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Organizing Your Home Office
by Jill Hart, CWAHM.com
It can be a real challenge as a work at home parent to maintain an
organized home office. Many times, the office or desktop is the
last of our worries as we strive to raise our children, support
our spouses and run our home-based business. However, keeping up
with the clutter and chaos of your office may be just what you
need to get you in a working mindset and help you to be more
efficient while working.
There a few simple things that you can do on a regular basis that
will help to de-stress organizing process:
* Address your home office/desktop chaos in blocks of time. You
may need to set aside just a few hours, or you may need an entire
day. Decide what will work for you and stick to it. If it’s not
possible for you to set aside a block of time, consider using a
headset while you are on the phone and be de-cluttering, too!
* Have the necessities on hand: a trash can, pen, file folders,
mail baskets and other organization items that will enable you to
sort, throw out and find a place for each item. Envision your goal
and purchase the supplies necessary to create that environment.
* Clear the space you want to organize (the desk surface, one of
the drawers, etc.). Then make a pile of all the paper. Begin to
evaluate each piece of paper, sorting it by importance. Throw out
as much as possible and find a place for each of the other items.
* If you start to feel stressed, take a break. Make a goal of how
far you’d like to get during the time you have available and set
an incentive for yourself if you reach your goal. It’s always
easier to complete a task when you know you’ll be rewarded.
Once you’ve organized your office, it’s important to take small
steps everyday to keep the room clean and tidy. It’s very easy to
fall back into the routine of piling things on your desktop and
around the room. There are five simple tasks that you can do daily
to help maintain your organized space:
1. Clean out your “Inbox”. In today’s world this can apply to
postal mail or email. Create a special basket for postal mail that
needs to be taken care of right away, and another for items that
can wait a day or two.
To keep your email inbox under control, create folders within your
email program. Keep what needs to be done immediately in your
inbox and distributed the rest into your folders. You can also use
"rules" to help separate email and make it easier to manage.
2. Make sure all notes are transferred to your calendar, palm
pilot or day planner. It is very easy to pile up a desktop full of
paper by writing every note on a Post-it. You can also create an
“Idea Book” to catalog all of your business ideas for future
reference.
3. Remove all mail, catalogs & magazines from your desk. Put them
in their proper place as you receive them. This will considerably
cut down the amount of clutter on your desktop.
4. File as you go. This is the most basic and most important tip
of all. If you file as you go your records will be in order, your
desktop will be clear and you will feel like a professional.
5. Clean off your desktop each evening. There's nothing better
than sitting down at a clean workspace each morning. It helps to
keep your mind focused on your business and makes finding
important documents a snap.
By following these easy guidelines you will have a clean and
organized home office in no time. Having a clutter-free workspace
is the first step in creating an organized and professional
home-based business.
Jill Hart is the author of the e-book, 2 Weeks Devotional Journey
for Christian Work at Home Moms, and the founder and editor of
Christian Work at Home Moms,
CWAHM.com. This
site is dedicated to providing work at home moms with
opportunities to promote their businesses while at the same time
providing them spiritual encouragement and articles. E-mail Jill
at jill@cwahm.com for
additional information or stop by her site at
http://www.CWAHM.com.
Article Source:
http://www.ladypens.com |
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Weekly Thought
"Passion is a burning desire to do
something BEYOND
ORDINARY!" |
WE are their voice.
TIPS FOR YOU
AND YOUR PET
1.
Did you know?
Spaying & Neutering your pet is vital to her/his health. It
can reduce the risk of cancer and other life threatening problems.
Don't
Delay Spay or Neuter Today!!
2. The
Simple Pleasures
Something
as simple as reading aloud to your cat or playing a game with your
dog will not only give your pet a lift but will give your
frazzled, overbooked life a reverie.
3. Always
Remember...
The
only thing your pet needs on the path to bliss is that when
they look up you are there!
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