Our society has come to a rude awakening of sorts in the last couple years.  So many people had been brought up to think that more is more.  We buy huge houses, cars we can’t afford and fill our homes and offices with stuff we don’t need.  Abundance for abundance sake was an overriding theme, and strangely, we don’t seem any happier for it.

Carving out a corner.

You may have experienced this is a very tangible way when setting up your home office.  Whether you carved out a corner or cleared out a room to start your business or new work at home job, it may have been a struggle.  For many people, having a home office is a sort of afterthought, and a lot of times involves some clearing out to get it accomplished. The home office is a pretty common place to dump the “life leftovers” because you just can’t think of another place to put it.  Then, you have to deal with it to make the space usable.  Suddenly, all that stuff seems like a burden.

It takes time & resources.

If you think about everything you own, and how much if we really need, it’s a real eye-opener.   If you only have one computer, here’s an example of the work and time it takes to own it:

1. A place to store it
2. Energy to run it
3. Repairs when (not if) it needs them
4. Maintenance
5. Cleaning
6. Insurance
7. Services to backup your data
8. Software to use
9. Internet access

Get the idea?  The cost of ownership is much more than just the purchase price.  What really costs is the maintenance and usage to make it something you can utilize.  Now, what if you have two?  Do you need two?  How much more time to maintain, repair and use them will it now take?

Do I really need that?

Of course, there’s more to your office than just the laptop.  There are supplies, paper, storage, furniture and other various creature comforts.   The more things we have, the more time it takes to maintain ownership.  Here’s some questions to think about as you look around your office (and even your home or calendar) and think about how much you really need:

What if you pared it down to what you really need?

What if there was some “white space” in the office to give your mind and eyes a place to rest on?

How much time (and money) could you gain back if you scaled back your office belongings 25-50%?

If you had less stuff, would you have more time?

I’m a dork.  No really.  Here’s a short story…

I have a printer.  I like said printer.  It works well, it’s wireless and it does it’s job.  But there was on frustrating thing I hated about this printer.  I could NOT load the paper tray.  This has been a problem since I got the printer several months ago.   I dreaded the “printer is out of paper” alert message.  I knew the bell alarm, and cringed when I heard it.

Why could I not load the paper tray?  I had no idea, but it felt like I had to almost break the thing to get it to load.  I was frustrated.  A lot.

Then one day…. (more…)

Recently, I’ve been keeping better track of tasks that need to be done throughout the week.  I had a clipboard of some recurring tasks, and I needed to take it to another level. So, I created a “Focus Notebook”. Here’s what I did:

My notebook has these tabs, and here’s how I use them:

Tasks: Daily, Weekly & Monthly
I mapped out recurring tasks, and listed them on separate pages.  I review them everyday.

Marketing Plan
Pretty self-explanatory.  I read this pretty much every morning, just to remind me where I’m going and what I’ll focus on.

Creative Focus
I put items I want to read over that inspire me.  It varies, but contains things like magazine articles.  I read something most everyday.

I also created a tag, and used a great looking notebook.  It’s not only a pleasure to use, but it is helping me stay focused on the important things.

What would you put in your notebook?

I love a good sale, and I thought you might too!  I also am a fan of The Container Store.  Whenever I need a container of just about any shape or size, I go over to my local store.  I’m amazed that they usually have what I am looking for.

Check out the sale right now!

You might also have one near you, or not.  If you’re a Container Store fan, you’ll be happy to know they are having a shelving sale right now!    I’m not sure how long it will last, but go and check it out!  Click on the banner below, or right here.

If you get something or find something outstanding, please do share in the comments.  Happy shopping!

If you’re looking for a great book on organizing, I have a great suggestion for you:  “Organizing For Your Brain Type”.  In my opinion, this is one of the best organizing books out there, and I’ve read my fair share of organizing books. 

A book is no good if it just collects dust.

