RW Makeover: Organizing work flow
Jennifer sent me a photo of her office space. I noticed that she had a couple of horizontal slots in the bookcase that sits on her desk. I guessed that this is where paper piles up. Clutter loves those horizontal surfaces!
I suggested that she designate one slot for incoming papers that she has yet to deal with and one for outgoing papers (mail or things that need to leave her office space). Having in and out boxes helps to keep work flowing.
I also suggested that because she tends to have multiple projects/folders open at once (and who doesn’t?), that she set up “hot files†with the help of a stepped vertical folder file. Hot files are files that you need ready access to such as current project files. I also recommened creating folders for bills to pay, receipts to enter into Quicken, and for her daugher’s and son’s school event schedules.
Try, try, try to only have only folder open at a time. Otherwise, you risk having a piece of paper accidentally wind up in the wrong folder and then good luck finding it again. [Donna Smallin, unclutter.com]
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Dec 11, 2006 RW Makeover
In order to not get my “life” stuff mixed into or near my “career/writerly stuff” I went out and bought seperate vertical file holders (Wall Mart 5.00 for the black mesh kind)…I keep bills one in the kitchen (where I happen to always walk in with the mail from, then I have a “pitch” pile and a “keep & file” pile… That way the electric bill does not get tossed by slipping into old newspapers or something.
Then in my office, I have a vertical file that is labeled “school” that containes everything essential for the kids and their school, from book lists to uniform form….I also have a seperate plastic bigger file drawers (taken from the little stackable rolling cart thingees that I deep sixed….stacked on shelves in a closet (that hubby so kindly put up for me) and one shelf holds a file drawer that is house stuff/ one is writing stuff (seperate plastic drawers labeled what’s what) for me and one is school (3 drawer containers in all))stuff for the kids like reference books for math and english or whatever they use to look for info on…Then I have my top shelf hold any kind of reference type books that I use on an occassional basis, then right below that a shelf where “Office supplies” can be found and EVERYONE IN THE FAMILY knows its there, contains extra printer paper, ink, staples, paper clips, rubber bands….wahlah! An “office supply store” on one shelf-the essentials-
Leaving my big drafting table desk holding the printer that’s it oh and yeah an arching lamp that’s attached to its side that holds a magnifier glass next to it when you need light a magnification for that “close-up” project…Also a Folding comtraption that holds up an sheet of paper for you if you’d like to transpose something to the computer (from my days as a production editor- handy) Pretty stream lined….