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Got a Mess in Your Home or Home Office? Put a Label On It
By Jeff Zbar | May 1, 2009
Kids’ projects and corporate files. Home-related documents and client projects.
So much paper and folders in the home and home office — so little organization.
Keeping track of all the stuff in the home office takes organizational finesse. It’s especially true if you have a home office for your home-based business or even your telework / telecommuting job.
Between the files and docs related to running the household, and those required to run a business, stuff gets cluttered.
The solution: File folders and a label maker.
There’s a reason file folders come in boxes of 50 or 100 from the local office supply superstore: Because filing is not about categorizing one, two or even five or 10 projects. It’s about organizing every project or category in the house.
You don’t have HOME files. You have files related to concepts and projects within the home. For example, in our home, we have individual folders for:
- Homeowner’s insurance.
- Home / real estate taxes. And
- Projects (a new fence, and the permits required; the air conditioner we recently replaced; landscaping; roof repair, etc.)
We have files for each child’s medical or health records, our dog, each vehicle, and a catch all called Misc. Docs. (individual receipts from big purchases, rebates, appliances, etc.)
None of these cover home office receipts or files or documents. While I’m increasingly moving toward digital for those receipts and docs, I still have a portion of my file cabinet dedicated to home office needs.
To continue the linear thinking here, each folder gets a label with the name of the category. Instead of using a pen or pencil, a label adds importance to the concept, makes it easier to spot, and increases the likelihood that I’ll adhere to the plan.
They say 21 days makes a habit. So make this a short-term experiment, and see if it sticks. Ask around to see if a friend owns a label maker. Buy a box of folders. And try this process out for three weeks or so. Chances are, once you begin putting labels on your folders, you might label much more - tool trays in the workshop, shelves in the laundry room, kids.
You get the picture.
Got a mess? Label it. You’ll bring order to your life and be able to focus on what’s really important.
Like finding a friend with ‘67 Mustang you want to borrow next…
ShareTopics: Home Organization, Home-Office, Personal Organizing |