You know that deer in the headlights look that people get when they’re scared? Sometimes my clients get the same look when they think about making changes to their home office. They feel overwhelmed and they don’t know where to start. It’s definitely normal and understandable.

Transforming the look and function of your home office can be a challenge and definitely intimidating. While you can’t change everything about your home office in one day, there are a few simple things you can do now to make your home office more productive.

1. Grab a box and make a clean sweep of your home office. Dump old magazines and newspapers in the box. While you’re at it, toss papers in there that you know you’ll never refer to again. If any papers have sensitive information, shred them before you recycle them.

2. Take anything off your desk that you don’t use weekly. If you have personal items that are taking up valuable space, move them to a nearby shelf or bookcase. If you don’t have enough storage space add shelves near your desk. Yes, you can do that in one day.

3. Move extra furniture out. Is your home office the place where everyone dumps furniture that doesn’t match any of the rooms in your home? Maybe you inherited an old chair your mom didn’t want or a cabinet your friend couldn’t take with her when she moved. Either donate the furniture or store it somewhere else.

4. Move things around. Put your desk against the opposite wall. If you have two bookcases, separate them and put your desk in-between them. Shake things up a bit to make your home office more interesting and a place where you want to work.

5. Gather loose supplies (the stuff rolling around in drawers) and put them in clear containers or in drawer organizers. Make sure you store similar items together.

6. Change the look of your walls and create a more inspiring place to work. Replace tired, old photos on the wall with a large bulletin board or colorful artwork. Save money by enlarging photos from your last trip and framing them. Each time you look at the photos, you’ll remember your trip.

Making changes to your home office doesn’t have to take a lot of time or work and you can accomplish more in one day than you think you can. The best part is that any changes you do make will get you that much closer to a productive home office.

Over the New Year’s weekend, she “seriously decluttered, repainted and redecorated” her home office.

The medals she earned from two marathons, the Minnie Mouse drawing by her daughter and the SUCCESS magazine cover autographed by Donald Trump, all hanging above her desk, inspire Debbie every day. Those personal items, along with a setup that’s functional and stylish, reflect her interests, personality and professionalism.

Her 10’ x 10’ home office used to be ivory-colored with a green accent wall. Now the walls are a soothing green with an ivory accent wall. The green containers on her newly cleared out bookcases not only tie in with the rest of the room, they provide extra storage.

Debbie’s L-shape desk has plenty of room to hold equipment on top and supplies on shelves below. In addition to her all-in-one machine, she uses a black & white laser printer for contracts.

Her favorite part of her home office is the fresh green paint, a new chair (a bargain from TJ Maxx), and her pared-down cherry wood bookcases. She took out two sections of the unit to open up more space in her office. Debbie also splurged on a new office chair because she spends so much time in it.

No doubt that this beautiful, well-organized office will make everyone a little green with envy.

Desk #1
Topsy-turvy and turbulent
The top of your desk is piled high with magazines, unopened mail and bills. If someone wants you to see something, they leave it on your chair. Eventually you’ll feel it when you sit down.
Your desk screams: You’re a creative person but you seem a bit scattered, unreliable and easily distracted.
Desk makeover: The goal isn’t to be a perfectionist or a neat freak. Instead, create some order. Use desktop file holders for the files you’re working on now, put stacking bins on the floor to hold materials for certain projects, hang bulletin boards and wall pockets to help you get and stay organized. Get in the habit of clearing out your office every few weeks.

Desk #2
Slick and sparse
Your desk screams: Only the bare essentials, thank you. Your computer, printer and handheld are on your desk while everything else is tucked away.
Desk makeover: Add a picture of your family, pet, or friends to the wall or add colorful artwork. A plant wouldn’t hurt either…just remember to water it.

Desk #3
Stacked and stodgy
Your desk screams: You have trouble making decisions, especially when it has to do with papers. Magazines you want to read are stacked neatly in one corner, while in another corner are papers you need to file and supplies that need a home.
Desk makeover: Add a bookcase near your desk to hold magazines stored in magazine holders or get rid of magazines altogether and subscribe to the online versions. Make decisions about paper by using the P-A-P-E-R system: Put papers in a file, Act on them, Place them in a stacking bin, Enter any action you need to take on your To Do list and toss (or file) the papers, or Recycle them. Keep extra supplies in your bookcase, stored in colorful baskets or containers.

Do you know what your desk is saying about you?

Before you set up a home office, it’s important to consider every room in your home. Even if you already have a home office, there may be a better place for it.

I always ask my clients these questions to help them determine the best place for their home office:

• Will you actually work in this area?
• Will there be only a few distractions?
• Is there – or could there be – enough lighting?
• Could you run a phone line and Internet connection into the room? (If you already have wireless, you’ll be fine.)
• Are there enough electrical outlets?
• Is this space comfortable year-round?
• Is there room for everything you need (desk, file cabinet, computer and storage)?

If you answered “yes” to most of these questions, then you’ve found a good place to set up or maintain your home office. Before you move to another space, try it out for a couple of weeks. You may find that the room is too noisy, there’s too much traffic in and out of the space or you’re isolated from the rest of your family.