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Entries Tagged 'Office Organization & Productivity' ↓
Picture walking into a room and looking at the desk in front of you, a desk meant for your child to sit at to complete their homework. The desk is sporting an empty chip bag, some library books, a few Legos, coloring paper, random toy cars, 3 puzzle pieces and pencils and markers are strewn about. Or is this your desk? Either way, it’s not a desk that is functioning properly for anyone to work at.
Let’s turn that around and easily turn a cluttered desk into a fully functioning desk-yeah! Just follow these easy organizing tips to help your child clear a space and get their homework done with fewer hassles.
Organizing Tip #1: Remove everything from the desk that shouldn’t ‘live’ there, this is the time to remove wrappers, puzzle pieces and Legos, etc.
Organizing Tip #2: Place items that are used less frequently further away from the workspace. A great solution is to place shelves above the desk to house reference books or extra supplies like computer paper. This is a great way to use often overlooked wall space.
Organizing Tip #3: Place items that are used the most, closest to the workspace and don’t keep more than you need; you don’t need 3 pencils cups when one will do. Place items like scissors, glue and pencils close at hand.
Organizing Tip #4: If your child likes to move around your home to do homework such as on the floor or in another room, then create a mobile supply caddy. For more on how to create a homework supply caddy, please read more here.
Organizing Tip #5: Help kids maintain their now neat desk by decluttering and organizing on a regular basis. Just like areas in our own home don’t just stay organized, neither will theirs. Set a schedule to deal with the wrappers and toys that may find their way back to the desk once again. When you have a system in place, restoring order should be much easier than it was starting from scratch.
Help your child learn valuable organizing skills while getting homework down with fewer headaches because who really needs another headache anyway?!
Organized Children's Desk
Tags: Decluttering, DIY organization, home, Home Organization, Home Organization Blog, organizing kids, organizing skills, organizing tips, paper organizing
File Box for Paper Organization
When kids go back to school, paper come home from school, lots and lots of paper. What can you do as a mom to bust paper piles and master paper organization? Well, let’s break this down by the different types of paper coming in with the following 5 paper organizing tips:
Paper Organizing Tip #1: Make sure the backpack is cleaned out on a regular basis to avoid important papers & invitations getting lost in the black hole. I wrote a whole blog post on backpack organizing tips if you would like to read further tips on this topic.
Paper Organizing Tip #2: Make sure kids have a place to store their homework that is separate from all other types of paper. This is a ‘homework only’ zone. I actually wrote 5 organizing tips for homework as well. I’ve been on a roll!
Stacking Tray for Homework Storage
Organizing Tip #3: Use a file box such a the one at the top of this blog post with a folder labeled “To Do’ for papers that come home that require some action on your part. This gives those papers a temporary home until you have time to take care of the ‘actions’ and prevents them from getting lost in a paper pile. No more paper piles-yeah! Examples of types of papers you may come across are forms that need to be filled out, registration forms for activities or sign ups for a volunteer position.
Organizing Tip #4: Use a file box with a folder labeled “To Read” for the newsletters, letters from the teacher and articles that come your way. When you use a folder it will be mobile so you can grab it and go to catch up on your reading when you know you’ll be sitting for a while at the doctor’s office, on a trip in the car or on a plane. Yeah, you’re going somewhere!
Organizing Tip #5: Create a “Household Hub Notebook” for upcoming event flyers and schedules. This is for all of the papers that end up in piles on the counter or all over the refrigerator: lunch menus, party invitations, sport’s schedules, snack schedules and phone lists. I think I will need to write a full blog post on how to make a household hub notebook so please watch for that one coming up.
Paper comes at us all the time and we need easy strategies to stay on top of it all and not have things slip through the cracks. For more organizing tips for back to school, please keep reading here. 
Tags: blog post, DIY organization, Home Organization, Home Organization Blog, kids organization, mom, organizing tips, paper control, paper organization, paper piles, school papers
I’m a professional organizer and from time-to-time I have my own light bulb moment when I realize I’m not being as efficient as I could be. Just recently I had my own home office organization blunder occuring repeatedly due to my computer mouse. For whatever reason, I’m suddenly burning through batteries in my mouse. Since I now must be ergonomically correct (translates as getting old), I have my laptop raised while I use an ergonomic keyboard and a mouse. The mouse would die and I would be too busy or focused to get up and get a new battery. That means I had to reach up and use my laptop which was uncomfortable, slow and inefficient. But what was really inefficient was the fact that my batteries are stored downstairs (in a clearly labeled box of course) in my hall closet. A trip downstairs meant taking time away from my work and it was a hassle, despite the fact that it’s only 15 stairs and I can stand to use some exercise. Light bulb moment: why don’t I bring some AA batteries upstairs and place them in my drawer right next to the computer? Wow-hard to believe I hadn’t thought of that the first time I blew through a battery or two or three.
