“Organise or agonise”, is the motto of Cindy Swan, who has been a professional organiser for more than 28 years.

Mrs. Swan has organised in the Caribbean, the US and now Bermuda. She had some great tips on how to get, and stay, organised. Having an organised office at home or at work can increase productivity and reduce stress.

“Like your office at work, your office at home should be as productive as possible,” Ms Swan suggests. “Designate time at home so that you can do what has to be done, uninterrupted.”

Mrs. Swan The “L” shaped desk is preferred by as one side can be designated to paper work and the other can be designated to your computer and other electronic devices such as a fax or printer.

If you have a desk that you’re happy with, the first step is to de-clutter your desktop, then your shelves, drawers and cabinets. Decide what you can do without and what you really need. Sort through papers, folders and supposed organisational items to find out what you really use.

The second step is to learn which products get and keep you organised and which products just get in the way. If, for example, you have a stapler with a staple remover on the other end, and you have another separate stapler and another separate remover, decide what you use more and get rid of the ones you don’t.

The third step is to “Decide the fate of every piece of paper that comes into your home office,” says Ms Swan. “Do you need to file it, act on it, or toss it?”

With 80 percent of today’s information still paper-based, the “paperless office” is a myth and things can get buried.

So “organise now or agonise later because today’s paper pile is tomorrow’s clutter.”