From the Desk of Clearissa Coward’s Command Center
How To Be Organized While Working At Home And Loving It
As an organization enthusiast and influencer, I have tried many different mantras and techniques to get organized. I’ve tried it all, with much trial and error. Some worked, some didn’t. I tried some of those fancy looking matching desk sets. They looked beautiful and for some, I’m sure they are perfect. But for me, they took up too much valuable space. Space I needed to proof my work, keep my reference books, or keep those essentials that I use on a regular basis. Also, I craft in the same space that I write and work, therefore, space is of the utmost importance. With that in mind, in this article I will share tips on how to be organized while working at home.
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For me, when I work I want everything organized and within arms reach. I want to have immediate access to the tools I need to complete my assignments. I also get sidetracked if my work area is messy. I want things within reach but out of sight when not in use. Therefore I require desk drawers, baskets, bins, etc. Those really pretty and feminine desktops that I drool over, are glamorous and sleek but do not work for me because I need hiding spaces.
I have a desk that I DIYed years ago, from two file cabinets and an old door. It is large and in charge and it can still get crowded if I’m not careful. On it I have my cricket vinyl cutter, one laptop always, two on occasion, a paper file, a candle. a lamp and as large as it is, I feel I still need more room. 😉
The thrifted and painted file cabinets is possibly the greatest thing I’ve ever done to organize my office/craft space. That and all of the soft storage cubes from Amazon. When I need to pay bills or do anything for the household, everything is right there at my finger tips. When I’m crafting, everything is near because most of my craft supplies are on shelves in the soft storage cubes.
Side note, I purge my household file annually. I only keep two year’s worth of bills and or other household paperwork. Be safe and shred any personal paperwork to protect your privacy.
Now for the receipts’ file. There was a time, that I kept and filed my receipts by the month. Each month had its own envelope. However, since the tax laws have changed so drastically, I do not keep receipts the way I used to. However, if you do still keep receipts, following this plan is a great way to avoid the crunch and stress of tax time because they will already be separated by month.
Here are some other organizational tips you might find beneficial:
Mail—Junk mail never makes it past the kitchen. I go through it and head straight to the trash can with it. The only mail that goes upstairs to the office is necessary. I pay bills twice monthly. All bills go into my monthly bill folder. All other business or relevant mail is sorted and put in its rightlful place immediately. Anything that might require follow-up is logged into my planner and on my phone calendar and put into the TO DO folder. Try this for a week and I’ll just bet you will enjoy the result.
Desk—Your desk should have on it only those items that you use on a regular basis. Look around. What have you not used in the last month or two? Start dumping. Find another spot for it. But find the RIGHT spot for it. And if the right spot is the donate or trash bin, then let it go.
No Piling of Anything Allowed–This is one of those habits that can be so easy to get into. But you should fight it with all your might. 🙂 Too often you will miss something important and regret the piling habit. You will be amazed how much more organized you will feel if you just don’t do this one thing. And time yourself. You think you are too busy, but it takes seconds and how long does it take to look for that missing document?
Planner—Now this is not only for Time Management. If you choose the right planner, you can have a space for all your business cards, appointment cards, etc. How great it is to have all these cards right in the same place. On the date of your appointment, you simply grab the card and off you go. I also log appointment into my Google calendar which converts to both my phone and my google calendar on my computer as well. Very convenient. You can also connect the Google calendar to your Outlook calendar so that you only have to enter once. That’s a time saver for sure.
Three-ring Binder–-I maintain a binder for the household. In it you will find instruction manual for appliances and other pertinent household information. In another binder I have binder sleeves and this is where there are copies of important documents such as, marriage license, divorce papers, birth certificates, family contact info, etc. The originals are in a safe. But sometimes you only need copies of the information and it is kept in a place where both hubs and I can find it and the originals stay put and out of harms way.
Start the beginning of the day and the end of the day with a tidy-up. What a tremendous feeling that is. When you are done with a project, away it goes. When you start the next project, out comes all the material you need.
There’s nothing like the feeling of sitting down in the morning to a nice clean organized desk and office. Once you feel this a couple of days, you want to experience this every day and you will take the appropriate steps to make it happen.
So, which of the tips will you focus on first? Leave me a comment below and let me know which tip you will use right away.
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Don’t forget to check out my eBook; Organize Your Life in 21 Days. It is available for download and has a variety of small projects to help you organize your life one small project at a time. Get your copy today.
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I find it hard to keep my office neat. That’s where I keep everything! Good ideas.
Hahaha, you and a million others, me included. You just need a system that works for your organizational style. And perhaps to purge just a little. 🙂 Thanks for stopping in. As always, I appreciate you.
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I really need to implement these tips. At times I am very disorganized like when the mail comes in and I have to sort through it.
Hi Alice. So happy you found the article useful. I hope it can help you out just a little. Do drop in again and have a wonderful week.