Organizing Your Office

As summer begins to wind down and fall is just around the corner, I look at how I can organize my life at home and in the office.  My home office has piled papers on my desk waiting to be filed, old files needing to be cleaned out and it seems like clutter everywhere.  So I sit here wondering where do I start? 

 

I found some great ideas and inspiration from Susan Ward – How to Organize Your Home Office.  http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/smallofficehomeoffice/a/orghomeoffice.htm/

Here is what I do:

1. Take all those addresses and phone numbers you saved to put in your address book and add them to your address books, smart phones or PDA’s.  
2. Take a big cardboard box or purchase filing boxes and take out last year’s files (and any previous years) and put in folders labeling them and separating by year and put them in the boxes.  Shred anything that you do not need to save for tax purposes.    Now your file folders are ready to use for another year.  Make sure you label them so it is easier to file and to find at a later date.
3. Clear off a large table or even the floor and take the pile of unfiled receipts and documents that is on your desk and sort them by how you labeled your files.  Be sure to file away in the file boxes receipts and documents that pertain to that year.
4. Dust, clean and vacuum your office and get rid of anything that is no longer useable or you have no use for.   
5. Place your computer, adding machine, stapler and other office items, so they are accessible when you are ready to go to work!

These are just some of the ideas that can make our lives more manageable as we do our daily work.  Give some best practices that you use!

Comments

[rent new york office space]

Wow, very detailed step by step on organizing a home office. Thanks for the tips!

-Sam

[office space]

I enjoyed browsing through your entry. I could only agree with you.
Thanks for sharing.

Margarette Smith

[Francine Russell]

I work at home and often need to carry my work "utensils" from room to room. Totes meant for scrapbook organization work great for office supplies, too. I have a Tote-Ally Cool tote that holds stapler, pens, paper clips, calculator, scissors, etc. It sits on a magnetic Lazy Susan base so I can spin to reach what I need. Very functional when I have to visit clients and do work at their homes or offices -- I bring the tote and everything is handy.