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Tag >> Home and Office Organizing
What does your filing cabinet look like? Are you one of the few people who doesn't spend 55 minutes a week looking for that ONE piece of paper? Good for You because typically every person wastes 2 hours a year looking for paperwork. It is National Organize Your Files Week so let's take a look at how you can get your files organized! First - Sort through your paperwork and put it all into categories. Some of your categories may be bills (which could be broken down into credit cards, household expenses and medical bills). They may also be bank statements, newsletters, and general correspondence (that needs your attention). Second - If you haven't filed for a while this may seem like a daunting task but don't give up. Gather your paperwork a handful at a time and use a large space for your sorting. This is one of the few times that I would recommend using a flat surface for pile management!!! Third - Don't get too detailed as you do your initial sorting. Make this sort short and quick. You will get detailed later. Fourth - If you have mail that you haven't opened yet, take a minute to open it and take out all of the advertisements that are included in with your bills. (There isn't a reason to add all of that unnecessary paperwork to your piles).
Our daily routine has made it difficult to stay organized on a regular basis. 25 years ago, life just breezed along. I remember how life seemed so simple and how much we enjoyed spending time with the children on weekends. We used to spend family time crabbing for our dinner. Life just seemed to flow along without stress and chaos. Well, that isn't the way that things are today. Technology has made it more difficult to keep up with everything that is happening. We feel the need to be "connected" 24 hours a day. The term instant messaging took control of our lives. There is the constant need to immediately respond to everyone and everything that is happening. I have to say that it is very frustrating to me (and quite honestly, rude) to work with someone who is constantly checking email and texting on their phone. As a Professional Organizer, I know that there are things that you can do to help you organize your day so that you don't have to feel the need to be "connected" constantly. First - Relieve your anxiety. Know exactly what you "have" to do every day. What needs to be done in order for you to: be accountable to your job and family; what appointments do you have scheduled; what paperwork needs to be completed; which bills need to be paid. You get the idea. Knowing exactly what you need to get done is crucial to ensuring that you keep your day organized. Second - Schedule a time to disconnect yourself from your cell phone, tablet and computer for a while every day. Continually checking all of your electronic gadgets actually causes stress - which doesn't help keep you organized. It actually causes disorganization because it is a distraction from what you really need to be attending to. Turn off all of your alarms, dings, bells and whistles that tell you that you have incoming mail too. Talk about distracting!! Third - Develop a system for handling every part of your home and office. Have a process to handle your incoming and outgoing mail. Schedule out what day (and even the time of the day) that you do specific tasks. I remember growing up - my mom had a schedule for every part of the household duties. It seemed really mundane at the time, even boring. But I know that having a day assigned to your regular routines will help you get organized and stay organized.
 Telecommuting can turn an ok "J.O.B." into your dream "J.O.B." Sleeping in just a little longer, making the short walk to the office and the money you will save on gas can make working at home seem very enticing. You can actually take a quick break and do something around the house, rather than hanging out in the water cooler. What a home office needs to be functional is a good work space to be functional. Your setup should be easy to maintain and free from distractions. This means identifying a space that is designated just for work, without a television. Some things to consider are: have a comfy chair that allows you to work without causing stress on your back and neck, there should also be good lighting that won't cause a strain on your eyes. Since a messy pile of unfiled paperwork can definitely be a stressful distraction, create a workable and maintainable filing system. It should be simple. Have a clearly defined set of drawers for your files (there are many options available now). If your space is limited, consider making your files mobile - using a file cart that can be tucked away at the end of the day may be an option. Keep only those things on your desk that you need to deal with - everything else should have an assigned home where it can be found quickly and easily--so that it can be found when it is needed. Your physical and electronic files should mimic each other. Use the same systematic method to set-up each system. This will help keep you organized and save time from searching for files when you need them. Nothing will waste more time of your day than searching for your files. There are a ton of desktop office accessories available. Keep the basic items on your desk. A staples, pens and pencils, sticky notes and a pad of paper to take notes. Be selective when you think about what you should put on your desk. This is valuable real estate that you will need to be functional. If your desk space is limited, consider file boxes that can be attached to the wall. These can be used to sort paperwork and a short-term holding bin for weekly To Do Lists. If your home office is also your work office designate a separate space for your home and office files. One solution is to divide a file drawer (if you are using a lateral file system) or designate specific file drawers if you are using a traditional file cabinet. If you are using a lateral file cabinet it can also be used to hold your In box and To Do List. A graduated vertical filing system can also be kept on top of the lateral file cabinet to hold those files that you need handy - but not necessarily on top of your desk. And, they can also hold thicker files easily too. Also, have a specific place to identify your mail. This is, of course, after you have eliminated all junk mail.
