Sep 03 2008
Home Office - Minimalist Style
2008-09-03 19:31:02
Minimalist people create challenges when it comes to organizing their home offices. In their urgency to clear off every surface they tend to throw out papers that they later regret tossing. They tend to like gadgets but they are quick to loose instructions and warranty information.
I prefer working with a minimalist - I understand the way they think and can relate to them because I am one. Where I differ from most other minimalists is that I am very careful not to toss too soon. I have storage solutions located both in my garage and inside the closet that I spoke of in my previous posts. I sort and resort on a regular basis.
Surely you have heard that you should only handle a piece of paper once. I strongly disagree. Some papers can conform to this belief but most cannot. There are ways to cut down on the paper though.
Only keep the necessary papers - for example, the extra sheets from a phone bill or bank statement that does not contain important information can be discarded.
- Set up a computer filing system and scan papers before tossing them
- Receive statements online
- Pay bills online
I am a big fan of PDF files. They are easy to send as attachments to email and they are an exact copy of whatever you see. Software that writes PDF files is more abundant than before. I use Adobe but it is expensive. I justify the cost because I scan most every piece of paper that crosses my desk. It works well and frankly I have not taken the time to try other software that may be less expensive. Do a Google search on “software to print PDF files” and you will see over 17 million possibilities.
I use a Visioneer scanner and my scanning software is PaperPort. I prefer a flat bed scanner because a lot of my receipts are odd sized. The scanner sits on a shelf next to my desk to keep it handy.
After my papers are scanned and saved into my computer files I shred them. I invested in a large cross cut shredder. I wanted it to look good in my home office - it does. My shredder is on casters and is clad in stainless steel.
I speak a lot about papers although papers are not the whole story. They are a huge part however and from my experience paper is most people’s issue. Control your paper and the rest is easy. Shelves, magnetic bulletin boards and a few cool storage boxes control clutter quite well.
A minimalist home office is not an empty home office. A minimalist home office is a home office that is organized where everything in it has a place and everything in it is in place. That may sound trite but it is true.