The moral of the story is you should always place items that you use frequently close to where you are using them to save time, save energy and be more efficient-simple as that! To read more tips on home office organization, please read about my story about own office organization file adventure.
Tags: computer, DIY organization, efficient, home office organization, Home Organization, Home Organization Blog
Email Management
What’s a not-so-beefed up subject line look like? It may land in your inbox looking a little something like this:
- 1) Upcoming Meeting
- 2) FYI
- 3) Update
- 4) Empty Subject Line
- 5) Meeting Notes
What’s wrong you may ask? What’s wrong is these 5 examples are not clear, concise subject lines. This will make it difficult to find the email again if you have to file it in a folder. It’s even more difficult for multiple people to find if you are sharing files & emails on a project.
Here are 3 super, simple ways to beef up your subject line and make it much easier to file & find your emails!
- 1) Use your subject line to write your entire message if it is short. Your recipient won’t even have to OPEN the email! Example: Today’s board meeting is @ 11:00 am. (End of Message or EOM)
- 2) Use concise language so there is no doubt what the email is about.
- 3) Use a date in the subject whenever applicable.
Here are some examples of more concise subject lines:
1) Board Meeting Notes from 12/10/11
2) 6/11/12 Johnson Account Update
3) I will be at the board meeting 8/8/11 (EOM)
Get a better handle on time management in your office when you get a better handle on email. When you can find your email quickly, you will save time! For more tips on email management, I’d love to share more with you right here about how to get less email in your inbox.
Tags: DIY organization, email managment, home, Home Organization, Home Organization Blog, office organization, subject line
My Croweded Files
OK, so I am using the word, “Adventure,” quite loosely…But I was excited to tackle my own home office organization project that I had been putting off, it was finally time to reorganize my own file drawer! I had been breaking all the rules: I didn’t have 6 inches of wiggle room to get my hands in and files out, I hadn’t purged in a long time and it appeared that I had outgrown my sole file drawer. It wasn’t that my files were disorganized (professional organizer’s disclaimer), they just needed some purging and overhauling.
So, this is what I did, I pulled out the files out and placed them in organizing bins.
home office files
And cleaned out the empty drawer…
Empty File Drawer
Then I looked for more storage space next door…
Archive Tax Files
Since the file drawer next door was filled with archive taxes, I loaded them up into a banker’s box and stored them in my closet. Oh, of course I added a label…
Banker's Box for Archive Taxes
I purged my files and spread out across two files drawers. I placed the files I felt that I would access the most closest to where I work for convenience.
I got rid of a lot of beat up folders and purged some files too:
I already had labels on all of my hanging file folders as well as the manila folders inside. So I just loaded up both drawers for plenty of wiggle room and easy access to my files!
Reorganized file drawers
Ta da!! It was such a relief to get this done and it really didn’t even take very long once I just sat down and did it! For my home office organizing tips to bust paper, please read more here.
Tags: archive taxes, banker's box, file drawer, files, folders, home office, home office organization, home office organization project, Home Organization, Home Organization Blog, organizing bins, paper
If you want to get a handle email management & reduce how much email you have coming in, you have to start with your own email sending habits. According to Mike Song from the Hamster Revolution, for every 5 emails that you send, approximately 3 will require a response. So, if you send 5 you can pretty much expect to get 3 back in your own inbox. Reduce how many emails you send and you will reduce how many emails you receive-yeah!
So really think before you hit send. Does this person really need this email to perform their job? Does this person really need to be included in this email string? Do I really need to send this joke and risk getting an “Lol’ back?
Isn’t it great that the first step to email management is in your own hands? Make, “Send Less, Get Less” your new motto every day at your computer or smart phone and see your inbox numbers decrease!
Tags: computer, email, email management, home office organization, Home Organization, homeo organization blog, inbox, Mike Song, smart phone, The Hamster Revolution
Organized Coupons
I’ve noticed that I get asked how to organize coupons on a regular basis from women when I am teaching organizing classes on other topics. Now this is just for small-scale coupons, we’re not talking Extreme Couponing here, that’s a whole ‘nother blog post! So I thought I would put together a few quick and easy coupon organizing tips:
1) Just clip coupons for products you really know that your family will need and use. Don’t buy something just to get a good deal, that will create more clutter!
2) If you have just a few random coupons from local stores like Bed, Bath & Beyond, Kohls, etc., like I do, then you can get away with using a zippered pencil pouch. This keeps them rounded up and not floating around your purse or your car. Since there aren’t very many, it’s easy to find what you need.
