CoastalBendMamas.com: Home & Garden
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ORGANIZING YOUR WORKSPACE "I'll get organized just as soon as I have some extra time." Do these words sound familiar? It's a busy life these days, especially for working women, whether we work in the home or outside the home. Hey, some of us even work out of our cars!! With the hustle-bustle life we lead, at least having your workspace organized will be one less stressor in your life! Let's face it, who wants to take the time to get organized anyway. Well, here are a few reasons it will pay off for you:
Organizing is a skill that is easy to learn and has a big payoff in the end! It is a skill that can be learned by anyone. The key is once you get organized to stay organized.Okay, Rome wasn't built in a day and organizing your workspace (or any other space) takes time ... baby steps, baby steps!! First, decide on your goals. Start slowly, one area or section at a time. Some of us have bigger workspaces and some have smaller workspaces, but no matter, you can achieve the same goal. After completing one section, reward yourself. Remember, when you get tired, stop! In my professional organizing business, The Clutter Queen, I have helped many women who maintain home offices. I would recommend going through all your loose papers in and on top of your desk and throwing away things you really don't use or need. The rule of thumb is if you haven't looked at it in 6 months, it's trash!! Take the plunge and get rid of it! Here are a few rules when to dump:
Go through your reference books and purge, donate, or sell those books that also haven't been used in greater than 6 months' time. The objective here is to only be left with what you are going to KEEP at your workspace, whether on top of your desk or in your drawers. Once you have figured out what you are going to keep, you can create a system that works best for you to file and/or store important papers, whether you use a simple 3-ring binder with dividers for easy access or you use a file cabinet and clearly label folders your are storing information in. Try to file away new information at the end of your work day before it starts to pile high and you are feeling overwhelmed again about what to do with all the paperwork. Think about placement of items such as pens/pencils, reference books, binders, folders, etc. on your desktop for easy use and reach when you need them during the time you are working. I have a very small computer desk in my kitchen and my workspace is very limited. I have had to limit what can remain on my desktop, so I purchased a rolling cart for those items that don't fit into my workspace. This cart can be next to you for ease of reference during the work day. Keep in mind, you can also create "more" space by adding shelving to walls above or around your workspace. I have found that labeling things is also key to organizing. A label gun is a handy-dandy tool to have around if you are creating different areas on your desktop. It will be very clear where things go if they are labeled, even your file cabinet drawers. You can use white sticky labels and hand-write them just as well.Remember, nothing is written in stone, and you can always "tweak" your workspace as you go along. It's all about what works best for YOU! For more information about organizing your workspace, go to your local bookstore or library and check out some books on the subject. There are some great magazine publications out as well which even show great pictures of all different types of workspaces. Also, check out HGTV.com and type in workspace organizing. There are many ideas on that website. In closing, I hope I have been able to help you even a little bit with some of your organizing needs and remember, just a little bit every day will bring you closer to the workspace you have always wanted!! Leslie Green |
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