Home Office: Set in Order 整頓
A place for everything, and everything in its place.
The desk should have space to work. Everything else is below the desk or behind you — within reach but not in the way.
The zones to set in order
Desk zone
Monitor · Keyboard · Mouse
Current project only
Notebook · One pen
Reference zone
Active reference books
Binders for current projects
Manuals · Style guides
Supply zone
Pens · Scissors · Tape
Stapler · Paper clips
Sticky notes · Stamps
Archive zone
Completed project files
Tax records · Contracts
Anything not active this month
The desk rule: only the current project earns desk space. Everything else is reference (on the shelf), supply (in the drawer), or archive (in the filing zone). A clear desk isn't aesthetic — it's the difference between focused work and distracted work.
Set in Order tasks for the Home Office
- Desk surface: monitor, keyboard, mouse, lamp — nothing else is permanent
- Reference materials (books, binders) on a nearby shelf grouped by project
- Stationery in one drawer: pens, scissors, tape — nothing duplicated
- Cable management: a cable tray under the desk eliminates floor cable tangle
- Filing: active projects in a tray; completed projects in labelled folders
- An action tray for items needing attention — reviewed daily, never backlogged
What is the Set in Order phase?
Set in Order (整頓, Seiton) assigns a specific, logical home to every remaining item. Items are placed at the point of use, at the right height, with the most-used items most accessible. The goal is a system so intuitive that anyone in the household can find and return every item without being told where it goes.
Common questions about the Home Office
How do I keep my desk clear?
The desk should have a base state — monitor, keyboard, mouse, lamp, nothing else permanently. At the end of every workday, return to base state. Items that resist being cleared signal that they need a designated home: a filing tray for active papers, a shelf for reference books, a drawer for stationery. Fix the home, not the desk.
How should I organise paperwork at home?
Three categories: action (needs a response or decision — maximum 10 items, reviewed daily), file (needs keeping — in labelled folders by topic), and recycle. Nothing else exists. Paper that doesn't fit one of those three categories should not be kept. Process new post the day it arrives; never let it stack.
How do I organise cables in a home office?
A cable tray mounted under the desk handles the main runs. Velcro ties (not cable ties — they're reusable) bundle cables that run together. Label both ends of every cable with a label maker or masking tape. Toss cables with no current device — they will not become useful.
How do I focus better by organising my workspace?
Visual clutter directly increases cognitive load — your brain processes every item on the desk as a potential task even when you're not actively looking at it. A clear desk is not aesthetic preference; it reduces the mental overhead of sitting down to work. The base-state desk practice takes 5 minutes and has a measurable effect on focus.
Common Home Office mistakes
✗ Mistake
Desk as the default landing zone for everything
✓ Fix
A desk is a workspace. Nothing lands on it that isn't active work.
✗ Mistake
Paper piles that "need to be dealt with"
✓ Fix
Piles grow. An action tray with a daily review is the fix — maximum 10 items.