|
Newsletter Archives
June 2010
Expert Organizing Tips
May 2010
Tips from my Clients
April 2010
Tips for Setting Up a Garage Sale
March 2010
Unusual Ways to Organize
February 2010
Staging your Home for Sale
January 2010
Favorite Places to Buy Organizing Products
December 2009
Wrapping It Up
November 2009
Prepare the Pantry
October 2009
Costumes & Decorations
September 2009
Enough
August 2009
Help for the Home Office
July 2009
Getting Crafty
June 2009
A Better Bedroom
May 2009
Eco Organizing
April 2009
Getting Ready to Garden
March 2009
The Path To Clutter
February 2009
Easing Into Downsizing
January 2009
Organizing For Renovation
December 2008
Organizing For Next Year
November 2008
More Of My Favorite Organizing Tools
October 2008
Making Life Easier
September 2008
Clearing The Closet
August 2008
How To Let Go Of Stuff
July 2008
Managing Medical Records
June 2008
Road Trip Organizing
May 2008
Collections Instead of Clutter
April 2008
Getting Ready for Tax Time
March 2008
Where to Begin
February 2008
When You Want to Help
January 2008
Top Ten Causes of Disorganization
December 2007
Organize for Air Travel
November 2007
Organize for Small Spaces
October 2007
When Life Happens, Reorganize
September 2007
Bathroom Organizing
August 2007
Paper Organizing
July 2007
Uncluttered Kids' Rooms
June 2007
Top Ten Organizing Tools
May 2007
Grapple The Garage
April 2007
Managing Your Time
March 2007
Spring Organizing
February 2007
Help for Caregivers of Aging Parents
January 2007
National Get Organized Month
December 2006
Year End Organizing
November 2006
Give Thanks for Being Organized
October 2006
Holiday Kitchen Organization
September 2006
In Case of a Weather Emergency - Organize!
August 2006
Back to School Organizing
July 2006
Declare your Independence from Summer Clutter
|
ORGANIZING TIPS OF THE MONTH: AUGUST 2009
Help for the Home Office
The number one scourge of the home office is paper. It comes in daily and never ends. Drawers, shelves and desk tops are catch-alls for clutter. Become more productive by getting in control of your home office. Need an extra pair of hands? Give me a call.
- Do the Chunk Technique: If your paper piles are overwhelming, make quicker progress by dealing with the big chunks first. Pile the loose papers in one or more boxes. Pile the chunky paper--manuals, binders, tax file folders, catalogs, phone books—in another box. You can go through the chunky box fairly quickly and your paper organizing task will seem less daunting.
- Create a Circle of Importance: As you go through papers, place the files into current, reference, and archive storage areas. Current files are those you work with often—bills, banking, projects, accounts payable/receivable. Place current files within easy reach. Reference files are items you refer to periodically—manuals, conference notes, business receipts. These files remain in the office but do not need to be in prime office real estate. Archive files are those files you need to keep for legal, tax or sentimental reasons. They can be put in labeled boxes or files in the office or other storage area.
- Empty the Drawers: Empty them completely or you will be tempted to rearrange the contents. Use drawer organizers and other containers to hold small office necessities that get lost in drawers. Again use the circle of importance rule—put things you use daily in the most convenient drawers.
- Calm the Desk Top: Clients often tell me they know where everything is on their cluttered desk top, but when challenged to find a particular item...hmmm. Clear the desk top to hold only a computer, phone, pen holder, and current file box. You will be surprised how much productivity increases when you stop wasting time searching through piles.
- Sort the Shelves: Again—clear them out, purge, group like items and place items back in the shelves. If you have lots of small stuff, group them in labeled decorative boxes or baskets to calm the clutter.
- Get File Drawers: Whether you use hanging files or a binder system to sort your papers, deep file drawers are essential to keep them contained in an orderly manner.
- Make It Pleasant: Offices don’t have to look institutional. You will work better in an inviting office. Hang some art. Add some creative pieces to the bookshelves. Hang beautiful window treatments. Have pleasant task lamps and ambient lighting.
- Tame the Wires: Go wireless wherever possible—it cuts down on the frustration of tangled wires. Where you do have wires, contain them in cord covers or bundle them together with plastic or Velcro ties. Make life easier by labeling the cords.
- Think Outside the Box: Use organizing products in unconventional ways. Use shoe cubbies to hold pamphlets, envelopes, seals and stamp pads. Use wall mounted magazine racks to hold projects in color coded folders. Drape catalogs and professional journals over the metal spine on hanging files so the magazines don’t droop down in the drawer.
- Invest in a Good Chair: You can’t be productive if your chair hurts your back or doesn’t move easily. Get a supportive chair with excellent casters. It makes all the difference.
©Cheryl Harrell, 2009 All Rights Reserved
|