Too many times, people get organizing books and have great intentions of getting through them.  It’s not that these books aren’t good books (many are brilliantly written!), but because if you’re trying to get organized, you’re probably overwhelmed already.  Then, you read a book that is incredibly detailed and you slow down and eventually may put the book down altogether.  A simple book that tailors organizing to your style is a great book to read, and Organizing For Your Brain Type is one of those books.

What I like best: This book breaks down organizing into 4 different brain types and two learning styles.  You take a quiz (and let’s face it, who doesn’t like taking those to learn something) and find out what your “brain type” is.   Then, you read the chapter on your brain type.  Yes, if you’re looking for a quick read, just read your “brain type” chapter.  How cool is that?

How you can make even more of this book: Once you’ve read your chapter, you can also figure out what your learning style is.  This, combined with your “brain type” is a great way of figuring out what systems and products will work best for you.  To go a step farther, figure out what the brain types of your partner, children or co-workers are.

So, if you’re up for an organizing book, check this one out.  Betcha it won’t become a dust collector.

Where to get it:

Organizing For Your Brain Type

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Sparkplugging is starting a new tradition called “Spark an Idea Thursday”. Each week we’ll be sharing some great ideas for a topic of interest to our readers. We invite you to grab our image and carry the tradition through to your own blog! If you do, please link back to this post so we know where you were inspired!

The theme of this week’s theme is: “Spark an Idea About Purging”.
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I talked a lot about filtering today.  In a conference call, teleseminar and a talk with a friend.  Purging and filtering go hand in hand.  When I think of purging, the first thing that comes to mind is purging paper files.

Wow, that’s a lotta paper…

Did you know that the average home office has 3,000 pieces of paper?  Are you kidding me?  Uh, no.  That’s a lot of paper!  No wonder people (maybe you) feel overwhelmed by paper in their office!

If your paper is out of control, it might be time to purge, get rid of, sort, go through and get it squared away.  Here’s a few pointers:

Don’t keep what someone else already is keeping.
If you’re keeping your electric bills, don’t.  If you need a copy, guess who has one?  That’s right, your electric company.  Better yet, go paperless and set up an online account and have your payment history at your fingertips.

Seven years is good enough for most paper.
If you’re stuck, seven years is a good benchmark.  There is certain paper you should keep indefinitely, but not much.  Here’s a document that can help (Be sure to check with your accountant or tax preparer in case you have special circumstances.)

Clean out the file cabinet once a year.
Paper can easily get out of control when it’s locked away in a filing cabinet.  So, once a year take some time to archive and purge through your paper files.  The new year is a great time to do this, and start the year off with a clean slate!

Make it easy on yourself and don’t overdo it.
If you can’t stand a 16-hour purging marathon, don’t.  If the thought of purging your entire office filing cabinet makes you dizzy, break it down into smaller times and projects.  Do one drawer at a time, 30 minutes at a time.  Be consistent, and before you know it, your office will be a new place.

Protect yourself.
Did you know that most identity theft comes from paper?  Not the internet, paper.  Be sure to shred important documents so you don’t become a statistic.  A good paper shredder can be purchased for under $100.  That’s an investment well worth making.

Ready to get started?  Go do it!

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P.S.  Do you like what you see here?  Did you know I have an enewsletter with tips, news and other tasty home office organizing ideas?  You can sign up HERE.

Maybe I’m lazy, I’ll admit it.  However, I think most of us who are “into” organization are to some degree.  Organization makes things a little bit easier.  Finding what I need quickly, and getting the important things done makes me feel better.

I love roadmaps.

I like having my weeks mapped out so I know what I’m doing each day.  It helps me stay on task and minimizes the chance that I’ll forget something.  That’s why I love templates.  They make my schedule and tasks brain dead simple.   It helps me stay on task and work each day with a purpose.

Templates are basic plans which can be used over and over again.  They can be set up once and then used and revamped as needed.

