Create an active in-tray. When you keep your papers in stacking plastic trays, your top should be your in-box, which means it must be cleared every night in order for you to stay organized. Everything in here, you have to make a decision on. It can't stay in there, it must be processed. If you have phone headsets, you can hang your headsets on the hook for easy access.
Plastic baskets are great catch-alls for small items.
Spend 15 minutes at the end of each day organizing your desk. This way, your desk will not lapse into an overwhelming mess. Still, people who try to organize themselves sometimes lose momentum when they try to do the job themselves. If organizing yourself seems too daunting, or you just can't seem to part with some of your possessions, you might consider a professional organizer. We are not emotionally attached to their things.