Organize my Work!

The first month of a new year marks new beginnings!  We are embarking on a new cleaning series: "Green Cleaning Through the Seasons."  This series will address specific areas to green clean within a particular season as well as how to more efficiently organize that space.  Since January falls in the winter season, we will start off with what you areas to prioritize in the winter months.  There is no better place to get started organizing and green-clean sprucing up than in the office!

How often have you become distracted and lost productive work time?  How many times have you misplaced an important invoice or document due to your lack of organization?

January is the perfect month to get your business off on the right foot.  Whether you have to commute to the office or simply head to another room in your home to start your work day, beginning with organizing your office, makes the most sense.  A few top benefits of a green cleaned, organized office are: more productivity, more fiscal responsibility, less time spent preparing for tax filing.

So…let's get started…

ASSESS YOUR ROADBLOCKS:  What are the disorganization & clutter culprits?

• Lack of storage?
• Inconvenient storage?
• Poor filing system?
• Are you constantly losing things?
• All of the above?
• Is your home office taking over other functions of the room?
• Are there too many interruptions in your home office?

ASSERT NECESSARY CHANGE:
Lack of storage?  How we store things is changing.  It is no longer based solely on the square footage of a room, but on the cubic footage of a room.  So…look up!  How can you store things vertically?  Hanging shelves on walls, mounted pockets on doors, there is space all around you if you just look up!

Inconvenient storage?  Do you tell yourself, "I'll file that later", because you would have to walk to another area of the room or to a different floor of your home just to file that paper or document?  If that is the case, you have inconvenient storage issues.  Consider rearranging the space to maximize ease of use. 

From personal experience, addressing inconvenient storage has been a game changer!  I no longer have stacks of papers on my stairs waiting to travel up to their file cabinets because I created a decorative filing system right in my living room where I process all incoming bills, and other documents.  I have a discreet system that does not take away from the greater purpose of the room, which is a place to unwind and converse with family and friends.   My small antique (yard sale) table works well with our living room furniture and I can pay bills and process documents while talking with my kids about how their day at school was. 

Home offices may require a little more planning, but in return, allow for your creative and personal taste to shine through!

Poor filing system?   This could be eradicated with the addition of proper and convenient storage alone.  If that is not enough, then maybe your filing system is either too complicated or too broad.

For the too complicated filing system:  File by categories rather than ABC order and narrow the categories to three or five.  With no more than three-four subcategories.  On your computer/tablet, create a "Master Index" that lists your categories-subcategories-location in the office.  Use this Master Index to help you file and retrieve documents.

For the too broad filing system:  Be more specific with your categories and labels.  Be careful not to swing the pendulum too far the other way, though.

                Did you know that 80% of what gets filed is never looked at again?  --Julie Morgenstern "Organizing from the Inside Out"    Be deliberate in what you save vs. pitch!

Investing in a scanner such as the Neat scanner (reg. TM), may be a useful form of filing papers and documents.  Many computers do a fine job of scanning as well.  However you choose to save your papers, be sure to keep "hard copies" of those that may be needed for any legal reason including tax documentation.

*Tips above were gleaned from Julie Morgentstern's book, "Organizing from the Inside Out" and from personal experience.

APPLAUD YOUR EFFORTS!
Whatever the culprits are for the clutter in your office; a deep purging accompanied with strategic paper filing, proper storage, topped off with thorough green cleaning, will refresh and re-energize your office space; helping you to be more productive in 2016!

Must-Have Products for a Green-Clean Office Environment: 

Harmony Aromatherapy Wood Floor Cleaner
Harmony Aromatherapy Glass Cleaner
Harmony Aromatherapy Multi-Purpose Cleaner
One or two microfiber cloths or clean rags

*Have limited space? 
Keep eco-friendly, samples sizes located in a small basket in a drawer or closet shelf! 
Click link to order more great, non-toxic, sustainable cleaners!