How I use templates. Here are some working examples…

• Recurring tasks: I map out the year with my enewsletter publishing days, tax preparation, marketing review periods and administration tasks.  You know they will get done, as you’ve written them down on a calendar and gotten them out of their head.  This is particularly helpful with those tasks which are not exactly favorites.
• Projects:  An example of this is my current podcast, The O Myth (and upcoming NEW podcast on my current site!).  We have a template for our show, with small changes for content and guests.  We use the template over and over again, and the show outline is ready to go in about 15-30 minutes.  With two of us hosting the show, this helps us focus and get the work done quickly so we can get on with the fun stuff.  Like producing the actual show!
• The daily grind: Have you ever come to the end of the day and thought, “Doh!  I forgot to do that again!”  With a daily list of things I need to do on a clipboard on my desk, I make sure the important things get done.

How could you use templates in your work day?

Sparkplugging is starting a new tradition called “Spark an Idea Thursday”. Each week we?ll be sharing some great ideas for a topic of interest to our readers. We invite you to grab our image and carry the tradition through to your own blog! If you do, please link back to this post so we know where you were inspired!

The theme of this week’s Spark an Idea Thursday is Something You Want So Badly You Can Taste It

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I work from home, and I can be a bit of a workaholic (in phases).  Sometimes it makes the housework suffer.  Now, it’s not that my house is a complete sty or anything, but it would be nice to have some help so I could concentrate on other things.  Like taking a bike ride with my son or writing the best book ever written on home office organization.

I want a housekeeper.

I don’t mean a full-time housekeeper; just someone part-time to come and clean the bathrooms and handle the detail cleaning (like the blinds, windows, etc.).  I don’t mind sweeping or doing the dishes or the laundry (ah the smell of freshly washed linens!).

Said housekeeper would do those little things I just don’t want (or have enough time in the day) to do.  It will free up my time and brain to focus on the other things in life.  Did you know that many wives “of old” had household help, and the didn’t run a business?  But, I digress…

What I’m doing to get there.

That’s all well and good, but what will I do about it?  I’m working toward an income goal where I can justify a housekeeper.  It will free up my time and let me breathe a little.  It will also help me know that things are ship-shape around here.  Lastly, it allows me to employ a local service provider and give back to our local economy.

Clean windows, bathrooms, a little free time and piece of mind.  Now, that’s something to feel good about.

What do you want?

There’s so much to do, so many places to go, and so much to see.  The problem is, it’s easy to get flustered and paralyzed with so many choices.  Know what I mean?

I look at organizing as a filter.

Organizing is more about deciding what’s important, and filtering out the rest.  It’s really that simple.   How do you organize stuff?  Where do you start?  Here’s one of the most important things I teach clients and audiences at my presentations:

Sort & Edit: aka, FILTER.

When organizing an office, you’ve got to do this first.  What goes and what stays?  Do you like it, do you use it or need it for legal (archival reasons)?  Once you decide and go through your office (some people call it purging, but, eww…) then you know what you have left.

Think of it like draining pasta: filter out the extra.

It takes a LOT of water to cook a small amount of pasta.  In the end, what you really want is the pasta not the hot water.  So, when you’re done cooking it, you dump the pasta in a colander and drain out the water.  What you have left is the pasta.  You filter out the extra and keep what you want (or need).

What sort of filtering do you need to do in your office?

As a mom working from home, I do work over the summer.  I do dial it down a little, though, as I want to spend some fun times with my son while the sun is out.  After swimming, picking berries, riding bikes and enjoying the weather, it’s time for school.  I use it as a time to get things straightened up and get back into full gear.  Maybe you are the same.

If you’re ready to get back in gear, here’s a few resources you can use to get moving!

31 Days of Home Office Organizing Tips
Take the next month and get your office under control.

Keep track of your projects with Todoodlist
I found this great ebook, and it’s made a huge difference for me in keeping track of what I’m working on.

Spruce up your home office
Making your office a place you like to be

Organize your business cards
Need a place to keep the business cards you accumulated over the summer?  Here’s a quick project to help.

Listen to my podcast, The O Myth
We have got a HUGE lineup of LIVE shows in September.  Come hear some fantastic moms share with us how we can get it all done!

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Psst… like this post?  Want more tools, news and tips? Be sure to sign up for my enewsletter HERE!