Because I write full-time my job does change on a weekly basis. One week I’ve got so and so projects, and the next week a new one. Also, my bills change each week and so does mail I need to deal with. To get around this I pay most of my bills online, but that doesn’t solve all my bills (some old school people still want checks) and it doesn’t help me with my revolving work schedule. Luckily, I found a solution that works pretty well.

First I bought one of these:

Above is a Mesh File Box – no lid, no wheels, which is key because you don’t want it moving around, and you don’t need to deal with a lid. In my experience lids create one extra step that stops people cold from using file storage. Everything you have will end up on the lid, not in the box.

You can get another type of storage box, but this one has some perks. First, it looks nice but was inexpensive, two, it has handles so carrying it is easy, and three, it’s square, not long, so it fits nicely into a little space near your desk. I just keep mine on the floor right next to my desk chair.

That brings me to step two: Find a suitable place for the box. It has to be right near your desk – in your high-use zone or it will never work. I can reach down and mess with my box and I’m barely moving.

Step three: What to put in the file box.

I call this box my, “current box” to remind me that it’s current, not high-use zone stuff because there will come a time soon where I won’t need it. Nothing else besides current stuff (with one one exception) is allowed in this box. You’ll need some hanging file folders and file tabs. What goes in your current box will depend on what is current in your world. Here’s what’s in my current box.

Current bills: Remember I pay bills at my desk, if you don’t, then there shouldn’t be bills in there.

Bills to keep: Bills I paid but for whatever reason, I want to keep them in my long-term file cabinet. Bills I pay that I don’t need anymore go directly into the shredder / recycle box that sits next to my desk.

Current important items to get done: This could be the health insurance renewal I need to sign and send in, my son’s dance class sign up form, or taxes.

Current mail to deal with: This is usually a mix of mail I think I may need to read, but I’m not sure, and letters or cards that I haven’t had time to read yet.

Current client projects: This is for any project that’s not ongoing, but that is relevant this week.

Cedar’s art: This one is weird, but when I’m working Cedar, my son, will run up and give me pictures he draws. I eventually hang them or put them in his picture box, but when I’m busy I need a place to store them quick that won’t create picture clutter. Thus, I made them a file.

MISC: If I see a piece of paper on my desk or my son’s dad shows up and hands me something and I have no clue what it is, it goes in MISC.

Current clips: If I have some magazine clips that I’d like to use for blog post ideas this is where they go.

Stuff to file: Anything besides bills that I decide I’d like to keep long-term, after it comes out of a current file I put in here. Receipts that I want to keep for example, may end up in here.

You can have as many current boxes as you need. For example, when I used to do more freelance writing vs. blogging, I had a file for each article or piece of copy. If you’re one of those people who like to go get things from another zone frequently, and bring them to your desk, I suggest you make both a “return to mid-use zone” file and a “return to low-use zone” file.

Step four: maintaining the current box:

Honestly, the current box requires very little maintenance IF you keep to a schedule. I clean mine out once every two weeks. Clean-up is a snap, because you’ve already been sorting as you go. I simply remove the bills to keep file, Cedar’s art file, the stuff to file folder, and the MISC file. I walk the bills and stuff file over to my large file cabinet and store it all away. I take care of Cedar’s art, and I sort the MISC file. It takes me about a half hour ever two weeks, maybe an hour if I’ve been extra bad about tossing stuff into the MISC file.

The biggest perk of a current box is that it keeps your stuff off of your desk where clutter can slow down your productivity, yet all of these items are still close enough for you to quickly get to. Plus since you’re using an open box, there’s no lid to open, it’s like you look down, and there’s your stuff. I’ve been using this system for over a year now, and the only thing my desk ever has on it is one pen and my paper schedule. Oh, and my coffee cup

The only hard part is getting used to putting things into the box instead of on your desk, but that habit will develop if you keep at it.

[Mesh File Box from Organize It]

Post from: Blisstree

Creating A Current Box for Your High-Use Desk Zone

Your goal when desk or whole home office zoning is to organize in such a way, that you can be more productive, easily find items, and not kill yourself reaching said items.

The best way to zone is to place high need objects nearby, mid-use items semi-close, and items you use once a month far, far, away.

Examples from my home office:

I use my office for work (full-time blogging) and for home issues (paying bills). So I zone items together.

My high-use zone: This zone is the zone I can reach from my desk without getting up. Items in my high-use zone include; a small collection of research books, clips, and articles that relate to all my blog topics, pens, my paper schedule, chapstick, hair clips, highlighters, eye drops, thesaurus, calculator, Advil, extra checks, cell phone, idea folder, and envelopes. Plus my record player and some essential oils. I also have my current box on the floor next to my desk (which I’ll explain in another post).

I can reach all my high-use items with a simple turn of my chair. I have a bookcase next to my desk for my topic books, and the record player/stereo (plus records) is on a shelf right behind me. The point is that when I start working, I don’t have to stop and get up. I also don’t hurt my back or neck reaching because all these items are less than an arms reach away.

My mid-use zone: This zone is stuff I sometimes do need, but the clutter of having it nearby would surely slow me down. My mid-use zone is a bookshelf in another corner of my office, but it used to be in my closet. The only items in my mid-zone currently are extra topic books – books I sometimes use, but not every day, and CDs. I usually listen to vinyl, but sometimes want a CD.

My low-use zone: These are items stored in a file cabinet, that I almost never use like blogging, and other project contracts, home files related to warranties and bills, big mailing envelopes, taxes, paper invoices, and copies of my published work. All of this is important for my work and home, but why have it in my way if I barely use it.

A major problem I see when I take a look at people’s desks or home office spaces is that they think they need to see everything in plain view. Not true. My file cabinet isn’t even in my office, I keep it in the hallway. A lot of people I know do something like this when desk and office organizing:

1. Gather anything and everything office related.
2. Lay it out all over the office area to get a good look.
3. Attempt to fit all of it into that little area where they actually sit and work – usually the desk itself and all the desk’s shelves.

NO! Not every item you’ll ever possibly use belongs in your work area. If you don’t use an item daily, or at least three times a week, it doesn’t belong in the immediate area. It’s guaranteed to create clutter and slow you down.

Now, if you have a job that changes a lot (like me) then you may have some items that you use frequently one week, and then not at all the next. Later I’ll tell you what I do with those items.

How is your office or desk area zoned?

[Cartoon by Dave Walker]

Post from: Blisstree

Office Zoning Issues