Organize Your Office

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The benefits of beingorganized at work

1ìThe Overload Syndromeî by Richard Swenson

Ideas and tips to help you livean organized, simpler life at work and home

organize today!

In the old days, offices used to be

standard-issue, one-size-fits-all

spaces.They traditionally had a

large desk, a filing cabinet, and ó

such luxury ó a door to close for

a little peace and quiet.

Fast-forward to today. Offices now

come in a variety of shapes and

sizes. From the standard-issued,

privacy-lacking cube office to the

increasingly popular home office to

the space-challenged mobile office,

each presents its own unique

organizational challenges.

This issue of Organize Today will

offer some tips and tricks to help

you get your space, supplies, and

work life under control no matter

if youíre an executive on the top

floor or a sales guru working out

of your sedan.

The average desk worker has 36 hours ofwork on his or her desk and spends threehours per week sorting piles trying tofind the project to work on next.1 Soundfamiliar? If youíre struggling throughmountains of desk clutter, realize that bybecoming more organized, youíll not onlyhelp your business run better, but youíllreap multiple personal rewards as well.

Youíll increase productivity once you have an organized andefficient schedule to keep you on track. Youíll be amazed at howmuch you get done in shorter amounts of time. And by focusingon your priorities and goals, youíll be able to finally move aheadtoward reaching them. But the benefits donít stop there.

Once youíre organized, youíll have a positive self-image andditch the shame.Your organized office will allow you to presenta professional image to coworkers, clients, and superiors.A clutter-free environment is also easier to manage.Your stresslevel will decrease dramatically.When you can find what youneed, are on top of your to-dos, and arrive on time, youíll feelcalmer and have more peace of mind. No more feeling over-whelmed by life ó youíll be the one in control. Youíllalso discover more time for yourself.When youíre organized,your days go as planned, and you get a lot done.That leavesmore time to indulge in a little ìme time.î Now doesnít thatsound nice?

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The average office worker spends2000 hours per year at her desk.This space can either be a stress-ful, headache-inducing mess or a pleasant, easy-to-maintainoasis. Use these tips to create a blissfully organized office.

MANAGE PAPERS DAILY. Keeppapers under control by dealingwith paperwork on a regularbasis. Whether first thing in themorning, at the end of the day,or somewhere in between, setaside 30 minutes each day soyou don’t end up with over-whelming piles. For every pieceof paper that you encounter,make an immediate decision toeither toss it, file it, or act on it.

TOSS A LOT. Eighty percent ofwhat we file is never looked atagain. Keep only the papers youtruly need.

FILE REGULARLY. Make timeeach day to file your “keepers.”Although not your favorite task,filing as you go will probablytake only a few minutes and willmake your office life much lessstressful and more productive.

CREATE ACTION FILES. If youcan’t act on smaller tasks rightaway, keep them in a “quick-taskto-do” file, and work on themregularly so they don’t pile up.For larger, long-term projects, puteach into a separate file folder.Chunk each project into bite-sizepieces. Draft a timeline withdeadlines, and attach it to theinside front cover of the file.

KEEP KEY THINGS CLOSE.Gather items that you use mostfrequently, and store them withineasy reach of your usual seatedposition. Items that you use lessfrequently can be placed outsidethis area, but should still be easilyaccessible. For things you rarelyuse, consider getting rid of them,storing them outside your office, orstashing them further away fromyour desk, saving your “prime realestate” for the most-used supplies.

CORRAL PERIODICALS.Magazine fileswill neatly holdnewsletters ortrade periodicals,making for easyreference andreduced deskclutter.

USE BINDERS. These 3-ringhelpers are perfect for filingthings you reference frequentlybecause they’re easy to locateand page through, they hold alarge volume of papers, and theyare easy to maintain.

LABEL IT. Use a dark marker orlabel maker to label all file fold-ers and binders.This makes theprocess of“putting away”and retrieval somuch easier.

TIDY UP. At the end of everyday, clear your desktop, reviewtomorrow’s schedule, and updateyour to-do list.Tomorrow is sureto be a success!

Home office tipsA day working from your homeoffice can be filled with interrup-tions from spouses, kids, or unex-pected visitors. To maximize your time, consider these tips:

• Establish regular office hoursand make sure everyone knowsand respects them. If necessary,find quiet time by getting up earlyor staying up late.

• For parents working at homewith small children, utilize naptime for peak work hours. Setaside a bucket of special toys to be taken out only when you’re onthe phone and need extra specialquiet. Establish regular childcare as needed, and don’t forget to create a back-up plan for schoolvacations or sick days.