As we approached the deadline to file taxes for 2011 I have been hearing more and more questions about how to organize receipts that are eligible for a write-off. As a small business owner (and even homeowners), there are items that we purchase while we are at Staples, Home Depot, Office Depot and even Wal-Mart and Target that are eligible for a tax write-off and it is important that we have a system to document these receipts and keep them organized. Too many times the receipts find their way into the bottom of a purse, pockets, stuck in a checkbook, tossed onto the front seat of your car or even the trash - accidentally, of course. Here is a simple suggestion that I shared at speaking engagements last week - so I thought I would share them with you to help you keep your receipts organized. 1. Use a simple coupon holder that you can carry in your purse or in the glove compartment of your car. Instead of storing your coupons in it, however, identify each section for a month of the year. Coupon holders usually have 13 sections available so this works perfectly. Make it a habit to store every receipt into your coupon holder. 2. At the end of every month - of even at the middle of the next month: remove the receipts, scan those that need to be kept for tax purposes and eliminate (or shred) the rest of the receipts. 3. Using the coupon holder for receipts also helps keep receipts handy and available - should you need to return an item for any reason. You will save time and energy looking for the receipt in order to return your item. I also have a simple tax file that I use to hold all of my papers that need to be set aside for tax purposes, such as our property tax information, quarterly church donations, school donations, etc. It is not broken down into categories. Throughout the year I am constantly placing paperwork into this file. Since I am not a "type A" personality, I am satisfied with knowing where I can find all of my tax paperwork. Of course, if this isn't your personality, you can (and should) set it up in a manner that makes sense to you.
To some, it is everything perfectly placed throughout your office and/or home. It looks just like a magazine cover. Perfect, in every way! But is this your reality....it's definitely not mine. I remember, many years ago, I took a girlfriend trip down to North Carolina to do some furniture shopping. (It was actually just an excuse to get away from our husbands and children for a few days). My friend had a long-time friend who lived in the area and she invited us to stay with her so that we could make it an overnight trip. What fun....shopping, relaxing and no one to worry about but myself for a change. "Real girlfriend time". Well, this friend had an absolutely beautiful home. Everything was perfectly placed. Including the toiletry items that were placed in my "private" bathroom. It was better than any hotel I had ever stayed in before. It was absolutely Beautiful...but so darn scary at the same time that I was afraid to touch anything. I remember crawling under the sheets and folding my arms on top of the covers to sleep. I woke up in the exact same position 6 hours later because I was too scared to move around on the bed and even wrinkle the sheets. Everything was too perfect! It was the most miserable night's sleep ever! At Organization Direct we believe that yes, neatness and tidiness all have a part of things being organized in your home and office. However.....being comfortable and productive does not require you to be uncomfortable in your space. After all, last time I checked, we do "work" in our home office and "live" in our home. There may be times that paperwork is still in your "in box" or you have a project spread out across the desk. There is one major key to keeping everything organized - Systems - have a system that you can utilize on a daily basis to keep your paperwork, space, projects and lists organized. At the end of the day you need to know where and how you are going to wrap up your paperwork, be prepared to dive right into the project tomorrow and not waste time with do-overs tomorrow. Two of the most important systems should be your: Mail System and a Filing System
The more we work with home office clients, the more we enjoy hearing their success stories. None of them had a realistic or valid reason that they weren't organized. Their excuses were: not enough time, they felt too overwhelmed to begin the process, they were actually afraid to begin the process and last, they just really didn't have a legitimate reason...just because. Let's check out the excuses: Not enough time. Well, this is just silly! Organizing your home office is one of the best investments that you can make in yourself and after reading this article you still find that you are wanting to get organized but don't have the time, consider hiring a Professional Organizer in your area. This will cut the time in less than half and you will have a fresh set of eyes that will help you not just start the process, but complete the process. Realistically, a lot of business just don't knowso the amount of time that it will take them to become organized becomes greater and greater as the months and years go by. In order to begin the process, block out the time on your calendar - it can be as little as 30 minutes a day. You can easily accomplish this by adding an the extra time in the beginning or end of your day. Remember, it won't be forever! Just until you are organized! Too overwhelmed to begin the process. What I will say is...stop your procrastinating now. When your office is organized your give yourself permission to grow your business. One recent client's comments about her feelings after getting organized were: "Mentally freed", "More efficient" and "My bank account looks beautiful". She knew that her organizing style was simple and easy and we were able to find ways to allow her to organize not just her home office but also her portable office. The result is - No More Overwhelm.
