“To know where you can find a thing is the chief part of learning.” Unknown
Source
The office appointment was at 10:00 a.m. It was 9:31 and the paperwork was somewhere in one of four locations: three piles of papers (mail, notes, birthday cards, books, CD’s) or in the filing cabinet. No luck with it being properly filed, so the hunt began in earnest. Papers went flying, I became a potty mouth, and frantically pawed through the disarray.
The necessary paperwork was in the third pile of stuff, surprise, surprise. I left the house in a huff and was 7 minutes late for the appointment.
Can you relate to this scenario? If so, I’m hoping you’ll help me out.
Resolution time! Having such a disorganized office is VERY time consuming in the long run. Had the paperwork been readily accessible, I would have saved 20 frustrating minutes, gotten to the appointment on time, and started the day with a much sweeter attitude. And this experience is not a one-time occurrence.
So here’s my game plan for getting out from under the paper maze in my office. These are simple steps (and I hope you’ll add to them) to clean up the clutter:
1. Focus on one area a day to sort through. Sound easy? I tend to start at one spot and end up in five different places, so nothing gets finished.
2. Work on that specific area until it is complete, i.e., I’m starting with the mound on my computer stand. I will not look at another area until this one is organized.
3. Start first thing in the morning before distractions arise. I’ll get up half an hour early and BEFORE turning on the computer, I will slog through ONE designated area.
4. Set a timetable for completing the task. This will force me to avoid procrastinating.
5. Broadcast your intentions. I’m committing to have a fully organized office within the next 7 days. There is nothing like putting out to the world what your intentions are. Talk about accountability?
6. After 30 days of a tidy office environment, reward yourself with something you’ve coveted. Since it takes 29 days to break a habit, I’m committing to 30 days of a fully organized office.
Honesty can be brutal. It is hard to admit that I’m a slouch at keeping my office under control. If you have a similar issue brewing for you, will you make the commitment with me to clear away the clutter and turn a fresh page?
How do you keep the paperwork in your office under control? What additional steps can you suggest for getting (and staying) organized. I”m looking forward to hearing your tips and tricks.
Wishing You Organization,
Dar
June 3rd, 2010 at 3:07 pm
Alright, alright, Darlene just what are you doing in MY OFFICE. Best of luck to you. If it works for you I’ll may give it a try.
Okay, now just where did I put that check?
June 3rd, 2010 at 6:04 pm
Darlene,
Our office is actually quite organized. The tips you’ve given us will help us keep it that way!
Must admit though… there are times when we do forget where we’ve put something… is there such a thing as too organized?
Thanks,
~ Pat and Lorna
http://TheCoolestCouple.com
.-= Pat and Lorna Shanks´s last blog ..Top 5 Reasons to Organize All Your Information and Knowledge =-.
June 3rd, 2010 at 6:47 pm
Darlene~
Good Job! More power to you!
I have one piece of advice for AFTER you get everything organized! Only touch papers once. (Who was it that said that about email – Val? same concept) After you look at the paper, and are ready to set it down, set it where it resides. Trash, file cabnet, organizer box that you’ve set up on your desk for papers that need further work to reside.
You know I took a home organization class 20 years ago. In the Pre-computer era – I have raised all my children in an organized home. Now if you could see my desk you’d laugh! I’m not ready to follow in your footsteps…yet!
~Linda
.-= Linda G. Cox´s last blog ..Walking Update: June 1, 2010 =-.
June 4th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
Linda,
What a great concept – only touch paper once.
However, often I have to just set it down because I am in a hurry to meet a client or make a call. But I will try to limit it to 2 touches. The second touch requires the filing into appropriate place.
June 3rd, 2010 at 7:02 pm
Wonderful advice. I thought I had OCD, but the truth is, it’s feng shui. I need a clean environment with no clutter. I need to complete one task at a time and not get distracted. I reward myself during the day. I work at home and so does my husband. I put him in another office because he is a clutter-bug. When two people work at home it can cause some difficulty. He cannot complete his tasks and is always in turmoil.
But that’s his worry not mine. I am sending him this post!!!
Thank you so much for writing this.
Donna Merrill
.-= Donna Merrill´s last blog ..Why Do You Need A Tribe? =-.
