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
Related News
President of Stevie Organizing Services Receives New Certification - dBusinessNews Triangle (press release)
Pine Hills Businesses Organizing to Fight Crime - MyFoxOrlando.com
Organizing Your Child's Room - KMEG 14
Organizing Your Child's RoomKMEG 14, IA -May 14, 2008Adult furniture and organizing systems don't translate well to children's needs. Sticky dresser drawers are hard for small hands to manage. ... |
Organizing the CHAOS - West Linn Tidings
West Linn Tidings |
Organizing the CHAOSWest Linn Tidings, OR -16 hours agoBy Cliff Newell West Linn resident Gerri Lutes, background, director of the Office of Protocol and Special Events for OHSU, looks on during a visit by ... |
China to tone down Olympic ceremonies - National Post
Rwanda: Lions Club International Set to Fight Blindness - AllAfrica.com
Volunteers need to clean up Woodward - Detroit Free Press
Volunteers need to clean up WoodwardDetroit Free Press, United States -9 hours agoOther organizing partners include MDOT, Eight Mile Boulevard Association, Ferndale Chamber of Commerce and the Ferndale Downtown Development Authority, ... |
— Martin Kallen, president of the Euro 2008 organizing committee - Taipei Times
2010 candidates start organizing - ABS CBN News
ABS CBN News |
2010 candidates start organizingABS CBN News, Philippines -21 hours agoBy CARMELA FONBUENA To see some of the top campaign and media strategists, political party officials, and senators’ political staff in one room talking must ... |
Newstin - Organizing the Internet - PR.com (press release)
Newstin - Organizing the InternetPR.com (press release), NY -17 hours agoNewstin's newly designed user interface belies a powerful systems engine organizing news into 700000+ categories from over 150000+ sources. ... |
|
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Getting Organized - Getting Fit
In a speech entitled "Organized Living in a Disorganized World" I made the statement "Getting organized is much like exercise and healthy eating. It is something you incorporate into your daily living." Immediately one attendee sighed loudly and blurted out, "I'm doomed!" Many people feel the same way, but based on my own experience with incorporating exercise into my daily life style, I can offer new hope.
Digging out of Paper Clutter - part 1
Digging out from under stacks of paper might seem like a daunting and insurmountable task. Let's face it, paper can be intimidating and overwhelming. It comes relentlessly and without warning, and it never stops coming - bills, insurance policies, faxes, to-do lists, invoices, tax information, user manuals, receipts, itineraries...Add in the magazines, brochures, drafts, booklets, letters, drafts, etc., and it's easy to see how paper molehills become paper mountains. And here's the worst part - somewhere in this ever-growing mound of chaos lies your business - important phone numbers, bills that have to be paid, clients that need attention, receivables that need collecting?
Organization Tips - How To Get Things Done
What stops you from 'getting things done?'
The Problem With To-Do Lists
Do you use to-do lists? Do you find it satisfying to check off the items on that list? Too satisfying perhaps?
Choose Spice Racks That Help You Organize Your Home
Today you have almost as many choices of spice racks as you do of the spices they contain. Spice racks are wonderful kitchen home organization gadgets. And a spice rack is a wonderful gift too for a cook. In our household, my husband is the chef. But I'm the shopper. And we own three functional and handsome spice racks that are in use every day. Before you buy your next spice rack for yourself or as a gift consider these factors:
Heres A Great Way To Organize Your Work From Home Office Virtually
How to do keep track of all you have to do on a daily basis? How about things that have to get done this week?.. How about for the month? I used to be a pen and paper guy..everything I had to get done was written (notes) in the yellow pad that sits in front of me. It still sits there, but it's not used as much, except for when I'm taking notes when on the phone.
Get Organised Before Its Too Late
Last year I attended a presentation from Parenting Expert and well-known author, Stephen Biddulph on "Raising Boys". As I have an 11 year old son, I was interested to hear what Stephen had to say. In fact, so were the other 800 other parents in the room!
Keep, Get Rid Of, Or Not Sure?
