For Organized Living
March 13, 2018
Hooray! Today is Organize Your Home Office Day. Here are just a few ways you can tick this item off your to-do list. I could go on and on, trust me, but these are the biggies.
Supplies
Got a bunch of pens, paper clips, and rubber bands hiding in the corners of your desk? Grab a couple glasses from the kitchen that you know you never use any more. You know which ones I mean. They’re stuffed way in the back of your cabinet where you can’t even reach them any more…the cool logo pint glass you “borrowed” from the pub or the novelty mug you got at the beer fest last year. Give them a quick washin’ then put all your pens in one (toss any that don't work), and the rubber bands and paper clips in another. If you happen to have more than two appropriated pint glasses (do we need to talk about this?), then splurge on a third and separate the rubber bands and paper clips, ‘cause those guys always get stuck on each other (still in tossing mode, so get rid of any rubber bands that are dried out or paper clips that are bent into funky shapes…idle habit, eh?).
Tech
Cables ga-looore! Do you really need all those extra monitor and printer cables? Didn’t that printer meet its maker last year? Throw. Them. Out. No, you will not need them. Charging cables are another story…keep them all. I know that sounds like something an organizer should never say, but those things get beat up and tossed around and lost. Back-ups are key. Bundle them with those rubber bands you can now easily find and put them all in a Ziploc bag or even, dare I say it, another novelty glass? Just don't save the ones from the old brick phone that doesn’t work anymore.
Speaking of which…get rid of that old cell phone too, but PLEASE recycle. We don’t want those puppies floating around in landfills. You can take it to Best Buy, your local service provider, or there are several other good options online. Try EcoATM for one. While you’re at it, get rid of any electronics that no longer work…and their accessories. Your local township or county may offer e-cycling programs.
Paper
Are you purposely trying to hide your desk under a tree? No? Then start by separating all that paper into three piles:
- ACTION (pay bills, RSVP, etc.)
- FILE (doesn't require immediate action but should be saved)
- RECYCLE (into the bin and bye forever!)
When you're finished separating, tackle the Action and File piles right away, since you're clearly already in getting-things-done mode. Filing is different for everyone, so let me know if you need help tackling the system you have in place, or—if that sentence makes you laugh out loud—creating a system from scratch (one of my fave things to do!).
Clean ‘Er Up
Finally, it’s time to spiff things up. Carry any empty coffee mugs and water cups to the kitchen. Take that now-hopefully-full recycling bin out to wherever you stash such things until it gets picked up at the curb…and remember to put it out! Dust and/or wipe everything down until it sparkles. Vacuum up wandering hole punching leftovers and crumbs from your eating-at-your-desk-cause-I-got-to-get-it-DONE lunch ritual.
Keep It That Way
For many folks, getting it clean isn’t the challenge…keeping it clean is. Contact me so we can put a plan in place—for your filing system and so much more—that works with your lifestyle and sets you up for ongoing success.