June 3rd, 2010 at 7:29 pm
Darlene
Love Nelsons reply. Certainly doesn’t sound like my office. I am such a tidy bug.
I have plastic type sleeves that are open on two sides so papers easily go in and out. I put different topics of paperwork in separate plastic sleeves. That way it is quick and easy to sort through to find what you are looking for. I only keep one pile and that pile is only if they are being worked on at the time otherwise they are filed or in the bin.
Have a spot for everything and always put it away when finished with it, unless you are working on it store it away.
Would love you to do a follow up post and see if you stick to your plan.
.-= belinda cunningham´s last blog ..Tip to organising your online business =-.
June 3rd, 2010 at 11:23 pm
Hi Darlene,
Love it! I’m gonna use some of those tips. Especially the one about doing 30 mins tidying before I switch on the computer. Because once it’s on I’m lost!!
My desk is about 50/50. I’m neat to some extent but because I am constantly making notes about things I see, I tend to have lots of bits of paper with scribbles all over them!!
Great post Darlene, looking forward to the 30 day update as Belinda says!
Sue
.-= Sue Collier´s last blog ..MLM Home Business: Am I The Right Sort Of Person? =-.
June 3rd, 2010 at 11:27 pm
How well I know that scenario. My mother was a master of organization. One thing she taught me I use all the time is to prepare for early appointments the night before – papers, clothes, purse, shoes, and map to the place I am going. Always works!
.-= Carolyn Blake´s last blog ..Automatic Article Submitter Overview – pt. 1(4) =-.
June 3rd, 2010 at 11:39 pm
Very useful tips! My mother, who was a master of organization, taught me (saves me all the time)to prepare the night before for early appointments – papers, a map to the site, clothes, shoes, bag, and breakfast. Works every time!
.-= Carolyn Blake´s last blog ..Automatic Article Submitter Overview – pt. 1(4) =-.
June 4th, 2010 at 8:28 am
Darlene, have you seen my office? LOL I truly understand what you are saying my office needs to be clutter proofed. These are great tips that I am going to use. Thanks so much.
Lori
.-= Lori Robertson´s last blog ..Ask And It Is Given – There Is No Such Thing As NO! =-.
June 4th, 2010 at 10:55 am
Perfect post Darlene,
That’s why I keep things up as much as possible.
Organization brings balance to you spirit and mind. Working in a chaotic environment tends to keep you from your focus. I always feel as if the piles are screaming at me.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on organization,
Val
.-= Val Wilcox´s last blog ..What You Think of Me is None of My Business =-.
June 4th, 2010 at 11:41 am
Yep Darlene, that’s not just my office, but my house too. It’s because I work all of time and don’t want to take the time to clean and organize. However, I heard your point about how it would save me time in the long run. So I’m going to take you up on your challenge. Yikes! I better go get started.
.-= Debbie Stevens´s last blog ..Section 1231 Losses =-.
June 4th, 2010 at 1:13 pm
What a fantastic post! I love your top tips and will print them out and pin to my office wall and also a copy is going on the fridge for the whole family to take note!! Wish me luck
.-= Joanna Sayers´s last blog ..Nokia’s Fitness Guru At Your Service =-.
June 4th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
Hi Dar, I too can relate to your office issues.
I do try to keep mine under control, however inevitably it slowly but surely gets back there.
I like your tips, one I could probably suggest is to move everything that you haven’t needed to use for some time, right out of the equation by packing it away in a box. Label the box with the contents so that you know exactly where to find it.
Good luck Dar.
Cheers
Toni
June 4th, 2010 at 4:56 pm
Just helping commentluv out a bit
Previous post: http://tonisuggests.com/our-fellow-sea-beings/
June 4th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
Darlene,
What a great photo. My office certainly doesn’t look that bad. However, with all the different facets of my counseling business, online social media, writing, teleseminars, trainings, etc., etc., it is not easy to keep it all organized and easily accesible. Recently, I rented a small storage room to put my boxes of old tax papers, old client histories, etc. Of course, wouldn’t you know it, the very next day a former client returned – and I had to go back to the storage room to retrieve that person’s history, etc. But I actually reorganized all my file boxes and labeled them. Even so, I still have some difficulty locating stuff because it is in a different place than before. Organizing is an ongoing process.
