Home Office Organization Journey

If you work from home or just have a busy family life good organization is ESSENTIAL. This is a lesson that I have learned the hard way and now that I am on the path to becoming more organized in life and business I want to share some of the things I have learned.

I think I learned the most important lesson from my Aunt Tracy when I was young about organization, but it too me a while to implement it. She would preach constantly about cleaning as you go! This is so important because those little piles can get out of hand in no time and when you face the reality of the fact you could have spent 30 minutes cleaning to avoid the situation it is a little depressing.

Sometimes you have to start small! Don't let a big mess overwhelm you, make a list of things you want to accomplish towards getting your home office organized and tackle one thing at a time. It helped me to set a finish goal date.

I also learned (I think from Oprah) that you should only touch mail once. This is so true! Thanks to modern technology there is no need to touch mail more than once and let it clutter up your office. Some tricks I have learned about mail:

Even if you don't intend on paying a bill right away you can enter it into your online bill payer with a post dated option. This lets you file it away immediately instead of letting it clutter up your desk, or get lost and cause you to be late on your payment.

How long do you save your bills? I save mine for one year, but the technical answer varies from bill to bill. With so much available online now, we really don't need to keep them at all, but for quick reference I like to have them on hand for one year. My dream is to own one of these scanners and eventually be rid of paper files.

No matter how pressed you are for space; keep your personal and business documents separate. Personal items are a serious distraction that will limit your efficiency and focus. I have two different file drawers in my desk, to the right I have all our personal files and then to the left I have all my Three White Daisies files. Sometimes personal and business overlap a little and thanks to some tips from Craft Warehouse I have created a stylish way to blend my schedules. I have a white board for all my business needs and one for my personal needs. Two magnetic area's to post recent work or notes, a calendar, and a cork board. The whole project cost me about $55. (Sorry for the fuzzy mobile photo.)

Once you've created an organized home office, take the time to see that it stays that way. Devoting a block of time each week to staying organized (I schedule time to organize each week!) will keep you from getting overwhelmed by the little details that hold chaos at bay!

Get more ideas from an expert! Ines can help you find that perfect starting point if you are overwhelmed. She is a professional organizer and a good person.

What are some of your favorite staying organized tips? We would love to hear from you!

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