3) If you are a little bit more of a serious coupon shopper, then use a coupon organizer or accordion file folder with dividers that can be labeled according to type. This will make it easier to zero in on the correct coupons when you are in the store.
4) Keep your coupons with you, either in your car or in your purse. It stinks to make an unexpected stop at the store and realize that all of your good coupons are back at home!
5) When you make your shopping list, draw a star or highlight the items that you have a coupon for so you remember to have the coupon ready at the register.
It all comes down to having a clear ‘home’ so you know where your coupons are when you need them so you can save money!
Your Home Organization Expert-Monika
Tags: coupon organizing tips, coupons, DIY organization, Extreme Couponing, home, Home Organization, Home Organization Blog, home organization expert
The Hamster Revolution for Email Management
I love, love, love this book! I read it years ago and I just checked it out from the library to read again for a presentation I am creating. It is a super easy, quick read at just over 100 pages. A huge piece of the puzzle for business or home office organization is time and information management. The main culprit of information overload is email. Email is great, email is awesome, but email can also really slow us down, side track us and waste time.
Watch both for my email management tips as well as my future email webinar that I am very excited about!
For my tips on business or home office organization, please read more here.
Tags: business office organization, DIY organization, email, email management, Home Organization, Home Organization Blog, homie office organization, information management, Mike Song, The Hamster Revolution
A sure-fire way to create stress is to leave things that need to be done waiting to the last minute. And then when you hurry, the chances are really good that something will get messed up and cause even more stress-haste makes waste, and that ain’t no joke! In the last week I was keeping busy with a big client move-in project as well as some volunteer projects I’ve taken on. One project is to help organize our annual neighborhood bbq-fun! I’m all about delegating, so several days before the meeting, I printed information & tasks that needed to be completed. That way all the women at the meeting would have the info. in front of them while we talked. Well, when the day rolled around for the meeting, my client appointment went an extra 2.5 hours longer than I was expecting. How grateful was I that I had already put together the packets of information and everything was ready in time for the meeting!
To stay on top of all types of home organization tasks, just think ahead so you don’t have a last minute crunch session. Here are 5 examples of great ways to do this:
1) Several days before someone’s birthday or anniversary, put it in your calendar to send them a card so it gets there on time-lovely!
2) Keep a donation box or bag handy at all times so you can toss things in as you go. Any time a charity truck rolls by, you are ready to let go of some clutter-super!
3) Having company over for a nice dinner? Set the table the night before so you can enjoy visiting with less stress-awesome!
4) Place a note in your calendar to schedule dental & doctor appointments a couple of months before you need the appointment to ensure that you get in when you need to-fabulous!
5) Plan meals for a month and shop for as many ingredients as you can, such as the canned and non-perishable items, so you don’t have to keep running to the store-great!
There are many opportunities to think ahead every week to help you stay on top of your own home organization projects & activities!
Tags: clutter, DIY organization, home, Home Organization, Home Organization Blog, home organization projects, stress
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times (and you know I’ll say it again!): “You’ve got to keep it flowing by knowing where it’s going.” There, the secret to the paper organizing universe! There is an author named Barbara Hemphill who says, “Clutter is postponed decisions.” That is right on the mark! Whether it’s stuff in your home or paper, if you don’t do something with it, it piles up and creates clutter. If a piece of paper comes in and you don’t know what to do with it, you set it to the side. Because certainly you’ll deal with it later. And then more paper comes in and more paper comes in…Pretty soon all these papers you set aside for later are in piles on your desk, on top of your file cabinet and on your floor. When it wasn’t easy to make a decision on one piece of paper, it certainly isn’t easy to make decisions on piles of paper. As a matter of fact, it’s overwhelming!
So what are you to do? Why, let me tell you!
1) You’ve got to have systems in place so you know exactly where to place each paper. Is it for the recycle bin? Is it something you need to take action on so it should be in your “Action File?” Is it a long-term resource and should be placed in your file cabinet? You’ve got to have these systems in place so it’s easy to put paper away. (Read more here about how to set up an action system)
2) Make quick decisions. When I process my mail daily it takes me about 1-2 minutes. If I were to let my mail sit for a week, suddenly it would look like an overwhelming pile. Make sure you stay on top of your paper by not setting it aside-do something with it on the spot!
Whether you are dealing with paper in a business or your home office, you can bust paper and be the boss!
Your Home Organization Expert-Monika
Tags: action system, Barbara Hemphill, home office, home office organization, Home Organization, Home Organization Blog, mail, paper, paper pile
