To some, it is everything perfectly placed throughout your office and/or home. It looks just like a magazine cover. Perfect, in every way! But is this your reality….it’s definitely not mine.
I remember, many years ago, I took a girlfriend trip down to North Carolina to do some furniture shopping. (It was actually just an excuse to get away from our husbands and children for a few days). My friend had a long-time friend who lived in the area and she invited us to stay with her so that we could make it an overnight trip. What fun….shopping, relaxing and no one to worry about but myself for a change. “Real girlfriend time”. Well, this friend had an absolutely beautiful home. Everything was perfectly placed. Including the toiletry items that were placed in my “private” bathroom. It was better than any hotel I had ever stayed in before. It was absolutely Beautiful…but so darn scary at the same time that I was afraid to touch anything. I remember crawling under the sheets and folding my arms on top of the covers to sleep. I woke up in the exact same position 6 hours later because I was too scared to move around on the bed and even wrinkle the sheets. Everything was too perfect! It was the most miserable night’s sleep ever!
At Organization Direct we believe that yes, neatness and tidiness all have a part of things being organized in your home and office. However…..being comfortable and productive does not require you to be uncomfortable in your space. After all, last time I checked, we do “work” in our home office and “live” in our home. There may be times that paperwork is still in your “in box” or you have a project spread out across the desk. There is one major key to keeping everything organized – Systems – have a system that you can utilize on a daily basis to keep your paperwork, space, projects and lists organized. At the end of the day you need to know where and how you are going to wrap up your paperwork, be prepared to dive right into the project tomorrow and not waste time with do-overs tomorrow.
Two of the most important systems should be your:
Mail System and a Filing System
Mail System – Knowing what to do with your mail when it comes in is one of the biggest problems that I hear from small business owners – and homeowners too! I hear, “I don’t know how to handle it all”, and “how do I know where to find it next week when I really need it – by that time it is buried under a pile, somewhere!”
Filing System – We think of a filing system at our J.O.B. but if you are a home-based business or a homeowner, it is just as important for you to have an active and easily maintained filing system. Knowing how to file paperwork is critical and I think this is where people really get lost. The key is to keep is simple, easy and user-friendly so that anyone in the office or your home could file paperwork, if needed.
This is why I did a ton of research and developed a product to help you with both of these systems. It is my File It, Find It…FAST System and I’d be happy to share it with you. Managing paperwork is not fun but it can be easy when you have the right systems in place. Stop looking for paperwork and find yourself again. You can find it on our website under the products tab. Contact us if you have any questions about setting up your system. We’re here to get You Organized.
Linda Clevenger, Owner Organization Direct
