- It is so uninviting you rarely work in it
- The bookshelves are cluttered and looming over you
- You sit at the dining room table with your laptop instead
Your Dream Home Office
Before you dive in, take some time to dream about how you’d like your office to look and function. Search online for ideas and inspiration. I pinned some Minimalist Designs. Begin by asking yourself these questions:
- Do you like all the furniture?
- Are the cabinets and chairs just clutter-collectors?
- Is this your preferred desk arrangement?
- Would you rather to look out the window or face the door?
- Do you have a professional Zoom background?
- Would you like space for your kids to visit you in the office?
- Do the pictures on the wall motivate and inspire you?
1. Remove
With this new vision in mind, remove everything that does not serve your ideal space. Consider every piece of furniture regardless of how big or small. By creating a functional and visually appealing space, extra stuff will be relocated, donated, or thrown away.
Seriously, it is ok to remove excess pieces of furniture and leave the contents. We’ll deal with that next.
2. Clear the Desk
3. Clean the Floor
4. Sort Everything into Categories
- Office Supplies
- Relocate – Stuff that does not belong in your office
- Donations – Items that do not improve your workspace
- Electronics Recycling – Toner, old cell phones, unidentified cords
- Trash – Items that cannot be donated
- Sentimental – Items you’re keeping for this reason
- Actions – Bills to pay, forms to complete, etc
- File/Scan – Papers to retain for future reference
- Shred – Anything with personal information
- Recycle – Papers without personal information
5. Non-Paper Items (Categories 1-6)
- Downsize the Office Supplies. Keep a high-quality stapler, tape dispenser, your favorite pens, and some binder clips
- Disperse items in the Relocate box
- Put Donations in a staging area or your car
- Gather Electronics recycling. Deliver Electronics recycling to Best Buy or the dump
- Trash – Remove trash bags often so they don’t impede progress
- If you run into Sentimental Items, place them in a separate box for later. Read more here about how to handle sentimental items but for now, do not let them slow you down. Just set them aside in one box for now.
6. Paper Sorting and Filing (Categories 7-10)
Set up a work table and designate a workspace for the next week or two. Use a large flat surface for piles of papers. This is going to take some time but stick with the system. It works!
- Action – Bills to pay, registration to complete, phone numbers, and addresses to record in your phone. If there is no consequence, then it is not an action. (Coupons and sale flyers are not an action. They are advertising. So, throw them away.)
- File/Scan – File/Scan items must be handled a second time. Do not use this as a catch-all. Your time is precious. Follow these record retention recommendations. Try to recycle as much as possible on this first pass.
- Recycle – 75% of what you have in your home office will go in this box. Years ago, I set up a beautiful paper filing system that consumed 4 lateral file drawers. Over time, I realized that I had filed organized-clutter. Ultimately, our paper filing was reduced to one small drawer and I sold the cabinets.
- Shred – Papers with personal identification information. Do a Google search for bulk shredding options in your area.
Before you choose ACTION or FILE/SCAN
- Does this really require action? Is there a consequence?
- Can I find this online? Set a bookmark.
- If I recycle this today, could I still retrieve the information?
7. Paper Filing System
Once you have 4 manageable paper piles for Action, File/Scan, Shred, and Recycle, you need a system to maintain them. Here is the filing organizer that I use with labeled file folders. But you may prefer 4 open baskets or trays. Choose the system that supports your work style.
Don’t Give Up
Like everything else, you did not accumulate these papers overnight, so it takes time to go through them. Carve out space on your calendar. Make it a priority. Just one pile per night.
Remember, the reward is the home office you envisioned.
Now it’s time to make it a reality.
Let’s get started! You can do it!
Testimonial:
I hired Simply Enough to organize our office as a special gift for my husband. Since I am the packrat of the two of us and I knew I needed guidance for sorting, organizing, and most importantly – getting rid of some items.
When I got stuck, Amy took the time to nudge me through the tough decisions and helped me see what things I was hanging on to for no good reason. The best part is that we learned some systems and best practices that have been helping us move through other areas of our home. I highly recommend Simply Enough. Amy’s services are extremely valuable and the investment is one that will last for years.
