As seen in the Dayton Daily News on November 22, 2014.
With the holidays coming up, many of you will be entertaining in your home. For some, this means you’ll race around the house clearing paperwork and unopened mail from countertops and tables. You then toss the papers into bags and laundry baskets, hiding them out of view before your guests arrive.
The problem with this is sometimes you don’t unpack this paperwork after your guests leave. It’s forgotten for weeks, months and sometimes not unpacked at all.
The next time you have guests, you again make the mad dash throwing newly acquired paperwork into the same bags you stashed away previously.
If you’re caught up in this “Dump and Hide” trap and have trouble recovering, you need to take time to get organized long before your guests arrive.
Your home office may be the perfect place to start. It’s probably the last place you were thinking about starting, because it’s most likely one of your dumping spots.
Your home office should function much as a corporate office would, especially if you work from home or own your business.
Start by taking all of the decorations and collections off of the top of your desk, out of drawers and away from any areas you can reach from your desk chair. This includes photos, inspirational pieces, children’s artwork and other knick-knacks. Even if you love the piece and definitely want it left on your desk, remove it for now.
Next, box up all of your personal care items like lotion, nail files, lip balm and medication, and set those off to the side.
Now, create a box for all of your office supplies. Remove them from the top of your desk and drawers.
Finally, tackle the paperwork. Separate it into boxes marked ‘urgent’ and ‘non-urgent.’
Your desk area should now be clear and ready for a fresh start with the items you boxed up stacked near-by. It is now time to thoroughly clean your desk and vacuum the area.
You now have a place to sit and start working without the clutter. Take your time and think through every item you remove from the boxes and place back in your desk area. Ask yourself, “Does this item help me get my office/paper work done?” and, “Do I use this item in my desk area?”
Start by putting away your office supplies. Do not put excess supplies in this area. If you don’t use them on a regular basis, they get stored further from your desk. Set guidelines, like only having one pencil cup, so you keep clutter at bay.
Next, place only the personal care items in your drawers that you need while sitting at your desk.
Return only the decorations that you truly enjoy and won’t interfere getting your work done. Keep your desktop as clear as possible, making it easier to work.
Finally, create a filing system and only include the paperwork you use on a regular basis. Box up any paperwork that must be kept; such as tax records, and store it away from your desk area.
With your office up and running efficiently, you have a better chance of staying on top of your paperwork. That’s one less thing to worry about when guests are on the way.