Day 9 – Home Office
We’re back to the office or work space. So, if you did everything you were supposed to do on the previous day, you should have a room full of piles of desk and office stuff.
It probably looks worse than it did before you started… but don’t fret! We’re going to fix it!
Go through each pile to see if you can toss anything out. Old utility records really don’t need to be kept more than 12 months back.
Most tax records and receipts do not need to be kept longer than 10 years.
If you have an accountant, give him/her a quick call to ask if you can shred anything older with a high-quality paper shredder. *Update: I found this blog post on “Home Office Organization – What to Keep” that you will probably find helpful regarding what items to keep and how long to keep them.
Take the time to go through each file folder. Eliminate unnecessary paperwork. Make a new label, if needed, or even a whole new file folder.
4-Letter Tray Office Desk Organizer
Once all your paperwork is contained, channel your inner librarian and put them in alphabetical order before putting the files back in the drawer. Move the little plastic tabs so they can easily be seen and accessed.
Organize your desk or work space according to need; if you don’t use it, either donate the item or put in on the highest shelf.
Get everything off the floors. If you have a diploma or certificate sitting on the floor, looking forlorn, take the time to hang it up today.
When you are done with this room, everything should be clean and organized, purged and simplified, lean and mean.
If you still find yourself looking for things in your desk area…
Schedule one more day next week to organize again until you have things sorted out so well that you aren’t wasting time searching for items. This is one key to staying more productive.