Papers, Papers Everywhere!  It's time for you to gather everything that you need to either do your taxes yourself or hand them over to your Bookkeeper and/or CPA to make it happen for you. Does just the thought of this stress you out? In these times, you want to be sure that you have counted every legitimate deduction possible. This can mean bits and pieces of paper that could be found in places such as: the desk drawer, a mirage of file folders, some of them may be found on the computer or maybe they are even on the kitchen table stacked in one of those never-ending piles. Developing a system to track your paperwork is even more important in 2012. If you are getting a lot of your papers emailed to you...Great! However, a computer is just a filing system too! Papers can get just as lost in your computer as they can on the desk of your home office. The job of quickly and easily finding paperwork requires a system that is simple and flexible. Is this possible? Absolutely! Of course, managing your paperwork is all about having a system to do it! There are several things that need to be considered whether you are filing on the computer or filing paperwork:
 We are two weeks into the long list of New Year Resolutions that we planned to keep. Truth be told, in my mind, a Resolution is a habit that we are committing ourselves to change. And change is hard! There are always things that we can improve on - in our life and business - and a New Year just seems the logical date and time to make a change. But, with everything else that we change - resolutions don't work unless we commit ourselves to changing a habit. The habits of choice are: exercise, organizing and to quit smoking. As we finish the first 2 weeks of 2012 - Don't Give Up! Let's re-evaluate your New Year Resolutions and Goals. First - Don't expect that you should have reached your goal 100% already. Developing habits takes time. If habits were quick and easy resolutions not be a concern. Second - Every goal takes multiple steps to accomplish. No matter how small, there is usually a list of things that have to happen in order to reach your goal. Think about it...everything that we do takes multiple steps. Keep it simple and specific. Just the simple act of brushing your teeth requires at least 6 steps (pick up the toothbrush, unscrew the cap of the toothpaste, put the toothpaste onto your toothbrush, brush your teeth, rinse the toothbrush, rinse your mouth and then put the cap back onto the toothpaste). It just comes natural to you because you have been doing it the same way...forever. Think about what individual steps you can take to help you achieve your goals and habits for 2012.
You've made the commitment before but 2012 will be different! This is Your Year! You know what to do and how to do it and this year you are going to stick to it! Get 'ur done! Stay focused and reach your goals. You have bought every possible organizing supply and tool that is available because they all promise to get you organized, right! And...they have to work because you just spent a ton of money. So how do you ensure that you reach your goals this year? Your mindset and habits will dictate your success, no matter what your goals are. Just like starting a diet, getting your space and mind organized takes dedication, obligation and accountability. It takes making a change in your daily habits and this isn't always easy. Think about what areas you find the hardest to keep organized. Is it your paperwork - mail and filing; client follow-up; systems; or maybe your daily schedule? Or, maybe it is that your time is drained by interruptions through email or phone. Everything that we do every day is a choice. (Of course, I'm realistic...emergencies can come up that require your attention). But when you have your daily course of action laid out, interruptions are easily handled and the ability to refocus comes easy. The key to keeping yourself on task is developing a habit/system to handle every part of your day. It seems odd to think about something that something as simple as opening the mail should have a system but it makes such a difference. Let's just take the example of opening the mail. I meet with so many people and home-based businesses that just find it "simpler" to open the mail wherever the happen to be at the time. Because of this, there are receipts and paperwork in the office, kitchen, bedroom, car, in their pants pockets or purse, And then...it just becomes too overwhelming to be able to get it all organized. The thought of sorting, organizing and filing all of the paperwork causes stress and anxiety. And now there just isn't enough time to catch up.
