| Years ago my family and I moved from a cramped | | | | containers located where you actually need them. Let |
| two-bedroom apartment into a spacious house. | | | | your functional needs dictate your office layout. |
| Instead of having to squeeze my home office in half a | | | | At this point you have a nice design for your office |
| room, I finally had a nice 10' x 12' room all to myself. | | | | layout, and you've planned out zones for all your |
| Since I was accustomed to working in less than half | | | | activities. But how do you deal with the existing clutter |
| this area, I knew I'd have plenty of room to work with, | | | | and ensure that it doesn't return? The solution is to find |
| so I wanted to intelligently organize it in a way that | | | | out what patterns there are to your clutter and create |
| would allow me to work efficiently on a variety of | | | | simple systems to deal with it. Piles of clutter often |
| projects without creating a cluttered mess. While | | | | accumulate simply because you don't know what to |
| browsing a local bookstore before the move, on a | | | | do with all those pieces of paper, or you haven't yet |
| whim I bought a book called Organizing From the Inside | | | | found the time to make all the necessary decisions |
| Out by Julie Morgenstern. It contained many great | | | | those piles represent. |
| organizing tips and adroitly explained where people | | | | Sort the Clutter |
| normally go wrong when trying to get organized. I'd like | | | | Sort all the items in those piles of clutter. For this task |
| to share with you what I learned from reading this | | | | you can place several boxes on the floor and begin |
| book and organizing my home office from scratch. | | | | placing items into the boxes. The key is to sort items in |
| Julie's book starts off with a strong statement that at | | | | a way that makes sense from a functional standpoint. |
| first I didn't believe. She says that if you're one of | | | | Ask yourself under what conditions each item would |
| those people who are surrounded by clutter and just | | | | be needed, and sort items by similar conditions. For |
| can't seem to get organized, then you simply never | | | | instance, I had one box for stuff that needed to be |
| learned how to get organized. If you maintain a messy | | | | filed, another box for design materials, another box for |
| environment, it just means you lack the skills of | | | | trash, and so on. Even though it may seem like a good |
| organizing, which anyone can learn. Having read | | | | idea, don't start putting things away just yet. When |
| several other books on organizing since then, I feel that | | | | clutter accumulates, there's usually a good reason for |
| Julie is partly right. Organizing can be broken down into | | | | it, and you want to learn why such items turned into |
| a step-by-step process that anyone can follow. | | | | clutter, even if you know where those items should go. |
| What Creates Clutter? | | | | Now that you've sorted the clutter, grab one of the |
| Julie points out several technical flaws that can | | | | boxes and take a look at the contents. Ask yourself |
| prevent one from becoming organized, but my | | | | why these items ended up as clutter. It's most likely |
| perception is that at a basic level, there is really just | | | | because you didn't have a good system for dealing |
| one flaw: a failure to systematize common decisions. | | | | with these items. Maybe theses items don't have an |
| Whenever I leave things lying out, it's because I'm not | | | | assigned home, or maybe the storage location you've |
| ready to decide what to do with them yet. So the | | | | assigned them is too inconvenient, so it's easier just to |
| process of organizing really comes down to having a | | | | leave them out. Maybe you have items that need to |
| system for automating decisions about where | | | | be filed, but you don't yet have a file for them, and |
| everything goes. Disorganized people have few or no | | | | your blank file folders are inconveniently stowed away |
| systems, so they must make every decision on a | | | | deep in your closet. Ask yourself under what |
| case by case basis. Eventually this becomes | | | | conditions each item might not have ended up as |
| overwhelming, and clutter begins to pile up. Organized | | | | clutter. This will give you a clue as to how to prevent |
| people will make far fewer decisions in the long run. It | | | | the clutter from returning. |
| takes far more time to be disorganized than it does to | | | | Give Every Object a Home |
| be organized because disorganized people lose so | | | | As you go through the boxes one by one, assign a |
| much time to inefficiency. | | | | home to each item. Where will you put those old bank |
| Learning How to Get Organized | | | | statements? Where should all those design notes go? |
| Now let's outline a step-by-step process for organizing | | | | If you had a box for trash, go through those items and |
| your home office from start to finish. The first step is | | | | note what should have been thrown away. If you |
| analysis. How do you spend your time in your office? | | | | assign a convenient home to every item, you will be |
| Make a list of the different types of tasks you | | | | much more inclined to put them away. Once I did this I |
| perform there, and create a list of functional zones | | | | found that my office was self-maintaining. I always put |
| that your office will need. If you are a programmer, this | | | | things away because the storage for items is right |
| should be an easy task if you think of it in terms of | | | | next to where they're used. |
| designing a computer program. If you had to program | | | | Assign appropriate containers for items. Take a trip to |
| a robot to perform all the different tasks you did in | | | | the local office supply store to get an idea of all the |
| your office, how would you organize those tasks into | | | | different types of containers that are available, or |
| separate modules? For instance, I came up with a list | | | | browse a web site such as Don't be afraid to buy |
| of six categories for myself: general paperwork, | | | | new storage such as drawers and shelves once you |
| computer work, creative work, financial work, business | | | | identify a need for them. Where clutter has |
| reading, and manual order processing and shipping. | | | | accumulated, most likely items either have no home, or |
| Ideally you want to create a list of clearly defined | | | | the storage isn't convenient. Acknowledge your true |
| categories that overlap as little as possible. | | | | needs -- don't fight them. If you have a short |
| Next, determine what physical equipment and materials | | | | bookcase, would a taller one serve you better? If your |
