How to Organize Your Home Office

Organize your home office and maximize your productivity and efficiency, leaving time for what you enjoy most. Eliminate wasted time, late payments, lost items, confusion and office stress by following these 8 steps!

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Time
• Trash Bags
• Shredder
• Labeler
• Full size accordion file
• Hanging Files (between 36 - 72 in three to six colors)
• Tabs
• Office organizing supplies (in/out tray, paper trey, pen holder, drawer organizer, etc.)

1. If the view of your office is mountains of stacked paper and items that do not belong in the office, those must be dealt with first. If your files are packed with paperwork you no longer need, you don't know where anything is (other that somewhere) then a complete plunge of the office is necessary. The process for eliminating excess from your office is:
   
   1. Go through everything on the desk first deciding only what must be:
   
   . Kept
   - reference
   - action on
   . Shredded
   . Scanned in
   . Tossed
   
   Every bit of paperwork must go through this process including each and every file. Don't worry - you will never have to do this again after you set up your new system and keep up with it!
   
   Worst case home offices have taken me about 12 hours to go through the purging process.)
2. After the purging has been completed - the kept paperwork is to be categorized. I suggest making category stacks for the following:
   
   Permanent, Fire-proof safe (ssn, birth certificates, marriage certificates, life policies, annuities, living will, trusts, original important documents, pictures and documentation of possessions in case of fire.)
   
   Permanent Home Reference (Current credit and mortgage policies, auto policies, vehicle warranty, etc.)
   
   Medical and Dental (Provider list, benefits, contact information.)
   
   Monthly statements. (Home.)
   
   Tax (Home.)
   
   Home Business (All business files kept separate from home files.)
3. Left to right view of file layout Develop a tickler file for physical reminders. This can be accomplished by using an accordion file or a portable box file that has a file for every month of the year plus a file for each date, 1 through 31.
   
   The tickler file is similar to using Outlook on the computer, except it is a physical place to file. For example, the notes you want to take to the doctor when you go on your next visit, or to file a service mailer for outdoor lighting that you want to use next November.
   
   Do use your pda, or schedule device for appointments, but physical "to do's" that you want done in a certain month or on a certain date once you are in that month go in the tickler.
   
   Set up a two year revolving file. (Do not include medical, dental or tax deductible/ tax reference and non-business items in the revolving.)
   
   The first file of 12 will be for odd year statements and be one color and the second 12 folders will be an even year file and a secondary color.
   
   In the odd year, all statements for creditor's (non-business or tax deductible) including water, gas, power, car leases, auto insurance, etc... will go in the current even or odd year for the month.
   
   For your old statements - keep the past two years in a two large folders or envelopes labeled as "2006 statements" "2007 statements" Then start saving your new statements in the even year - "2008" revolving file by the month. Next year, save your monthly statements in the odd year file by the month. In the next even year, your files will be full from "2008" so when you begin in January, just glance through the file. Everything will be from January of two years ago, if it's not absolutely necessary to keep, shred the file and use it for the new January "2009". This is how the revolving file is self-purging.
   
   In the beginning of the revolving file keep a current tax folder in a third color that is a catch all for everything you receive during the year having to do with that year's taxes.
   
   Set up a tax file. It's safe to keep 3 years of regular home taxes. In cases of proven fraud they may go back as far as 5 (some say). Many of my clients feel more comfortable with 7 years.
   
   Make a folder for each year and put the most current year towards the front and label each hanging file so that each year can be seen from left to right. The months on the revolving file should be seen the same, and the tickler file.
4. In your reference files, label by category and file labeled tabs from left to right in alphabetical order.
   
   In your medical files, each person deserves to have a history file for medical and dental. One even year file for statements and one odd year file for statements.
   
   It may interest you to create a file for statements that are waiting for insurance to pay, a file for claim you deserve to make, and a file for co payments you will pay. Or the tickler can be used for that too.
   
   Put all you medical reference in the medical file. Including a list of your providers and your medical insurance policies.
   
   It may benefit you to have a file for your retirement and ss payment stubs also, if that applies.
   
   Keep a research and reading file for articles from the internet that you print out in a portable basket with category files. Make the basket your boundary. When the basket is full, it's time to purge.
   
   Ideas and things to think about, appointment cards and upcoming events are tickler file items.
   
   Business files are to be kept separate. (see Home Business Office)
5. Organize your desk top with the following items:
   
   - A vertical action file, folders from you file that require immediate action. To call, to fax, to file (file at least once a week) to shred, to pay this week, coupons for this week, etc.. Look at Staples, Office Max or Office Depot for a vertical desk top file with at least 6 spaces.
   
   - It's helpful for action files to be bright and different colors.
   
   Keep only one container on your desk for pens, pencils, letter opener, scissors, etc.
   
   Post It notes, paper clips, stapler/ staples, hole and paper punches, white out, stamps, envelopes, flash drives, SD cards, sharpeners, extra ink and thumb tacks are common items for the home business drawer. Keep these separated with stackable office organizer trays.
   
   On your desk top or near by shelf, keep a paper bin, and incoming mail bin, and outgoing bin. Stackable bins are available for saving space. It's also helpful to label the bins in case someone else in your home office is assisting you.
   
   Keep your shredder away from the reach of little hands and fingers if that applies.
   
   An office recycle bin for paper is a plus. (Try going paperless, or nearly so - by scanning in documents and requesting online statements.)
6. Even though you probably use the computer, pda device or planner for your calendar - a referral calendar posted near by is always helpful, especially for families wanting to know each other's schedules.
   
   A magnetic white board, chalk board and or cork board is a plus for pinning concert tickets (that may be forgotten accidentally in the tickler), posting affirmations, pictures, goals, blessings, school calendars and just about anything.
7. When your office is set up, below are some suggestions for keeping it an effective, efficient and productive atmosphere.
   
   Open your mail by the garbage and recycle bin. Consider what the worst possible scenario might be if you threw the paper away. If it isn't important - or a tickler item, throw it out.
   
   Every paper falls into three categories. File it, Act on it, or Toss it. 80% of the paper we keep, we will never need again.
   
   - Could you get it again if you need it later?
   
   - By the time you need it will it be obsolete?
   
   - Will it enhance your work or your personal well being?
   
   - Is in necessary for immediate medical history or have tax implications?
8. Software binder When you enter your office, systematically follow a routine that includes a weekly 20 minute tidy up, at least once a week filing, monthly dump out of revolving file and individual dates that have past in tickler file.
   
   Keep computer software and manuals in a two inch thick binder with CD pages. Cut out the product key and tape is securely to the labeled spot for the disk. Hold punch the manual and insert it near the disk.
   
   
   Check the tickler file every day - first thing, unless you know that there is nothing in there from the day before.
   
   The best way to maintain an organized office is to make new organizing habits. Habits take at least 21 days, so give your new office a shot for at least that long. The most important thing is to make a note of what processes are not really working for you. After a three week trial, tweak here and there what is not working in a way that might work better.
   
   Remember! Any kind of organization is not about "looking" magazine perfect unless you need it to be. It's about "working" for you.
   
   Keep the energy positive and flowing, minimize clutter, and you'll have a wonderful home office.

Tips & Warnings

• Organizing an office from scratch can take the professional organizer 3 to four sessions! Expect to take anywhere from 8 to 20 hours to completely set up and office.
• Enroll a buddy as an organizing partner.
• Favorite music may assists in organizing at a lively pace.