mobile phone and sharing your personal cell number in business settings have become the norm. This is even more so when you’re a mom with a start-up, working from home. To cut costs and keep business simple, you use the phone you’ve got, making charging stations a necessity. Important or not, they’re really nice to have. Nothing is worse than being on an important call, and your phone dies. Maybe, it’s me, but something feels very childish about that scenario. When it comes to small businesses, every deal and dollar counts. Would’nt wants a potential client to think you’re unprofessional.

Charging stations are an easy-to-implement home organization idea. Gather a basket or caddy and place it in a convenient location. Add small drawer organizers to separate charging cables for your computer, from phone chargers to other device chargers. Include extra chargers for things you use on the go so you can grab one on your way out the door. If you really want to be prepared, include external chargers for moments you forget. Because who are we kidding? They totally happen- more often than any of us would like to admit

Charing station supplies:

• Charging dock
• Cell Phone Charger IOS
• Cell Phone Charger Android
• Basic USB
• Caddy or bin
• Working Outlets
• Power strip

9. Comfortable Chair

No office is complete without a comfortable chair. Office chairs are equivalent to beds in a bedroom. You may have thought that the desk was the most important part, but no way! Sitting in an uncomfortable chair for hours will leave anyone cranky, including you. Cranky moms aren’t on their best game. But, comfy chairs keep you relaxed and focused throughout the day. It’s not a cure, but it can make a significant difference to working mom’s burnout.

10. Inspiration Station

Make your home office your own. Hang photos, motivational posters, vision boards with your goals and dreams plastered on them, and decorate with your favorite colors. Working can sometimes be exhausting, even if you love your work. Turn your office into a place of peace that you’ll be happy to be in day in and day out.

DIY Desk Organization Ideas for Busy Moms

11. DIY Organization: Magnetic Strips:

Our desk contains many much-needed items. However, small things like pens, pencils, and sticky notes can unnecessarily take up good desk real estate. Declutter your desk with magnetic strips. Place them on the sides of your desk and attach tin containers for a no-fuss, DIY office desk hack to clear desk clutter.

12. DIY Chalkboard Wall Calendar: Desk organization for busy moms:

Keep up with the days of the week, kids’ activities, and big deadlines with this office organization hack. Managing tasks is made simple with this DIY wall calendar. They’re practical and easy to make. With a little elbow grease, a small pint of chalk paint, or chalk paper, and a few pieces of chalk, you’ll be ready to work in no time. Chalkboard wall calendars are exactly what every busy family needs to keep things running smoothly.

For more Mommy and Me Room Organization hacks, check out my guest post Mommy & Me Art Projects: 9 Fun Toddler Room Ideas Your Kids Will Love Doing Together.

13. Cereal Box Drawer Dividers:

Drawer dividers are a great way to make the most of the space you have. Efficient and creative, cereal box DIY drawer organizers can be a fun, affordable working mom project. Killing two birds with one stone, you can turn this into a fun project for the family. Allowing the kids to help make your office space special. So, pull out the craft supplies. Together you can cover the boxes with wrapping paper or other decorative paper for cute decor.

I prefer something more streamlined like rose gold wrapping paper or a mesh desk organizer, but feel free to be as creative, and corky as to fit your own fun-loving personality.

Desk Organization Ideas Pinterest

Find creative desk organization ideas with step-by-step guides and visual prints on Pinterest.

14. Mini Holder- Multi-use Desk storage Organization:

Saving time is the name of the game, and mini holders are a busy mom’s cheat code. Pinterest has all the tips for neat, chic, organized desk ideas. Mini holders are amazing desk storage systems for all the desk supplies you need to keep at bay. Mini holders make lip balms, combs, brushes, mirrors, and other personal care items easily accessible. Helping you become camera-ready for a zoom call in minutes.

15. Locking Safe Bookshelf:

Office desks are flat and limited in space—Head vertical with your desk organizers to maximize space and expand your small office storage. Locking safe bookshelves can be a cute decorative room piece and serve as a great office supplies closet. Plus, any storage that keeps the little ones away from work supplies is a plus for me.

