Many people have an office in their home.  Some are used as a working office for business and career while others handle the "business of life" - bill paying, correspondence and record keeping.  Regardless of the use of the office, most people say this is the area in their home that needs organizing.  There are emails to be answered, mail to looked at, and projects to be worked on.  And don't forget all those papers!

Recently I had the pleasure of helping a local business owner, Barbara, with her home office.   When we first met, she expressed a desire to get her office better organized.  After asking a few questions and learning about her daily business activities I discovered that she really did not use the office to its fullest potential because she did not like to be in there and work because of all the visual clutter.  We did some phone coaching in advance of my visit to help her understand how to streamline her work flow and manage her documents and filing.  We then spent about 4 hours in her office and finished the transformation.

Here are a few tips to use when preparing to organize your office:

Set up three boxes or bins just outside your office in the hall. These boxes will help you during the sort and purge phases of organizing your office. Take 3 pieces of paper or Post-it™ notes and write one of these words on each sheet: Garbage, Give Away, Goes Elsewhere. Next, place the label on each box or bin. As you go through the things in your office, use these boxes as you purge and sort.

Garbage
Pretty self explanatory, right? Wrong. Many people need a few guidelines to help them determine what should be thrown away. Here are a few questions to ask:
• Is it broken? Can it be repaired? Will I repair it?
• Are all parts in tact?
• Is it identity sensitive; does it contain any of my personal information?
• Is it something someone else would want or use?
If something is identity sensitive, then please shred it using a cross cut shredder.  If the items are useful, consider donating those (more about that in the next section).

Give Away
Giving things away can be hard. We are a country of materialism for sure, but also a recycle conscious community. Donating goods is a way to do your part in recycling. Here are a few questions to help you with donating:
• Does this item still have a purpose in our home?
• Have we used it in the last year or so?
• Do we have more than one or something similar?
Having a donation box as a permanent fixture in your home is a good idea. I encourage my clients to have one in every bedroom closet. Just use a large tote, without the lid, lined with a garbage bag. When something no longer fits or is no longer needed, there's a place for it to go until you have a chance to donate it. Don't forget, you may benefit from writing off these donations at tax time, so ask your CPA!

Goes Elsewhere
We have all heard (or read in an email) the story of the distracted person who, in the midst of washing the car, wants something to drink. They leave the car with hose running and head to the kitchen. They are distracted by a bill to mail, a phone call, feeding the dog, weeding the sidewalk and 45 minutes later remember that they came in for a drink of water! Having a box labeled "Goes Elsewhere" helps with this distraction phenomenon that we have all experienced. Put items in this box that do not belong in the room you are organizing. Do not leave the area you are organizing, just put it in the box. Then at the end of the organizing session, you put away any items in the box. The "Goes Elsewhere" box could also hold items that you are selling on Craig's List or at your next yard sale.

There is more to this office transformation, but for now, these three boxes will help you get started and eliminate the unncessary clutter.  If you have questions about how to organize your office, go to this website for more informational tips.