Any work we do is sacred. While high profile jobs are considered important because they come with equally high profile salaries, in truth, each of us is a critical component in the wheel of humanity. If your office is a disaster, chances are that your feeling pretty far from "connected" to your working space. Don't let clutter get between you and a meaningful experience! The world is waiting for your contribution.

Step One: Remove What Doesn't Belong

Quickly remove all items that do not belong in this space. If you work at home and have children or pets, it's easy to imagine your floor is littered with toys. Did you have a snack here a few days ago and forget to return your plate and mug to the kitchen? Do half empty bottles of water litter the counters? Sweep the room and remove the extraneous debris. Empty the garbage cans and the shredder.

Step Two: Recycle Reading

The newspapers you haven't had a chance to read, the magazines you haven't made time to enjoy, need to go. Put the newspapers in the recycle bin. Call your local school or retirement facility and see if they need your magazines. If not, recycle them.

Step Three: Weed Out Your Writing Tools

Create a central place for all of your office supplies, then assess. Do you have more paper, pens, or pencils than you can realistically use in a year? Donate the excess to schools or shelters.

Step Four: Kiss Your Computer Goodbye

If you have working but outdated technology sitting around, call around and see who could make use of these items. Some charities like Goodwill will even take broken equipment, fix it, and resell it. For more ideas on computer and printer recycling, check out LIME's Guide to Recycling.

Step Five: Lose Some Paper Weight

If you have stacks of paper everywhere, it's time to ‘divide and conquer.' Take one stack of paper at a time. Sit at a big table if you can, or spread out on the floor. Have an empty bag on either side of you-one for recycling, the other for trash. Go through the pile and immediately get rid of what's easy and obvious: sale flyers that expired long ago, the obvious junk mail, invitations to parties you missed, etc. Then go piece by piece and create categories. Lay them out separately with a post it underneath to identify each and avoid confusion. Weed out papers that you need to retain, but do not need to see on a daily basis, i.e. tax receipts. Group together all and other archival material-too often we clog our present with the past by keeping old memories front and center. The back of a closet or your garage are ideal for archival materials, and shifting them to that space will help you make room for your future, literally.

Step Six: Update Your Files

Now that you've got everything sorted, it's time to file it. If you are one of those people who won't remember outstanding issues if they're out of sight in a file, consider using binders for your projects. Insert dividers to contain all the various aspects of a project in one area. After you create your new file system, take the time to put it on your computer. Print out a copy and keep it on your desk. Create a Reference Binder which keeps all pertinent information at your fingertips. That way, when you wonder how or where you filed some information, you can let your fingers do the walking.

Step Seven: Open Yourself to a New Office Experience

Now that you've streamlined, consider your space. Do you have the room set up in a way that makes it easy to work? Do you find yourself walking across the room to reach the printer? Or do you have equipment littering the floor causing you to stoop over all day long to retrieve or use key items? Function is very important. Set yourself up to win!

Helpful Hints For Everyday Upkeep:

1. Reduce clutter before it happens. If you know you are going to be working late or out of town for a week, put a temporary stop on your daily newspaper delivery. You'll be able to catch the news highlights on the Web and on TV. Major newspapers publish their top articles on the web each day, usually for free. There isn't a chance you won't know what's going on. Can't part with that newspaper? Neatly cut out what you wanted to keep and recycle the rest. Also take a minute to reconsider the magazines you currently subscribe to. Do you simply flips through any of them once before tossing in the recycling? Perhaps you've outgrown the tone of the magazine and it's time to cancel your subscription or ignore the renewal notice when it arrives.

 

2. Consider hiring a college student or a retired person for a few hours a week to do things like filing or errands. Maintenance is a key aspect in the ongoing effort to stay organized. However, you don't have to go it alone.

 

3. Do you like to hold onto old invitations because they offer ideas for scrap booking? Take a digital photo and create a file on the computer for these images.

Room-By-Room Guide

Getting Started
The Bathroom
The Kitchen
The Clothes Closet