A simple desk reset for a clearer workspace

Leave enough space on your desk for the task you’re doing, with the tools you use often within arm’s reach. Everything else needs a place where you can find it and put it away.

Clear the working surface

Move everything aside, wipe the desk, and return only what you use during a typical work session. That might be a laptop, notebook, pen and a glass of water. Put occasional tools on a nearby shelf or in a drawer.

Keep one open area for paper, sketching or another activity your work involves. A desk covered in useful things can still lack usable space.

Give cables a route

Follow each cable from device to socket. Leave enough slack to move equipment without pulling a connector, then guide loose lengths along the back of the desk. Reusable ties can group cables without creating a permanent bundle.

Before choosing clips or a cable tray, measure the desk edge and check the attachment method. Keep ventilation openings clear and don’t place power equipment where a spill is likely to reach it. Follow the equipment manufacturer’s instructions.

Choose storage for the contents

A shallow tray can hold a few daily items. A drawer divider can separate stationery from small accessories. Buy a holder only when you know what will go into it and where it will fit.

Avoid filling the desk with organizers that need their own organization. A single accessible drawer may solve more than several containers on the surface.

Close with a two-minute reset

At the end of a session, put tools away, move cups to the kitchen and leave a note about the next step. If paper keeps building up, decide which documents need keeping and give them a separate place.

Try the layout for several days before adding more accessories. Check whether you can put things away easily at the end of a session.