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

---

8 Signs Your Home is Out of Control -- and What to Do About It

It happens without warning. One day you notice your home has turned into a collage of papers, junk, and stuff ? everywhere. You're not alone. Today more... Read More

Managing Mealtime Madness

It is 5:00 pm and Cindy has no idea what to make for dinner. In the process of searching through the freezer, she causes an avalanche of... Read More

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":? Entryway:... Read More

Oh No, Not Another Interuption, How To Deal With Everyday Distractions

Every day I find junk mail waiting for me, whether it is snail mail or email. Unless I deal with it immediately, I will be faced with... Read More

How Clutter Chases Money Away

Have you ever heard that having a cluttered home can cause money to run away from you? I know, I know...it sounds like airy-fairy mumbo jumbo, but... Read More

Are You Stuck In The Clutter Trap?

You arrived on earth without clutter. Your parents and doting relatives started you on a pathway to accumulation. By the time you were a year old, you... Read More

Do You Have A To-Do list?

I have a huge white board in my home office, about 4ft x 3ft..my friends laugh when they come over due to the size of it. Here... Read More

Basic Organizing Principles

So you've decided to get organized, but you just don't know where to begin. Here are four basic organizing principles that will help you regain control over... Read More

Spring Cleaning

Spring is such a refreshing time- we are filled with the hope and promise of the seasons ahead. The flowers blossom, our spirits lift. This is a... Read More

Get Rid Of The Clutter

You really can have a successful business and a great life. Often we get caught up in growing our business or climbing the corporate ladder that we... Read More

The Five Ways To Ease The Process Of Eliminating Clutter

I recently had a conversation with a friend about clutter. She shared that at times there was so much clutter around her home that she simply concluded... Read More

Clutter Campaign - Maintain Your Success

To want in one's heart to do a thing for its own sake; to enjoy doing it; to concentrate all one's energies upon it-that's not only the... Read More

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... Read More

10 Myths of Clutter Clearing

1) It's easy to have a good clear out: Not always. For many people, breaking a life-time habit is really hard - everyone has a choice whether... Read More

Identifying the Rocks: Organizing Your Priorities

In one of my favorite books, First Things First, written by Stephen Covey with Roger and Rebecca Merrill, is a story of the man in front of... Read More

Are You A Collector?

Collections are the outward manifestation of a deeply-felt principle or emotion, and are quite different than ordinary garden-variety "clutter." One man has a love of photography and... Read More

Organize Yourself Otherwise Your Work Could Kill You

We are in a society where people are applauded for starting work early and finishing late.It's about time employers recognised that their people have a life and... Read More

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... Read More

Secrets to Eliminating Emotional Clutter

Are you plagued by clutter in your personal or professional life? Is there someone in your family or your work who is? Based on my experience, the... Read More

Organization Tips - How To Get Things Done

What stops you from 'getting things done?'Have you ever started your day with good intentions of completing a task or project only to find that by the... Read More

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... Read More

The True Definition of an Organization

The true definition of an organization is one that is organized. Organized in all areas of fundamental business best practices. A business that is not organized should... Read More

Introducing the Power Hour Concept to Plough Through Mountainous Tasks

Have you ever been totally overwhelmed by a massive task confronting you? Ever felt daunted by the thought of even making a start on such a massive... Read More

Organization Tips - How to Organise Your Computer Files

Everytime Mary had to find a file on her computer, she always had great difficulty. And it was no wonder why. Every file had been saved under... Read More

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... Read More

Essential Tips for the Kitchen

* Cupboards and drawers should contain items that are grouped together.* Store items where you use them. Put your plates near the table, knives near island or... Read More