• Resist the urge to continuallycheck email or voice mail. Ignorethe doorbell. Use caller ID to directyour energies toward work-relatedcalls, rather than chatty friends andpesky telemarketers.

• Make a to-do list at the begin-ning of each day or the eveningbefore. Schedule your time so themost important tasks get donefirst.That way, if you do get inter-rupted, at least your most urgenttasks have been completed.

The essential office

In the “old days,” people used their cars simply to get from Point A to Point B. But today, vehicles oftenfunction as a mobile office. If you work out of yourcar, consider these tips to maximize your space andmaintain organization.

CONSIDER SOME SPECIALTY CAR ORGANIZERS. Discountstores offer a variety ofthem, such as back-of-the-seat organizers, visor

organizers for CDs, and auto tray tables. Front-seatmobile office organizers are also available, such asthis one from Case Logic.®

GET PAPERS UNDER CONTROL BY CREATINGAN ON-THE-GO FILING SYSTEM. Whether youoffice out of your car or just need to have lots of information at your fingertips, create a simple filing system.Your local office supply store has a variety of portable, lidded file boxes, or use a simple plastic crate. Label hanging file folders with broad categories, and slide important papers in the correct spots.

STOCK A SMALLER, LIDDED BOX OR ZIPPERED CASE WITH ESSENTIAL OFFICESUPPLIES. Include pens, sticky notes, paper, notecards, envelopes, and stamps. Don’t forget businesscards, brochures, and any other company literature.Or keep an empty cup in one of the cup holders forpens and pencils.

DEDICATE AN ENVELOPE TO HOLD BUSINESS-RELATED RECEIPTS. Empty it out once each week.Don’t forget to keep a mileage log tucked into your visor or door pocket if you need to track miles.

MAKE SURE YOU DON’T FORGET BRILLIANTIDEAS. Stash small hard-cover notebook to catchthose moments. Or, to keep your eyes on the road,tote a mini-recorder or call your voice mail and leave reminders there.

TOSS IT OUT AND TIDY UP. Keep a nylon or plastic garbage bag in the car so messes get cleanedup as you go.Take five minutes at the end of eachday to empty the bag and tidy up the entire vehicle.This small investment of time will prevent the needfor a longer clean-up later.

Your mobile office, on-the-go and organized

Smaller spaces — like the office cubicle — have theirown unique organizational challenges. In fact, morethan 59% of Americans say their messy cubicles affect their work.1 If you’d like to get your cube undercontrol, try these tips to maximize your small space.

USE VERTICAL SPACE. Don’t rely solely on hori-zontal (flat) desk surfaces for storage. Office supplystores and catalogs offer a variety of organizationproducts to maximize wall space. Look for basketladders that hook over cube walls to act as “in” and“out” boxes or to hold current projects or literature.

MINIMIZE VISUAL CLUTTER. Smaller spaces looklarger when clutter is kept to a minimum. Keep pro-ject papers tucked away in file folders. Utilize storage

boxes in a variety of sizes tostore media and office sup-plies. If you have a bulletinboard, empty it completelyand return only those thingsthat you truly love or need.

MINIMIZE DISTRACTIONS.If possible, face your computer or most-used worksurface away from the doorway so you’re not constantly interrupted by the flow of office traffic.Consider putting up a “do not disturb” sign outsideyour doorway letting office mates know when youneed privacy during peak production hours.

An organized cubicle

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1 International Facility Management Association Space and Project Management Benchmarks

Make your office space your own

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ted. MAKE IT PERSONAL.

Youíre in your office fornearly a third of your day.Add personal touchesto make it a fun space.Include a few great andmeaningful photos. Addartwork to the walls ó

whether expensive originals or a childís framed fingerpaintings. And add a little greenery in the form of apotted plant or fresh flowers. Remember that youroffice is a reflection of you, so keep it tasteful andsimple, and, of course, organized!

HAVE FUN WITH DESK ACCESSORIES. Thinkoutside the office supply catalog. Even if you have topay for them yourself, a few beautiful, useful office

supplies may make your day more enjoyable. From ahigh-quality pen to colorful binders and file folders,functionality can be fun. A rubber band ball, funky,patterned clipboard, or vintage wire desk tray willmake office drudgery a thing of the past. Some onlineresources for unique organization supplies includewww.seejanework.com and www.russellandhazel.com.Also try www.containerstore.com for a wide varietyof products.

PLEASE ALL YOUR SENSES. Introduce sound byplaying some soft music. Delight your nose by spritzingcotton balls with an energizing essential oil like orangeor peppermint and placing them in your drawers.Indulge your taste buds by filling a candy bowl with yourfavorite treats.Your days are sure to be more pleasantwhen your office looks, smells, and sounds nice.