Did you know I offer a free phone consult. Schedule one today! 🗓
Was just working with a client in her office last week. The paper is what takes over, and at some point, it just feels hopeless. BUT IT ISN’T! As you point out, you just need to set up the system and then work your way through. We created a “to file” bin and that took a lot of the important papers. Sometimes people have the files, but fail to put the paper into them. Often this is because the drawer has become obstructed by something else, or because they haven’t set aside at time on the schedule to perform this function. If you do it regularly, it doesn’t take more than a couple of minutes!
Thanks Seana – yes, a to file bin is great. I think rough sorting really helps and then with the next sort, you usually reduce even more! Papers are not hopeless but def overwhelming!
I work with several small businesses that work primarily out of their home. Since I work out of my home most of the time as well, I find it can get cluttered fast. At the end of each workday, I like to prep for the next day and return items to their homes. This helps me feel better about returning the next morning. =)
Having a nightly routine to set up your workspace for the next day is a great idea. It’s a lot easier to tidy up before bed then it is to wake up early to tidy up.
I agree Sabrina. A nightly reset and fresh to-do list helps me turn off my brain too!
Easy and manageable steps to work through. Reminds me of the saying, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” As of January 2020, my personal paper information was reviewed, recycled, or scanned. My business paper information has been digital since 2012. Everything is backed up and backups are regularly scheduled. It is easier and faster to retrieve information digitally because of the search feature. The only vital records are in paper form and those are stored in a fireproof safe. I also gained space because I no longer need two 2-drawer file cabinets and 1 2-drawer lateral file cabinet! My last comment is, I thought it would take FOREVER to scan the paper, but in reality, it was only a couple of days.
That’s awesome Anne. So true that taking a big project and breaking it down into steps or boxes, LOL, helps!
We are all spending so much time on our home offices these days, great to focus on making it better and more productive. I once had a client who working on her laptop while sitting on her stairs. I couldn’t figure out how she accomplished much of anything.
me either! no chance I could do that!
wonderful suggestions and great tips to get that office humming again!!
thanks lisa!
You’re right office can become dumping grounds usually because the office has a door to close. lol Setting up the physical space first is a good way to go. It gives you a space to work with your paperwork. Having a beautiful space to work in means you might go in and do some paperwork. I love the steps you laid out.
Thanks Julie. You said it well, that having the workspace first is key to getting through the paper!
Organizing home offices are so satisfying. Kudos to you for reducing the amount of paper in your own office. I still have quite a lot, but it all has a place. I’ve been thinking more and more lately about doing a major paper purge and letting go of a lot. Do I really need to keep 30 years of conference files? Probably not. Maybe I could scan some or just make a list of the conferences I attended. It’s rare that I refer to any of the materials, and when I have, it’s more for referencing a historical question. I’m not there yet, but I’m getting close to saying good-bye to more paper.
I’m cheering you on Linda! You can do it. And its wise of you to no scan more than you need. I would prioritize what is still really relevant. And items you cannot find online. Good luck!
Home offices or paper in general are hard for many people to organize. They worry about keeping too little or too much. Paper collects when it is not acted upon. Plus, so many people think they have to follow the OHIO rule (only handle it once). I like the way you broke the task down into manageable steps, that’s so important.
Thanks Diana. I did not know that acronym!
The last part – pushing through til the end – is so hard! Breaking things down into clear manageable steps that can be done independently while STILL showing progress is so important. You’ve laid the plans nicely. Great post!
Thanks Melanie. It is hard to finish a huge project like this. I think it’s why I love helping people truly complete a home office.
What a great way to give the full picture of the home office organizing process, and while I physically have all ten of those categorize you spelled out for sorting, I don’t think we’ve ever used more than two or three “containers” beyond “outside of the doorway to the left is recycling, to the right is donation, the trash bag is trash” but even without ten boxes, all those categories certainly do exist. And yes, if you organize everything except the paper, it’s a much calmer experience when you do manage the paper.
And yes, don’t give up. I think a lot of people give up when it’s “good enough,” which is like how the doctor says to take all the 5 days of antibiotics in a prescription and to not stop when you’re feeling better on day 3. Keep going until your system is in place!
Hey Julie – I confess that I can keep track of these 10 piles (without boxes) when I’m organizing a home office. But for someone who wants to do it on their own, I think the boxes can help get them through all the stuff without losing track of the progress they made. I’m sure you are good at keeping track of it too!