What do you think?

I’m not sure I prescribe to this motto. I think you should do the fastest task first; here’s why. Let’s use a home office as an example. Let’s pretend it’s a disaster, and needs some organizing and cleaning. In fact, we’ll pretend it’s my home office. I’d clean and organize in the following order:

1. Pick up anything on the desktop (it would be rare for me to have a mess on my desktop, there’s likely just a pen or two sitting there, so super easy).
2. Clean laptop, mouse, and keyboard.
3. Dust top of desk and the bookshelf I keep next to my desk.
4. Clean out current box.
5. Take all extra files, books, and any other items that have ended up on or near my desk, and put them where they actually go. Note that all my extra files would need to be filed in my large filing cabinet, so it’d take a while.

This list starts with the easiest and quickest part of my desk clean-up, and ends with the most obnoxious part. Why I do this is because if I don’t happen to finish cleaning in one space in time, at least, hopefully I got the first 3 or 4 items on the list done. At least a lot of my office space is now clean, and more user friendly. I tend to do this with other tasks as well. I take care of stuff that’s fast and easy first, and put off the harder and longer tasks.

For me this works. That said, if you know that you ALWAYS put off the hardest tasks of organizing then maybe doing the worst first is going to be key to your success when it comes to organizing projects.

Now you tell me – which is better for you; organizing the worst or easiest first? 

Post from: Blisstree

Organize the worst first – yes or no?

1. Keep your desktop clear: I’m not a fan of a paper pile anywhere, but a paper pile on a nearby shelf beats a paper pile on your desktop. Most of us work better when our space at least appears tidy. What you might consider are two small garbage bins on the side of your desk. Fill one with absolute recycling, and the other with stuff you’re unsure of. You can sort later.

2. Use a small file box:  If you keep the bulk of your work, research, necessary papers, or what have you, in a large file cabinet, purchase a small file holder box (like the one I refer to above in the current box link) and keep it near your desk. All you need to do is reach down for a file, which means file clutter stay off your desk. Once you’re done with the file return it to the larger cabinet.

3. Make daily clean up a habit: Each day, or at the very least every other day, pick up loose papers, old files, pens, and other collected desk items and put them where they actually go. If you spend five minutes at the end of each day picking up, you won’t accumulate as much desk clutter in the long run.

4. Have the best office you can afford: This rule applies if you spend countless hours at your office. For a little bill paying home office set-up, it doesn’t really matter, but if you spend a lot of time in your office space; if it’s your means of income, then buy the best desk chair, desk, computer, and other office items that you can. Shoddy office furniture and a suck chair practically beg you to run away fast at the end of the day. Be comfortable and you’ll be willing to spend more time in your  office space (even if you’re organizing).

5. Decorate a little: Keep some pictures you adore on the walls, place incense or a candle nearby, buy a calender that’s actually nice to look at, own a nice green plant or two, and do whatever else you can to make your office your own. An office with a personal touch makes you feel invested in the space, which means you’ll be more likely to want to keep it organized and thus attractive. Never underestimate atmosphere.

For some very cool tips and lovely office photos read Designing a Dream Home Office.

[Home office image via Closet Tailors - which is, by the way, a super place to research if you're planning a home office. Closet Tailors offers many very functional and great looking home office designs.]

Post from: Blisstree

Five ways to keep your office more organized

However, there’s another important first step than many miss, and it’s super simple too.

Define your spaces:

Before you do anything else you need to define your space, or spaces as the case may be. Defining your space is vital because it allows you to decide which items belong in the space, and which can go elsewhere. If space is at a minimum, then space defining is even more important, because there’s no room to lose or spare.

For example, if I was to define some rooms at my house, here’s what I’d do. Grab a pad of paper and pen and park myself in each room and take some notes, and the end result might look like this:

Living room: Used for TV watching, reading, sometimes eating, and one of Cedar’s play spaces (although his toys don’t stay). Also, Cedar likes to dance in there and I’ll exercise with my exercise ball, which means we need empty floor space o’plenty.

Back office: Used for my FT work office, Cedar’s art project room, our homeschool project room, and my clothing goes in the big closet in the room.

Dining room: Used for prepping meals, eating, the fish live there, and sometimes we do art at the table, but it’s rare.

And so on for each room. After my initial list is completed I’d make some notes about the space, such as how much furniture needs to be in each space, for example, obviously at bare minimum the back office will need an art table, my desk, and some shelving.

Being VERY careful and thinking clearly and realistically can save you lots of time. I messed up my own planning when we moved into our current place. I had thought we’d use a corner of the living room or dining room for Cedar’s art station, but if I’d thought it through and measured some furniture, I’d have realized that plan was too cluttered. In the end, Cedar’s art station ended up in my office, but it started in the dining room. It was plenty of extra work to move everything around too – so I should have planned better.

By defining your space before each and every organizing project you’ll save time and trouble.

Post from: Blisstree

One organizing step that many folks miss

The idea behind Motivation for Organization is that when I see a particularly well-organized and nicely designed space, it really inspires me to get it together. I suspect I’m not the only person on the planet that visual cues work well for either. I also suspect that my obsession with architecture and spaces in general, leads me to see quite a lot of spaces that may inspire you to get organized. Hence the new series. These will also be nice quick shots, you can take it or leave it (because I know we don’t all agree on design ideas). I’ll always link to info about how to design your own space like the one we’re seeing if you do choose to take it.

Today, I found a really nice uncluttered desk in a tidy little office nook that is part of a bungalow kitchen remodel. The desk has these great shelving aspects built in that can really help you to get your space organized, and the colors are soothing, not cluttering to your head. Note especially how the desk placement works to provide natural lighting. Overall, a great little organized office nook. I would suggest a more ergonomic chair though.

To learn more about this Sunset feature, read the entire kitchen remodel article.

Post from: Blisstree

Motivation for Organization – Tidy Green Kitchen Desk

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