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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 Organizer’s 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
papers—papers 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.
About the Author: Judith Kirk provides
hand-on and coaching services in simplification and organizational mastery.
She uses a holistic approach to teach life management skills that insures an
immediate physical, emotional and psychological payoff when chaos and
clutter are eliminated. The impact of simplifying and organizing renews the
spirit and builds confidence. Order is the foundation upon which to build
inner peace, contentment and joy in life. Subscribe to FREE monthly
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