Get Organized -- Every Home Needs An Office

EVERY HOME NEEDS AN OFFICE

Yes, it is true that every home needs an office to handle the business of running a household. There are bills to pay, health records to maintain, an assortment of receipts, bank and financial statements all with tax implication. There are insurance papers, contracts and frequent flyer accounts along with addresses and telephone numbers. The list goes on and on. It does not matter if you live in an apartment or an old colonial home, there is a need to process paperwork.

A home office can be a closet, a foldaway shelf, a corner of the kitchen or an entire room unto itself. The important thing is to establish a specific location where you can pay bills, fill out registration forms, answer invitations, plan weekly menus, schedule appointments, make calls and store instruction manuals. The only qualification is to have a workspace you can live with. The home office features need to fit your work style and allow for adequate storage of supplies and files. As you wander around office supply stores or glance through catalogs, you will see an abundance of gadgets that advertise, "Get organized." Going overboard is all too easy, so shop with purpose and spend your money only on the simple basics to get your started.

Papers, papers everywhere and if you are not careful they will overrun your workspace leaving you searching for an important document or missing a wonderful opportunity. Establishing a filing system that makes sense to you will alleviate the PHD syndrome ? piling high and deep. Forget what all the organizing books have to say about the right way to file. Your system needs to be right for you! No doubt, you will need a tickler file, an active file, a reference file and a Rolodex or address/telephone book. These files need not be complex or cumbersome. Keeping it simple is the best policy.

A Professional Organizer's secret: "If you want to find something again, then label, label, label!" Labeling accelerates the retrieval process and filing is all about retrieval. The file drawers are not simply for storage but a means of maintaining information until needed. Ask yourself what you would be thinking about when looking for a particular paper. Throw away those imprinted labels and create your own wording. You can use verbs, nouns or full sentences -- whatever works for you. Being organized can save you time and money, but only if you can find what you want when you want it.

A Tickler File system serves as a reminder, something that tickles your memory. Originally, ticklers were special feathers that were used to tickle churchgoers who nodded off during the sermon. Today tickler file systems are used so that you can purposely forget information until it is needed. http://www.organizingresources.com/1products.htm#Tickler%20Files

Calendars are the simplest tickler file system. They provide a place to write down appointments and important events. However, hanging file folders are recommended to provide a convenient holding spot for date-sensitive papers-papers to be reviewed at a later date, bills to be paid, letters to be answered, decisions to be made, tickets purchased for a future event, cards to be sent, follow-up information and a variety of other items that you will need on a specific day. This system is revolving on a daily basis.

Space is a premium and quickly disappears when papers begin to pile. When this happens, start a purging cycle, then simplify and organize. Refrain from adding new storage capacity. It only creates more places for clutter and more surfaces to collect unneeded items.

Keep all these issue in mind as you search your home for the perfect spot for a home office. If you are interest in more information on the techniques of getting organized, please contact me through my website ~ www.OrganizingResources.com.

Judith Kirk provides hand-on and coaching services in simplification and organizational mastery. She uses a holistic approach to teach life management skills that insures an immediate physical, emotional and psychological payoff when chaos and clutter are eliminated. The impact of simplifying and organizing renews the spirit and builds confidence. Order is the foundation upon which to build inner peace, contentment and joy in life. Subscribe to FREE monthly newsletter on website http://www.OrganizingResources.com

The Five Ways To Ease The Process Of Eliminating Clutter

I recently had a conversation with a friend about clutter.... Read More

50 Ideas to Organize Your Home

"Organize" is a familiar word heard on many of today's... Read More

The Love It Or Lose It Principle: One Simple Key to Living Clutter-Free Forever

It wasn't long ago that you spent an entire weekend... Read More

3-Step Clean Sweep Program to Organize

3-Step Clean Sweep Program 1 -... Read More

Life Lessons - Get What You Want; A Lesson from a Green Sea Turtle!

Sometimes major life lessons come from the most unlikely of... Read More

Saying Goodbye to Stacks of Paper and Distractions

A daily journal will save you time, reduce stress and... Read More

Until We Go Paperless

From time to time I hear this question from an... Read More

Organizing Tips to Help You Conquer the Laundry Monster

Laundry. You sort, you wash, you fold, you blink ?... Read More

Overwhelmed? Try the Red Zone Tactic

Some people seem to be born organized. You probably remember... Read More

Ten Signs That Your Life Is Cluttered

How do you know if you need to clean out?... Read More

Kids Clutter: Organizing at Every Age

Our children are probably the biggest clutter creators we have... Read More

A Personal Action Plan for Change

There are eight distinct steps to constructing and executing an... Read More

Mental Clutter- Is It Taking Over Your Life?

Chances are, most of you have a lot you need... Read More

Common Clutter Culprits- How to Bust Through Clutter

Paper1. You may already be in the habit of filing... Read More

After the Clutter: 5 Steps to a New Daily Routine

I've noticed that in the two years since the major... Read More

10 Tips to Get Organized and Clutter-Free- Now!

1. THE LOVE IT OR LOSE IT PRINCIPLE: Every item... Read More

Don?t Be A Clutter Victim

There are 3 kinds of clutter: Inner (between our ears);... Read More

Balance - And Other Things

The Mexican VillagerThe American investment banker was at the pier... Read More

3 Simple Filing Guidelines

One of the most basic ways to find papers when... Read More

Stress Management: 10 Universal Laws to Get and Stay Organized

1. The Law of the 1st StepA good first step... Read More