Operation Office Overhaul: Diana’s story
The moment happened three weeks ago. My husband told me our auto insurance company needed the title to a car that had been totaled. My stomach sank. I knew the title was in our safe deposit box over at the bank. When my son was a toddler he’d wreaked havoc in my office, picking labels off my cabinet drawers, turning my sewing gadgets into toys, and yes, emptying the box where I stored a couple sets of keys that were now God-knows-where.
After hours of hunting, I came up with a key that looked like it belonged to a safe deposit box, shoved between a stack of magazines and a bookcase. I headed to the bank, handed the key to the teller, and said a Hail Mary as she inserted it into the box. Hallelujah! It was the right key. “You’re lucky,” she said as she brought the box into a private room. “It would have cost a couple hundred dollars to drill the box.”
This, plus the hours wasted looking for that damn key, was a wakeup call. Lately, I walk into my office and feel drained. No wonder — this is what my gaze falls upon:
There are some bright spots in this mess:
It’s a beautiful office — huge, with a great view of the neighboring woods and a gorgeous crabapple tree. I love that I can fit a loveseat in here and tuck up with a cat and a good book.
But the mess — oy!
Weirdly enough, I’m by nature tidy and organized. My file cabinets are organized, I’m good about keeping my computer files organized. My problem is that I get easily overwhelmed with books and paper. Okay, and not to cast blame, but my husband and son are packrats and it rubs off on me. I find when I have to clean and get rid of stuff, they need to be out of the house — bad news is that my husband works at home, too. But good news: I’m not sentimental, I like getting rid of stuff, and I’m good at coming up with systems that I stick to. (Alison can attest to my packing/travel systems — I’m supremely organized on the road.) Even better news is that my husband has admitted to me he’s overwhelmed by his office.
So there you have it. And by the end of month, I plan to have this all cleared out. [db]
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Jan 1, 2009 Help us!, Organization, Self improvement
I love the “keep calm and carry on” poster!! I would totally make that the centerpiece of my room before I started on anything else.
I really hear you! I found that moving into an RV (well, it’s a long story)
helped enormously. And there’s a storage shed for the stuff we couldn’t bear to part with. But mostly I like to give my things freedom and to let others use them.
Have fun with the clearout! It will be very satisfying.
Thanks for this ‘wake up’ call. The pictures are great tough love tools. I glanced over to the left, and over my shoulder where a seed has been planted, and is beginning to grow….oy! That will now be pruned. Can’t let that happen because my workspace is also my bedroom – I will be following how you do with this project and can’t wait to hear how this is tackled.
Actually your place looks relatively clean. Why waste time cleaning up, when you could be busy writing. Remember the saying: “A clean desk is a sure sign of a sick mind.” I have no idea who said that, but the saying still sticks in my mind from somewhere.
Happy New Year!!
Henri
I’m in the same boat, Diana. Last week my laptop suddenly blipped off and I had that jolt of “when was the last time I did a weekly hard-drive back-up?” Can’t remember!!! and it’s because my external hard-drive is no longer in plain sight. Now it’s buried under tilting towers of desk detritus. At least I *hope* it’s under there.
I really sympathize with you, Diana. If we hadn’t hosted people for Xmas, my office would still look a lot like yours. I did that Flight-of-the-Bumblebee grab-n-stash routine the night before, thrusting everything into the closet, which was already in really bad shape to begin with. The floor was cleared and vacuumed, the blinds dusted, and the trash emptied, but the desk was remained pretty much as you saw it in the photos I sent. I adopted an attitude of “Hey, it’s an office. Work happens here. Get over it,” attitude for anyone who happened to comment on the mess.
I’m happy to report that at least one file drawer had been kept organized to the point where, when I needed proof of rabies vaccination for my dog (who unexpectedly needed surgery last Monday), I was actually able to go right to the PETS/DOG/LULU file and lay my hands on the certificate. Ironically, I was so sure that the certificate had not been filed, and was lost in one of the several boxes of files and paper in the scary place that is the closet, I actually flipped past the darned thing in the file! TWICE! Fortunately, my DBF was looking over my shoulder and said, “Check again. I thought I saw a rabies certificate in the front.” It dawned on me then how being disorganized affects one’s self-confidence as well as one’s productivity and stress levels. It was a big relief to have that certificate in hand, and know that I wouldn’t have to waste X hours searching boxes while my poor dog was miserable. I’m now more determined than ever to whip this office into shape ASAP!
I don’t see anything wrong with this, Diana. Nothing at all. At least you’ve got space for your piles – my office is in my bedroom and on the living room couch!
Thank you for sharing. I feel much more organized now. Of course, I have no filing system whatsoever and it is the top of my list for the new year. I am looking forward to seeing your progress! It always feels really good to have a clean slate for working. I know I get so much more done when my office is nice and tidy. Of course, cleaning up my office is a frequent procrastination technique as well, so I have to be careful on that one.
I hereby attest to Diana’s supreme organization on the road!
I’ve faced the same many times (after failing each New Year resolution). Almost missing an insurance bill is what prompted me. Two weeks before the end of 2008, I faced multiple piles and began first tackling my file cabinets to remove what wasn’t needed and to reorganize what was left. That took three days. Then I tackled one pile. Still have ‘piles to go before I sleep’ and two closets also filled with papers and such, but I decided to not push too hard and figure out what made sense for me when I handle papers and/or mail at then end of a long day and I’m feeling beat. Take one hour (you really can afford it) and figure out what flows best with your day. For me, it was handling paperwork first thing in the morning with a cup of coffee in hand. Once you get this hammered down for yourself, your office will be back in your control. Lots of encouragement heading your way!
Thanks for sharing! I’m working on a similar project. What really frustrates me is how much of it goes into the garbage. Then I ask myself, “WHY was I keeping this?”
I love that you shared this! I was just apologizing to a neighbor who followed the girls into my office to meet our new cat.
“Er, sorry about the mess,” I said. She said not to worry about it. But seriously, when you have to step OVER things, I don’t know about you, but for me, that’s when I get ready to clean up and clear out.
I don’t know if this will anyone or not, but one time—I believe it was the last time my office was in this state (or perhaps a bit worse, actually)—my husband started me off by pulling everything OUT of the room, helping me clean the room, and then ONLY bringing back in what was necessary.
I thought he was a genius.
I don’t think of myself as a packrat (though maybe I should). It’s just that I don’t like to get rid of things until I’ve VERY sure I don’t need them any more. If I’m remembering correctly, we filled a couple recycle bins last time. I can probably fill at least one this time…and so it goes.