Posted on March 11, 2009 - by Amanda

Organizing The Home Office

By Ms Amy Brueggemann

Marcus Aurelius once penned, “The secret of all victory lies in the organization of the non-obvious” – the same might be said of a home office. It might look good on the outside; but upon further inspection it is woefully inadequate. Of course, whipping any work space into shape is not for the faint of heart. It takes courage and dedication. If you’re ready to fail-safe your organizational efforts, read on.

Ready

Before you do anything, you must clear-out. That’s right. Empty all drawers and cupboards; clear all shelves and working spaces. Anything outdated or no longer in use should be shredded, thrown away, sold, or donated. To forge the way for the next step, the items that remain should be grouped appropriately. For example, stack all items that need to be filed, all books, all CDs, etc.

Aim

Wandering aimlessly about will get you nowhere. You must have a goal; then you must have the proper equipment to achieve that goal. So take inventory. Think in terms of storage and access. What do you need to store? What do you need to keep track of? What do you need to get the job done? If you haven’t a clue where to begin, here are a few items to consider:

• Bookshelves

• Bins

• Dividers

• Peg/white/chalk board

• Stackable boxes

• Hanging file folders

• Folders

• Book ends

• Drawer organizers

• Labels

The items needed depend on your unique situation – the amount of space available, how many features are built into your current setup, the type of work that needs to be accomplished, etc.

And think outside the box. Chances are there are countless items on hand that could be given new marching orders. That funky vase, for instance, may be better suited as a pen holder; those small bamboo gift boxes would be perfect for storing paper clips or rubber bands; that rock that you tripped over and fell straight into the arms of the man of your dreams – there couldn’t be a better book end.

Fire

Now it’s time to get ‘er done. A large part of this step consists of preference. However, the same guiding principal applies to all: everything you need to accomplish your work should be accessible within arm’s-length. In figuring exact placement, keep the following in mind:

Paperwork. Anything filed should be relevant. Stray warranty registrations, surveys – anything you can put off – fill them out now and send them off. Records older than six years should be shredded.

Filing. Files may be organized alphabetically, according to usage, or a little of both. For example, you keep a record of past client files, but do not access them on a regular basis. Therefore, the hanging file labeled “Clients” may be located near the back; but within that category, individual client files will be alphabetized.

Logic. Finally, employ a bit of logic. If you have a printer, store paper and ink cartridges near the printer. If you frequently reference the same books, keep them on top of your desk. If you are self-employed, create and maintain a file for business-related receipts.

Maintain formation

Organizing is a lot like giving birth. The moment it’s over you’re so euphoric with what lies before you, you might be tempted to forget the hellish work that lies behind. When it comes to organizing your home office, however, you do not – I repeat – do not want to do it again. So keep up on it. When you finish working, tidy your work area: stack books and papers currently in use, and prepare for the next day. File as you go. Set dates to go through papers and files – deleting, throwing away, or shredding as needed. Remember: procrastination is not your friend. Now go forth and be productive.