| you need for each category. For instance, for creative | | | | trash container seems to be constantly overflowing, |
| work I need access to writing instruments, design | | | | replace it with a larger one, or place multiple trash |
| notebooks, a marker board, and a corkboard. For | | | | containers in different areas of your office. I found two |
| shipping orders I need access to packaging materials, | | | | trash containers to work much better for me than just |
| recordable CDs, postage, a postal scale, and so on. At | | | | one, so I always have one within reach when I need it, |
| this step I realized I also needed a storage and | | | | and I don't have to empty them as often. |
| reference zone for my books, files, and extra supplies. | | | | For many years I've used something called a project |
| Now that you have your office materials functionally | | | | box (similar to a literature sorter) to organize materials. |
| divided into different zones, the next step is to assign | | | | It is a wooden box about three feet across, one foot |
| physical areas of your office to each zone. Ideally you | | | | high, and one foot deep with four small cardboard |
| want these zones to overlap as little as possible, but | | | | drawers, four shelves, and a book/binder storage area. |
| some overlap is usually necessary, especially if you | | | | I like this because it provides very versatile and |
| use your computer for many different tasks. Take | | | | accessible storage. I use the shelves to store current |
| some time to determine an arrangement of furniture | | | | paperwork I need to handle, and I use the drawers for |
| that will best suit your functional needs. | | | | frequently accessed materials like banking and mailing |
| A key to this stage is to envision what your ideal | | | | supplies. The drawers are fully removable, so I can |
| office would look like. Forget about what furniture you | | | | take them out when I need them and put them back |
| already own, and don't worry about cost or space | | | | when I'm done. Any office store will also carry a |
| constraints at this point. Just use your imagination, and | | | | variety of plastic drawer cabinets, ranging from small |
| think about what you'd really want if cost were | | | | desktop units to larger floor cabinets on wheels. The |
| irrelevant. Write this down on paper, and even sketch | | | | drawers are usually made of clear plastic, so you can |
| out your ideal office layout, noting which work zones | | | | always see the contents inside. Small drawers are |
| you would assign to each physical area. | | | | great for storing things like postage, rubber stamps, |
| Now that you know what you want for your ideal | | | | and other odds and ends that may clutter up your |
| furniture layout, brainstorm ways you can get as close | | | | work area. |
| to that ideal as possible, given budget and space | | | | If your space is tight, go vertical. There are many |
| constraints. Many people, myself included, have | | | | storage units that can be mounted on walls or stacked |
| inherited old furniture that no longer serves them. Just | | | | vertically. Also note the space beneath tables. Many |
| because you happen to already own it doesn't mean | | | | containers can fit in those spaces to store infrequently |
| it's the right choice for you today. Don't be afraid to sell | | | | accessed supplies. |
| old furniture and replace it with something more | | | | Put It Away |
| functional. You can find plenty of reasonably priced | | | | Once you've sorted the clutter, chosen the right |
| self-assembly office furniture at office superstores, | | | | containers, and assigned convenient homes for |
| and many offer free delivery. I bought my computer | | | | everything, take the time to put everything where it |
| desk, hutch, rolling drawer cabinet, and printer stand for | | | | should go. This shouldn't take long at all if you've made |
| a total of $99 new, but I had to assemble them myself. | | | | all the decisions in advance. Don't take any shortcuts, |
| I also bought three six-foot folding tables for about $35 | | | | or they will come back to haunt you later. Disorganized |
| each, and they can be moved around easily. | | | | people make life harder by forcing themselves to |
| Additionally, I picked up five stacking shelves (60" tall, | | | | always make a new decision on where each item |
| 36" wide, 10" deep) for only $20. Bookcases are | | | | should go. Organized people establish systems so that |
| cheap too, about $40-60 for one with six shelves. If | | | | the proper place for each item is obvious; thus, no new |
| you want that hand-carved mahogany desk, you'll pay | | | | decisions have to be made each time. For instance, |
| a premium for it, but if you go for the basic, functional | | | | when I receive postal mail, I automatically place the bills |
| stuff, you can fill your office with furniture for just a | | | | and financial statements into the bills drawer, the junk |
| few hundred dollars, even if you buy everything new. | | | | mail into the trash, the magazines into the magazine |
| Measure furniture and play with different configurations | | | | rack, and items that require other processing into my |
| in your favorite image editing software. Or make | | | | inbox. |
| paper cut-outs to scale and experiment with them. It's | | | | To me the greatest benefit of getting organized has |
| much easier to do this than physically moving the | | | | been a greater ability to concentrate when working |
| furniture around. | | | | and a greater ability to relax when not working. |
| Now that you've settled on an office furniture layout, | | | | Working in a self-maintaining, uncluttered environment |
| place the equipment, materials, and supplies for each | | | | can increase productivity by making the process of |
| zone into that zone. As you determine how to zone | | | | work flow more smoothly. If you feel that excess |
| your office, you might want to have redundant supplies | | | | clutter is overwhelming your ability to relax and enjoy |
| for convenience. I need writing instruments for most | | | | your work environment, take the time to make your |
| tasks, so I have containers for them on both sides of | | | | organizing decisions in advance about where |
| the room. Don't store things just where they seem to | | | | everything should go and why. Then you can focus on |
| fit. Store materials as close as possible to the point | | | | getting your real work done, since you'll be able to |
| where you'll actually use them. Inconvenient storage | | | | quickly recognize where each object goes and |
| can easily lead to clutter. If you're always losing pens, | | | | conveniently put it away. |
| for instance, perhaps it's because you don't have pen | | | | |