Reorganizing my home office has been on my to-do list for months.  Instead of taking the time to clear out the stuff I didn’t need or rarely used, I complained about my storage closet that needed organizing help.  Considering I’m the only one who uses my home office, the complaints fell on my own deaf ears.  Finally, I blocked off time last weekend and gave my closet a makeover.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to interview best-selling Author and Organizational Guru on TLC’s Clean Sweep, Peter Walsh.  You may have seen him on Oprah a few times. He described his new collection of furniture and accessories called “you.organized” that he designed for Office Max.   His accent alone is worth listening too but he also shared useful tips for organizing your home office, including using vertical space for getting organized.

My favorite office products are ones that serve more than one purpose.  His rolling ottoman is the perfect example.  Not only can you use the ottoman when you need to take a break, you can store files and supplies inside.  And the top doubles as a laptop tray.

Getting organized is about increasing your productivity, reducing time-wasters and keeping your goals in mind. Having the right products and furniture can start you on the path to a more organized office.

• The dog gets sick.  This time on the product samples you need to send to a client.

• Your in-laws decide to visit the same week your biggest project of the year is due.

• Your child is home from school and in a lame attempt to entertain him, you show him how cool your new shredder is.  Everything’s fine until you realize you’ve accidentally mixed up your “throw away” pile with your “extremely important” pile of paper.

• You’re wearing a suit (finally) and as you’re ready to leave your car, it starts raining.  That’s when you remember that you never replaced your broken umbrella.

• Your printer runs out of ink when you need to print out a proposal and you’re already running late.

• Your iPhone quits working the week after the warranty runs out.

• Your favorite client is laid off and now you have to deal with his boss who’s a jerk. It’s hard to take him seriously considering all that your client has told you about him including what happened at the last company Christmas party.

• You lose your Internet connection right before a videoconference call that you’ve had to reschedule three times.

• You forget to fill up the car, your meeting is across town and you don’t have any time to spare.

Life is messy when you don’t work from home but when your home and office life are in the same place, it seems a bit messier.

How has life made working from home messy for you?

You don’t have to wait for a disaster to clear out your office (or maybe even your garage). Consider these questions to help you take the plunge and purge:

• Are you using out-of-date equipment or old versions of computer programs?  Figure out what your time is worth and if you can afford to waste time each day using unproductive equipment and outdated software. In other words, stop being cheap, step up to the plate and buy a new computer.

• Can you avoid information overload and the need to keep every magazine, newsletter and newspaper you receive? If you know that you’ll never read something, get rid of it. If you ever need an article from a past issue, it’s probably available online.

• Are you facing your fear of purging? Many people are afraid that the minute they throw or give something away, they’ll need it again. Keep in mind that when you need something, you may not be able to find it. Consider this: if you own something but can’t find it, it’s of no use to you.

There’s nothing fun about filing (unless you use colorful or patterned file folders to make it a bit more interesting). But filing is something anyone working naked needs to know how to do.  In this exciting, new, informative video (notice the hype) I’ll show you four ways to improve your filing system. Of course the alternative is to keep your papers stacked all over your office.

1.  Do you spend time looking for lost items every day?
2.  Are your files overflowing with papers you haven’t seen since you’ve filed them?
3.  Do you use more than one calendar?
4.  Is your desk covered with little scraps of paper?
5.  Do you have stacks of magazines older than six months in your office?
6.  Do you use a to-do list?
7.  Do you keep papers and other stuff you never use?
8.  Is your workspace free of stacks of paper?

Answers

Question 1
Yes = 1      No = 0
Store similar items together.  Keep your office supplies in one place and your reference materials in another.  When you need something, there should be only one place to look for it.

Question 2
Yes = 1      No = 0
Go through your files at least once every six months.  Purge the papers you don’t need.  Ask yourself if you’ll ever refer to that paper again, if you could replace that paper if you tossed it and whether you’d jeopardize your business if you tossed that paper. If you answered “no, yes and no” respectively, ditch (recycle) the paper.

Question 3
Yes = 1      No = 0
Use only one calendar—it’s better if you can take it with you. When you use more than one calendar, you run the risk of overbooking or missing appointments.

Question 4
Yes = 1      No = 0
Avoid writing tasks to do, notes from conversations with clients and phone numbers on scraps of paper. Instead use a computer program, your handheld or a paper-based planner to keep all of your information in one place.

Question 5
Yes = 1      No = 0
As your stacks of magazines grow, your guilt level rises in proportion, right? Keep only one year’s worth of magazines and before you renew any subscriptions, decide if you’re getting any value from each magazine. And consider switching to online subscriptions.

Question 6
Yes = 0      No = 1
A to-do list keeps you on track and focused on important tasks.
When you take the time to list your tasks to do, you’ll save time in the long run.

Question 7
Yes = 1      No = 0
It’s natural to want to hold onto something because you “may need it someday.”  What usually happens is that when you need it, you either can’t find it or you forget that you own it.  Limit what you keep to what you’ll use again.