It's officially the Holiday Season. Time to think about New Resolutions, making changes,  setting goals and how to make 2012 the best year ever. Once again, an amazing number of people will jump on the diet bandwagon, whether it is to lose a simple 5 pounds or 50 pounds. This will take discipline, time, energy and dedication to making a change. But what other weight is bringing you down? What about putting your clutter on a diet this year? Without meaning to, we allow clutter to take on its own personality in our lives. We mean well...really, we do! We find things on sale and think, "I will really like this", OR, "I may need this some day!" And we bring it home without it a real "place" to put it. It ends up shoved in a desk, drawer or closet - never to be seen again for years. I have a great story about a client who had too much "stuff". She had knick-knacks and choc keys everywhere because her family thought she would really enjoy them. They weren't concerned about the clutter that it was causing in her home and how it was affecting her mental health. They meant well! The problem was that mom couldn't get rid of anything because she didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. After all, they had taken the time to buy these things for her. Wouldn't it be rude to get rid of them? So, several years ago, she gathered her children together and gave them a list of 3 things that she would like to receive that Christmas. The gifts were a book, a game and a kitchen utensil. This particular year, the children listened to her! She got exactly what she wanted (and needed) for Christmas without causing more clutter! It meant that she didn't have to find another drawer to hide gifts in and, more than that, she didn't have to worry about remembering where she hid them when the children visited next time! It was the best Christmas ever! With the Holidays in full swing, think about things that you don't use any more and whether you need to keep them. If you can't remember when you used it last or it doesn't serve a purpose anymore, let it go! See how much "weight" your closet, pantry, filing cabinet or desk will lose by giving it a quick de-cluttering. When your home or office lose weight, you do too! Putting your home or office on a diet allows you to release items that have been weighing you down, causing you stress and anxiety. It is an easy way to begin 2012 and lose weight immediately! Change isn't easy, but it is necessary. And putting your space on a diet will: save you the time it takes to find lost items; save you money from purchasing items that you already have - but were "lost"; set the example for your family and/or employees; help you be more productive (because you'll find everything you need quicker and easier) AND you'll have more time to do what you Really want to do.
Taking Action to Get Organized What is it going to take to organized your home or office? The more that you think about it, the more it makes you feel yucky. You just don't feel like doing it and yet, you are too embarrassed to have someone come in to help. It is going to require your time, energy, motivation, encouragement, desire and taking action. It isn't going to get done by itself. You have made the decision, and not it's time to take action. Where to begin? The logistics of getting a space organized can be mind boggling. Do you start with the paperwork and filing or maybe the elimination of items that you just can't seem to get rid of. Do you possibly need help getting rid of things? And when will it fit into your schedule because, there are three ways that it will get done. 1. Rearrange your schedule so that you can still keep your family and business up and running. If you are a morning person, get up and spend an extra 30-60 minutes each morning on organizing. I recommend that you take the time, the evening before, to write down what it is that you are going to do, since you'll be starting it first thing! 2. Find your time-suckers. I guarantee that you will be able to find wasted time during your day. What is it that drains your time? The most common time-sucker is email. Putting a time limit on checking your emails will give you "found time" that you can use to get yourself organized.
7 - Two Minute Organizing Tips for Your Home and Office Do you feel as if you'll never get caught up with paperwork? Have too much stuff laying around that is driving you nuts? Clutter, clutter, everywhere? I love, love this philosophy...If it can be done in two minutes of less, do it now! Working with this mindset will allow you to keep clutter under control and eliminate pile management. So, here are 7 tips that will help keep you organized. Each of them take no more than 2 minutes of your time.
When you think about how much you accomplish, or don't accomplish every day how do you feel? There are so m any reasons (or excuses) for not accomplishing our To Do List, Intention List or whatever you want to actually call your daily list of things that you plan to do every day. Could your daily productivity be directly related to the habits that you have developed? Having a system to work through your day will help you along the path to productivity. When you go to a doctor and he prescribes you a new medication, taking the medication will become a daily routine. In order to feel better you'll follow the doctor's direction and take your medication whenever he recommends. You will find a way to work it into your daily habits in order to feel better. So why not manage your day with the same concept. Think about one of the most productive days that you have had recently. Why were you able to achieve your goals? What did you do differently that day that you didn't do today? Here are some of the daily habits that I have put into place. They have helped me increase efficiency, stay focused and reach my goals: 1. Read something positive every day. I don't even turn on the news - unless there is a hurricane or earthquake that I need to know about!! I find a book that will help me develop myself and become a better "me" and consistently read at least a chapter every morning. One book that I have found most helpful recently is Give From the Heart, Receive What You Are Worth by a good friend and colleague of mine, Melanie Yost. It can be purchased on Amazon, is an easy ready and full of motivating and inspiring thoughts that will make you say....Duh!
As we bid goodbye to Hurricane Irene, I hope and pray that you stayed safe and dry. A major event makes you think about what would happen if your belongings were destroyed. One thing that we don't really think about is having an inventory of our business and homes. What would happen should a disaster come and take away all of our belongings? Sure, things can be replaced but how long would it take, how much frustration will it be and more than anything else...how would you document it all to your insurance company? Here are some suggestions to make sure that you can avoid frustration, overwhelm and anxiety when a natural disaster strikes and changes your life forever. Document all of your supplies: computers, office equipment, inventory lists, parts - everything that has monetary value in your office or home. Documentation of your items will allow your insurance company to easily process your claim. This can be done quickly and easily by simply pulling your Warranty information. There are several options to document items to keep your valuables safe and secure.
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