PLUS – SPECIAL BONUS – HOW TO KEEP YOUR PAPER FILE SYSTEM ORGANIZED
Now that so many of us are working at home keeping our home office organization under control is essential! I think you will find my 5 steps to declutter and clean very easy to follow.
Is your home office starting to get so cluttered it’s distracting you? Then it’s time to make a change. No, I am not talking about scooping some papers into the filing cabinet — I mean heavy-duty, Marie Kondo-esque cleaning and organization. After all, an organized office not only looks nice, it can also increase productivity, save time, and lower stress levels.
HERE ARE 5 TIPS TO HELP YOU GET THAT HOME OFFICE IN SHAPE
1. DEFINE YOUR HOME OFFICE ORGANIZATION GOAL AND WRITE IT DOWN
What do you want your home office to look like? Feel like? Make goals early on and write them down. If you already know what you want, it will be easier to achieve it as you go through the declutter and clean process. Don’t just start throwing things in the trash before you know what needs to stay and what can go.
2. GO FOR A DEEP DECLUTTER AND CLEAN
As the old saying goes, use it or lose it — and that applies to everything, from furniture to decorations to office supplies. If you haven’t used it in months (and won’t use it in the future), it’s time to move on. The same goes for those office freebies that are taking up valuable space. Don’t use it? Toss it.
3. ORGANIZE BY ZONES
Make work easier by dividing your home office into zones — office supplies in one area, documents in another, and so on. Not only does zoning make things look tidy, but you’ll also save time whenever you need to find something.
4. PURGE THE PAPER
This is especially important when your home office paper is getting mixed-in with the household paper piles! We live in the digital age so why not take advantage of it? Chances are you’ve got piles and piles of paper lying around that can just as easily be stored in the computer. Make life easier and take some time to digitize wherever possible.
RELATED POST: ORGANIZE YOUR MEMORIES AND MEMORABILIA
5. UTILIZE YOUR WALL SPACE
Floor space is valuable so why not expand upward as you are decluttering and cleaning? Think of your home office walls as your new storage area: Install some trendy shelves or find yourself a tall bookcase or cabinet to store supplies and files. Keep yourself on task by hanging up a whiteboard, calendar, or to-do list.
BONUS CONTENT: How to Keep Your Paper File System Organized For Home and Office
Don’t be afraid of purging paper as an essential part of your home office organization!
Being on top of your game at your home office starts with an organized filing system. It can save you valuable time by allowing you to find documents easily while also decluttering and cleaning your workspace. Follow our guide to keeping organized and you’ll be kicking professional goals in no time.
KEEP IT SIMPLE
The first and most important point is not to overcomplicate your system with too many folders and subfolders. Sit down and think about the categories you require and formulate a structure that is simple and clear — with a general name for main folders and more specific ones for subfolders. You are more likely to maintain a simplified system so take your time at this point to clarify your categories.
LABEL YOUR FILES AND FOLDERS PROPERLY
When it comes to naming your files and folders, be concise. Also, use the terminology that is most relevant to you (e.g. car vs. automobile) — you’re better able to manage and stick with your filing system if the language used is personalized. Don’t forget to devise a logical scheme for the placement of your folders, be it alphabetically, by category, or by order of importance.
DON’T FORGET TO PURGE!
Speak to your attorney and CPA to know how long you are required to hold on to documents. Set up a periodic reminder in your calendar to remove unnecessary files — clearing out the excess is both satisfying and necessary to the success of a good filing system. Finally in order to truly declutter and clean, be sure to purge any irrelevant information that could be easily found elsewhere. A quick Google search is preferable to spending hours pouring over countless documents to locate your answer so only hang on to essential files.
Taking the time to establish an organized filing system with a logical structure is guaranteed to become an invaluable asset in your working life.
Interested in being paperless? Check out our FREE Best Practices for Going Paperless webinar.
GET TO KNOW ALEX! CHECK OUT HER PEACEFUL LIVING WELLNESS INTERVIEW HERE!
Alex Brzozowski is a professional organizer and productivity specialist. She started Be because she believes there’s a better way to organizing people’s lives—focusing not only on the home, but specializing in digital and business organizing and productivity, including digital documents, CRM programs, photos, music, email contacts, calendar and more! Her goal is to help her clients free up time to do what they love by bringing order and efficiency to their business, digital life and home.
Alex’s Midwest upbringing and values as well as her schooling at Butler University around “The Butler Way” are the pillars that have built her successful career in San Diego.
As a Paralegal for 5 years, she spent much of her time at a leading San Diego “paperless law firm”. As the “go to” person when it came to keeping case files and documents in order, she created a deep understanding of building systems, tracking and storing highly sensitive and private documents online and off.
Alex founded Be Organizing in November 2012. Shortly thereafter she became a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). She is active in the San Diego Chapter of NAPO and currently serving as the Chapter President. She also is Co-Author of “It’s Not About the Food: Personal Stories and Inspiration from Health Coaches and Wellness Experts to Transform Your Weight Loss Mindset and Lose Weight Without a Diet” where she writes about organizing and it’s relation to weight loss. It’s not just about the food, it’s about so much more!
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