Cleaning out can seem overwhelming -- especially if it's been a while since you've done it! But there is a very simple process you can follow that will A) help you sort and separate your belongings into manageable piles, and B) keep you from completely tearing up your house while you are cleaning out! When you begin clearing area, you should have three large boxes close at hand. One box is labeled "Keep" -- one is labeld "Get Rid Of" -- and one is called "Not Sure" (we'll talk about other possible sorting categories later on).
To Make a Change -- Take a Chance
Life is really all about CHANGE. In order to make a CHANGE, you have to be willing to take a CHANCE. To take a chance is to risk. So let's spend a few minutes investigating RISK. We'll examine these characteristics and contingencies:
Create A Working Mail Center
I talk about the mail a lot in my newsletter, Organewz, and to my clients. I write about it again because I have seen so many people still without one place for their mail. The worst part is the anxiety that goes along with not knowing where a bill or water shut off notice is! It is just too nervewracking!
5 Easy Steps to Making Housework More Manageable
Sometimes the task of keeping a clean, tidy house just seems overwhelming. Why is that? Because it never ends! You never get done! In order to make the task more manageable and give you the feeling that you have accomplished something. I've broken it done into 5 easy steps.
Be More Productive - Books to Help You Be More and Do More!
How many of us have enough time to do everything that needs to be done? Answer: NOBODY! The key is doing that which needs to be done RIGHT NOW and setting the right priorities. Life has changed, and we have more flexibility to do what we want, when we want, provided we set the RIGHT PRIORITIES. These books will help you increase your productivity by at least a factor of 10... maybe more!
10 Organizing Tips for Road Warrior Parents
Parenting is always a challenge, but particularly so if your work requires that you travel. Don't be too hard on yourself or on them when you find it difficult. Here are some tips you may find helpful:
Home Organizing Tips & Gizmos
Staying organized can be a constant battle. The following organizing tips should help you in various areas of your home, even if you are "organizationally challenged":
Making Space - Letting Go of Clutter
To make room for new things to come into you life, you have to create space for such things. If your environment or life is packed with things you no longer need or that no longer serve you, then you are holding yourself back. There's no room for new opportunities, new relationships or new ideas to enter. Yesterday I had a conversation with a client about this very topic. I congratulated the client on cleaning out items associated with her previous career from her home office to make room for all the new ventures she is exploring. I was reminded of what I went through when I decided to switch careers. When I first became a coach, I was hesitant to toss or give away all the business materials I had accumulated as a financial professional. I kept thinking, "What if I need these items again?" I finally realized that my indecisiveness, (about giving up the security that these materials provided - thinking I could always go back to my former career), was holding me back. After this realization I immediately tackled my office and cleared out 9 trash bags of old business files. Guess what happened? The next day I had a new client!
Addiction to Clutter
Clutter is a big problem for many people. At a lecture that I gave, I asked for a show of hands regarding how many people had problems with clutter and disorganization. I was surprised to find that at least half the people raised their hands.
Clutter Campaign - Commit Your Time
Decide When And Where To Start
Getting Organized for Achievement
Getting and staying organized is critical to achieving your goals. A well organized person is more productive, has more free time, wastes less money, and experiences less stress. This article will outline a simple, effective, and flexible system to help you get and stay organized by using a top down approach. This system will allow you to keep some of your current scheduling systems in place, if they are currently working for you, and makes suggestions with some new ideas and changes that can be made to make you more productive and organized.
What Momma Never Told Me About Housekeeping
A lot of us grew up with Mom taking care of most everything. Now, we do things pretty much the way she did. What if there is a better way? If you are buried under the daily clutter of life, always wondering where you put "that damn thing", read on. There is hope. All you need is a little direction and you can take control of your house.
Clutter Crisis?
Clutter costs you time, money, space, and peace of mind. Most of us complain about our cluttered desks, closets, bedrooms, kitchens, attics, basements, and even our cars, purses, and briefcases. Clutter is overwhelming, yet we continue to add to it. Why? And what can we do about it?
|
