While writers are experts as organizing words, I've discovered that organizing one of the major tools of their trade - a home office - is often an enigma! One of the major myths of organizing is that it will stifle creativity. But how creative - or profitable? - can it be to spend time looking for what you need, or rewriting something you could have "tweaked" from a previous project - but couldn't find it?
In my experience, that old saying "A place for everything in its place" is only half right. After 20 years of organizing home offices -including my own - I am confident that "everything in it's place" all the time would stifle most writers' creativity. The stress comes, however, when you'd like to clean up the place, because company's coming, or you're just tired of looking at a mess, but you don't know how - at least not so you can find it again! Creativity is often a messy process - but being able to recover from the mess when you choose to do so - is the mark of a professional.
Home Office Desk
Consider these tips to help you get started:
1. Develop clear understandings and guidelines with others in the household to minimize misunderstandings about your home office. If you work at home in order to be able to care for children while you work, consider organizing a part of your office to be their "office."
2. Choose a location for your office that you like to be. Select furniture and lighting to suit your individual preferences. If possible, create an L-shape for your desk area with filing space within reach. Consider ergonomic design to protect yourself from fatigue or even injury. Used office furniture stores can offer great bargains.
3. Clutter is postponed decisions. Apply the FAT system to every piece of paper that comes into your office: File, Act, or Toss.
4. Set up your desk so you can process mail quickly. Most people need at least three large containers within easy reach of their desk: o In - for mail you haven't yet looked at o Out - for items that need to go someplace else o File - for items that need to be filed outside the reach of your desk Minimize unnecessary clutter by eliminating containers that are not designed for a specific purpose, such as paper clips, pens and pencils, expenses to submit, etc.
5. Put wastebasket or recycling containers wherever possible - for example, under your desk, near the filing cabinet, or next to the fax machine. Create a location for used paper which can be used for "scratch" purposes.
6. Create "Action Files" for projects you are currently working on, or things you need to do, such as pay bills, submit expense statements, update your database, etc.
7. Create "Reference Files " for completed projects, or for information that might be useful for future projects. Keep a File Index - a list of the names of your files so you won't create a file for "automobile" when you already have one for "car." (Check out www.thepapertiger.com for Kiplinger's Taming the Paper Tiger - which automatically cross-references and indexes your paper files, and guarantees you can find anything in your office in five seconds or less!)
8. Develop a "Just in Time Reading System." Instead of piling up journals and magazines, scan the table of contents for articles related to your expertise. Tear them out or photocopy and file them by subject so you can find them when you actually need to use them.
9. If you need more filing space, create "Archives" in a less accessible or off-site location for files you are legally required to keep, or for files you rarely use. Keep a list of those files at your desk for easy reference.
10. Feeling short of space? Look up! Make good use of wall space for bookshelves or cabinets for resources such as books, audio and videotapes, notebooks, magazines, and office supplies.
Remember, creative minds always have more to do than the physical body can carry out. Few writers I know are short on ideas - and frequently the more paper they have, the less they use. Continually ask yourself "What's the worst possible thing that would happen if I didn't have this?" If you can live with your answer, toss - or recycle it - and write happily ever after!
Cyber Monday South Shore Furniture Gascony Collection Small Desk, Sumptuous Cherry 2011 Deals
Dec 02, 2011 06:09:47
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Cyber Monday South Shore Furniture Gascony Collection Small Desk, Sumptuous Cherry Feature
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