Question 8
Yes = 0      No = 1
The only papers you should have on your desk are the ones you’re working on.  Anything else should be stored in files or a stacking bin until you’re ready to handle them. Before you file a piece of paper that you’ll work on soon, record on your to-do list, any action you need to take.

Rate Your Organizing Skills

If you scored more than 4 points, it’s time to get organized.  Start by blocking out 3 to 4 hours to organize your office and don’t take any calls during that time.  Schedule other times to get organized and eventually your entire office will be under control.

If you scored 2-3 points, you could improve your level of organization.  Start with one area of your home office, and then move on to another.

If you scored 1 point, you don’t need to drastically change what you’re doing.  Instead, fine-tune your organizing skills.

How did you do on the quiz?

The Desktop Station keeps your supplies organized and in sight.

Do you remember the movie The Jerk and Steve Martin’s character yelling, “The new phonebook is here…I’m somebody now!” while dancing around?  I feel the same way about the new Container Store “Work Smart Office Sale” catalog…dancing around included. Now we can all get organized or at least have an office that looks amazing.  My three favorite products are:

Desktop Station. You Lookouts (who like to keep everything in sight) will love this product alone or paired with the Landscape Letter Tray and the Landscape Paper Drawer. Aside from holding pens, pencils, folders and other supplies, you can see clearly what’s inside.  No more hidden supplies.

Ultimate Portable File Box. As the weather gets nicer, you may want to work outside or catch up on paperwork during a long track meet or just work in another room because you’re sick of working in the same place.  This file box lets you store hanging folders with interior folders inside and the organizer compartment on top holds the supplies you’ll need while you’re away from your office.

Letter-Size Interior File Folders. These hip, colorful file folders will make you jump for joy (in case you don’t dance when you see the catalog).  Their patterns and colors could turn any home office from dull to dazzling.

What’s your favorite office organizing product (from any store or online)? Post your comments below.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated by The Container Store to mention their fabulous products or to dance.

• Anything on your desk should be what you use daily or weekly. It doesn’t have to be completely clear but the less papers you keep on your desk, the less distractions you’ll have.

• Keep a list on your computer of your hanging folders and manila folders to refer to when filing. The list will help you avoid duplicating files and you’ll save time looking for the files you need.

• Avoid working weekends as much as possible. You need that time to “refuel” for the next week. I know…your office is only seconds away but try to resist the urge to step into your office and work for only a few minutes. Those few minutes turn into hours. Guilty as charged.

• If you have to work during the weekend, set time limits. Whether it’s two or four hours, stop working at the end of that time and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

• Schedule time for yourself, whether it’s early in the morning or after work. Do something for you, instead of for someone else. Read a favorite book or magazine, go to a movie or take a nap.

A simple supply organizer can save space

Isn’t it amazing that no matter how much storage space you have, you can always use more? When I first moved into my latest home office, I thought for sure I’d have plenty of room for my books, supplies, projects and anything else that belonged in my home office.  A few months later I realized I was wrong. I bought two bookcases, added shelves to my closet and parted with things I’d never used. Before you give up on finding more storage space, try these tips.

• Think vertically. Add freestanding bookcases to your home office or install shelves above or near your desk.

• Replace stacking trays with stacking bins. Bins work better than stacking trays because they’re larger and there’s more space between each bin. Also, they sit on the floor not on your desk.

• If you can’t resist using stacking trays (old habits die hard), limit the number of trays you use. Extra trays will only give you places to stash papers you’ll never refer to again.

• If you have desk drawers, make it easier to see what you have by using drawer dividers. They keep everything within the drawers separated, and help you save time looking for the supplies you need.

• Designate a specific place to store your extra supplies, stationery and products. This could be a closet or shelves within your office. The tendency is to put something wherever it will fit. Instead, store supplies where you’ll find them easily.

• Store the same types of items together. This leaves you with only one place to look for one type of item.

• Mom was right: if you take the time to put things back where they belong, you’ll know exactly where to look for something when you need it.

I started the new year by moving a bookcase out of my laundry room and into my son’s bedroom.  Big deal, right?  Actually it was. I knew I was going to get rid of a few things from the bookcase but when I finished, all that was left was one shelf’s worth of stuff.  I donated everything except for the 15 games my sons are going to sell to Gamestop.

How could I have kept so many things I didn’t need? The answer was as clear as my newly emptied bookcase: I had extra storage space so I used it.  Sound familiar? It’s a simple math problem…the more space you have, the more things you’ll keep. It was easier to stick something on a shelf in case I needed it some day (something my clients always say) than to decide whether I really needed to keep it.

So this new year, take a look at your closets, bookcases and cabinets (not in one day…it’s too overwhelming) and see if you can get rid of a few things you’re no longer using.  Maybe you can even move a bookcase into another room and store books in it instead of stuff you don’t need.  That’s what I call a novel idea.