EVERY HOME NEEDS AN OFFICE Yes, it is true that every home needs an office to handle the business of running a household. There are bills to pay, health records to maintain, an assortment of receipts, bank and financial statements all with tax implication. There are insurance papers, contracts and frequent flyer accounts along with addresses and telephone numbers. The list goes on and on. It does not matter if you live in an apartment or an old colonial home, there is a need to process paperwork. A home office can be a closet, a foldaway shelf, a corner of the kitchen or an entire room unto itself. The important thing is to establish a specific location where you can pay bills, fill out registration forms, answer invitations, plan weekly menus, schedule appointments, make calls and store instruction manuals. The only qualification is to have a workspace you can live with. The home office features need to fit your work style and allow for adequate storage of supplies and files. As you wander around office supply stores or glance through catalogs, you will see an abundance of gadgets that advertise, "Get organized." Going overboard is all too easy, so shop with purpose and spend your money only on the simple basics to get your started. Papers, papers everywhere and if you are not careful they will overrun your workspace leaving you searching for an important document or missing a wonderful opportunity. Establishing a filing system that makes sense to you will alleviate the PHD syndrome piling high and deep. Forget what all the organizing books have to say about the right way to file. Your system needs to be right for you! No doubt, you will need a tickler file, an active file, a reference file and a Rolodex or address/telephone book. These files need not be complex or cumbersome. Keeping it simple is the best policy. A Professional Organizers secret: If you want to find something again, then label, label, label! Labeling accelerates the retrieval process and filing is all about retrieval. The file drawers are not simply for storage but a means of maintaining information until needed. Ask yourself what you would be thinking about when looking for a particular paper. Throw away those imprinted labels and create your own wording. You can use verbs, nouns or full sentences -- whatever works for you. Being organized can save you time and money, but only if you can find what you want when you want it. A Tickler File system serves as a reminder, something that tickles your memory. Originally, ticklers were special feathers that were used to tickle churchgoers who nodded off during the sermon. Today tickler file systems are used so that you can purposely forget information until it is needed. http://www.organizingresources.com/1products.htm#Tickler%20Files Calendars are the simplest tickler file system. They provide a place to write down appointments and important events. However, hanging file folders are recommended to provide a convenient holding spot for date-sensitive paperspapers to be reviewed at a later date, bills to be paid, letters to be answered, decisions to be made, tickets purchased for a future event, cards to be sent, follow-up information and a variety of other items that you will need on a specific day. This system is revolving on a daily basis. Space is a premium and quickly disappears when papers begin to pile. When this happens, start a purging cycle, then simplify and organize. Refrain from adding new storage capacity. It only creates more places for clutter and more surfaces to collect unneeded items. Keep all these issue in mind as you search your home for the perfect spot for a home office. If you are interest in more information on the techniques of getting organized, please contact me through my website ~ www.OrganizingResources.com. |
