By Mary Lynne Murray
Reprinted from Contra Costa Times, March 8, 2003
DIGGING OUT to write to you" began the e-mail from a client
who needed to get her home office organized. With spring around
the corner, now is the time to dig out of the clutter in your
home office and enjoy a more productive environment.
If you've ever said "I hate my desk or office," one
of the following might be a problem:
Is the space too dark, so you avoid working there?
Does household traffic and noise interfere with your work? Is
the temperature too warm or too cool, affecting your concentration?
Is the view from the space such that you're always thinking of
other things you "should" be doing? If you don't like
being in the space, you won't get much work done there. Often
these issues can be cured with minor tweaks such as task lights,
fans, window coverings or decluttering. Alternatively, you may
want to consider a more pleasant location.
File cabinets that are hard to open or close,
desks that engulf the room, dinosaur computers that don't compute
by today's standards and other inefficiencies can limit your productivity.
Uncomfortable chairs can literally be a pain in the neck. Even
furnishings in colors you dislike can affect your productivity.
Shop around for used furniture at consignment stores and invest
in the best chair you can afford.
If you need to move office furniture, but lack the muscle, put
pieces on Furniture Sliders. These are friction-resistant pads
you put under each leg of the desk or cabinet. The piece will
then slide over carpet, hardwood, ceramic tile or linoleum as
if it has wheels. Sliders are sold at Bed Bath & Beyond and
other home stores, or at www.improvementscatalog.com.
A common problem in the home office is lack of focus. Who's inspired
to sit down to work alongside the ironing board, next to leftover
party supplies or by bags still on the floor? A good office space
will be free of distractions. Make sure everyone picks up after
themselves in your office space, including you and your catalogs,
gift-wrap or sewing.
Computer, telephone and lamp cords snaking over
desks are unsightly, make it hard to open drawers and pose a safety
hazard. Take the time to run them down the back of your desk or,
better yet, through grommets on the top, if you have them. Try
a cord organizer such as a cable turtle, cable ties, cord clips,
flex tubing (often used for stereo equipment) and Velcro cable
wraps.
Filing is America's most dreaded office chore,
and it's no wonder with jam-packed file cabinets. Squeezing in
just one paper can be frustrating. Try these two techniques to
thin your files: First, when you have a file open, quickly sift
through it to see if there are duplicates or outdated information
that can be discarded; and second, schedule a "file clean-out
day" to purge files. Choose a time when work demands are
low. For rarely used, but important information, make archives
files and store them in a less-used spot. For an overall filing
system, I highly recommend the Paper Tiger Software ( www.thepapertiger.com
); it's like having a search engine just for files.
If
your current storage space seems full, it's time to take inventory.
Eliminate things you don't use, don't like and are broken. Then
to maximize space, add shelf, drawer and cupboard gadgets. The
Container Store, Bed Bath & Beyond, Target and other stores
are full of them.
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