16. Go Vertical with a wall manager

Wall Managers are hanging storage units. Store things from post-its and small books to a complete filing system. They are already sectioned off and can be hung with just a few screws. DIY, or buy as-is, wall managers are simple storage solutions with huge gain. You’ll love it. And, it free’s up more precious real estate on your desk.

Kids Desk Organization Ideas

17. Use Toys as storage:

One of my favorite ways to store things in my son’s room is by using other toys. They make for an amazing multipurpose organizer. Sort your kid’s crayons and markers by color. Take a few of your child’s Tonka trucks and fill them with assorted pens, pencils, markers, erasers, and other daily used items. Place the trucks on a shelf just slightly above your child’s desk for easy access. It’s such a cute way to keep things tidy and give your toddler’s the best desk- one that’s fun and personalized.

18. PegBoard

Pegboards are everything. As a mompreneur who also homeschools her toddler, I can tell you that pegboards are a go-to accessory for your kid’s desk. Mainly because of its versatility. Add a velcro mat to hang shelves from, switch out letters to numbers or numbers to site words- the possibilities are endless. Ease has never been more simple.

Newly organized office, now what: How to Increase Productivity?

Now that your office is nice and neat, here’s a quick list of ways to increase your productivity in your super cute work area. May as well get the best use of your new space by actually getting some work down.

1. Timers are everything

If you want to stay on task and accomplish your daily, weekly, and monthly goals use a timer. Timers literally keep you “on time”. They’re small reminders that you’re halfway through a project, moving on from a project, and starting a new project- or at least you should be.

2. Batch Task

A desk drawer organizer and a pull-out drawer will only get you so far. The work still needs to be done, and for that, I love batching to save time. Take repetitive tasks and do them all at once. Got a blog post to write every single week? How about writing 10 in a week, and freeing up the next 10 weeks because you’ve batched those posts and got them out the way? Need photos for your new product ad, your website, and your kid’s birthday invitation? Plan a shoot day (remember to do the kid’s things first and let them go about their day because shoot days are long and they won’t survive) and get all of those photos taken at one time. Change your hair up, and bring a few outfit changes, and you’re on your way.

3. Don’t Multitask

We think this saves time, but it does not. Multitasking increases distractions and the likely hood that we’ll waste time. Do one thing at a time and get it done. Then, move on.

4. Find out Your Productive Hours

Nothing you say will get me to work well during late-night hours. I will tell myself all day long that I’m going to work, exercise, meal prep, or whatever in the evening, and I promise you that no matter what the motivation is, those things are not happening. I like to sleep, and I’m pretty braindead come 3:00 pm.

How about you?

What times will you absolutely not be productive? Plan your work around that to ensure you get the most done throughout your day. Be honest with yourself.

5. Plan Your Meals in Advance

Guess what? If you batch your meals by prepping in advance or planning ahead of time you can save so much time during the week and during busy work hours. My favorite thing to do is to create my own recipe book with quick and easy meals my family will love. Maybe I won’t get around to actually prepping them in advance, but planning them and having easily accessible, tasty, easy meal options definitely makes a difference. So, even if you’re not a “meal prep mom”, you can take a little leg out of the weekly mental load by planning the meals in advance, and keeping track of the simple and delicious ones that your family loves.

For quick and easy grab-and-go meals that your kids are sure to love, check out my grab-and-go dinners post. You’ll also find this free DIY family recipe book there too. Hurry over while supplies last.

Moms have so many things on their plates, creating spaces with intention helps the day run more smoothly. Regardless of your schedule, you can rest assured that cleanup will be simpler if you’re going at it on your own or with the help of your little one. Use this genius desk organizer’s for busy mom’s hacks to organize your kid’s desk and save time where you can do more of the things that really matter to you.

Thanks for stopping by

your friend,

Diamond Janae

Looking for more tips to make the most of your time?

• Grab and go dinners
• Goal Setting Success Tips for Moms