June 4th, 2010 at 5:24 pm
Great work Darlene
Its funny i have actually declined going to a party today so i can stay at home to get my office in order. There is a lot of unfinished business so today is my day of tying up lose ends. Perfect timing!
CHeers,
Matt
.-= Matt Jones´s last blog ..Who Inspires You? =-.
June 4th, 2010 at 6:45 pm
First of all, I really can’t picture you having a potty mouth – LOL!!! On a more serious note, though, I have found that disorganization causes me useless chaos that can literally make me feel like I’m losing my mind at times.
Great timing for this post, because I just organized my entire office. Now it’s off to my pocketbook, my closets, my personal files, and the “to do” pile that has turned into a worrisome heap on my kitchen counter.
Thanks for the info Darlene, reminds me that I’m not alone in my challenges!
June 4th, 2010 at 10:28 pm
Darlene…you got me. I need to take some of these steps. It is funny…there are some areas of my life that are ultra organized, but my desk is not one of them. What happens on my computer is very organized, what happens under my computer certainly is not. I think I will have to copy your suggestions and put them into use.
Thanks so much!
.-= Bruce Backman´s last blog ..Training Video 1 =-.
June 7th, 2010 at 11:25 am
Hi Darlene,
That photo you selected for this post is all too familiar for me, and in fact, could BE me!! I am a piler, have been since day one and will not change, no matter how many professional organizers I hire to help me. I simply like to “file with a pile!” I think I have heard it said that a messy desk is the sign of a creative mind at work, so at least I have that going for me…
Seriously, your list of practical organizing tips is not out of reach, even for messy people like me. I have employed the “clean a section at a time” tactic and it works well. Not so overwhelming. And, even if the rest of the house is cluttered, at least ONE area is clear!
Be gentle with yourself…some of us were born to be organized, others…it’s just not in the DNA.
Mary Lou
Mary Lou Kayser´s last [type] ..Predictably Irrational: The Keys to Your Success May Be the Opposite of What You Think
June 8th, 2010 at 4:27 pm
Darlene,
I to suffered from this tragedy, Than I bought a all-in-one unit and now I have created an ALMOST Paperless office. I scan documents into the computer and use Carbonite as a offline backup system. I do file papers into a filing cabinet on a regular basis on things I need to keep handy.
Kinda a over kill I think!
Bill Hartman´s last [type] ..Power of the Mind
June 8th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
Desk, what desk! Oh you mean that hard board upon which all this paper, screwdrivers,spoon,camera,computer,cat etc is resting. I didn’t know I was suppose to keep it organized. Thanks for the information cousin.
June 10th, 2010 at 11:21 am
Darlene,
Thanks so much for this post, I need ALL of the help I can get. I especially like points #2 and #3. Get an early start and don’t stop until at least that one small task is done.
Adam
Dr. Adam Sheck´s last [type] ..Live Together or Get Married?
June 11th, 2010 at 10:50 pm
You are right on Darlene, Office Organization really is an art form and having a well organized office is like having a well organized mind. Keeping it clean will keep you thinking clear.
Matthew Neer´s last [type] ..The Secret To Success
June 23rd, 2010 at 12:18 pm
This is great! Just what I needed. I admit my workspace can look like a warzone at times and it can be overwhelming. From a distance it’s like the weight of the world but once I jump into it and get to the cleaning I can feeling the weight being lifted. Honestly, I think clearer and feel about better when I’m clutter free!
Thanks Darlene!
Dewane Mutunga´s last [type] ..5 Steps of the Branding Process
December 7th, 2010 at 8:48 am
I know this article was posted a few months back, but I just ran across it and it still applies. Funny…my wife and I were just talking about my office this morning. I think the first thing I need to do is to go in with a large garbage can!
Stan Horst
Publisher: BetterBenches.com
Stan Horst´s last [type] ..Atlantic Outdoor Convertible Wood Picnic Table and Garden Bench
December 8th, 2010 at 8:32 pm
Stan,
You will feel a lot better after you clean it all up!