Home Sweet Home Office

2008-09-04 21:00:25 

So far I have written about two of the three types of home office owners. I started off   with the visual type where everything has to be within sight at all times. Then there is the minimalist who does not want any unnecessary items in sight. Finally I will talk about the hoarders that keep everything - everywhere.

Hoarding simply means that this type of person fears to get rid of anything because they may need it again someday. I had a client once that had so much paper, crafts and who knows what piled in her home office that you could not walk through it. Even I was not sure where to start but I know that anytime you set out to organize a space you just have to dive in.

We did - and for days we kept digging until we found the floor. She had filled up all of the file drawers and the storage bins. When she ran out of space there she just started piling things on top of the desk, file drawers, storage boxes and finally the floor. We started with the paper, then the office supplies, then the crafts and so on. (I have explained in previous posts about the best way to organize a home office)

Few home offices are in as much need of organizing as my client’s home office. However, if you find yourself keeping too much stuff there are a few steps you can take to improve your situation.

• Sort your mail in the same spot each day.
• Throw the envelopes and any advertisements in the trash
• Have a container for any papers that are trash but have your personal information on them. As the container fills up shred the paper.
• Only keep the latest catalogs - throw the others in the trash. If there is something that you want from an old catalog mark it on the cover so you remember why you are keeping it.
• Only start projects that can be finished in the short term. Keep supplies stored until you absolutely need them.
• When files are full sort through them and purge anything over 7-10 years old. Ask you accountant for advice on this one!
• Label cords and chargers. If you discard the electronic gadget toss the cord and charger as well.

TIP: Do not increase storage space until you sort through what you already have. More space often means more stuff.

When you question what to do with a paper or an item make the decision according to the value. Can it be replaced? Does it need to be replaced? Do you love it? Would you miss is if it was gone? Could someone else use it? If you keep it that is fine - but you have to find a place to keep it so go from there.