Recently I worked with Adam* who wanted to reclaim his home office in the attic.
One of the reasons papers start to pile up on a desk is when you don’t have all the items close at hand. He has a trash can right next to his desk which is handy but not all paper needs to go into the trash. Recycling is very important to Adam. Having a paper bag, a box or a separate trash can for recycling nearby means he can choose what paper to recycle or toss as he sorts his mail or works. He also needed a paper shredder for dealing with clients’ personal info. Having the shredder near his desk is way more efficient than having to go to another room to shred papers. The desk Adam has does not include drawers. He had pens scattered around. A useful way to keep pens contained is a jar or mug.
Adam had been “filing” papers he wanted to review on the floor next to his desk for a couple years. He realized that not having touched the files for a couple years that he probably wasn’t missing anything. Adam decided most would end up in recycling or shredding bags. Still, he sorted through them quickly to ensure there weren’t any forgotten checks or important papers to file.
Adam has a handy shelving near the desk to store things that don’t need to be on his desk. It included electronics he wasn’t actively using such as a headset and extra phone cords. First, we purged what is obsolete or doesn’t work, then put what is usable and useful in a bin. All those unwanted items were removed. He had printer paper on the shelf but the printer was on another desk. With his permission, we moved the papers closer to the printer so all the related supplies are nearby to restock as needed, even the printer inks. After all the sorting and purging, Adam was so happy with the result especially knowing he can now bring up a robo vacuum to do the floor cleaning.
What’s your favorite trick that helps keep your home office organized?
*Note: These blog stories feature real clients and their organizing solutions. To maintain client privacy, all names have been changed.
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