by April Welch, The Mental Clutter Coach
Are you at work reading this? If so, look down ... right now. What do you see around your work chair?
- A clear floor?
- Maybe a few active projects in piles?
- How about the overflow of "stuff" from your desk?
or maybe
You work from home, and the home office is a constant struggle. If you're lucky enough to have the space to dedicate to a home office?
Ugh.
Now what?
Organize at Work Problems:
I see two organize at work fundamental issues:
- You've come into someone else's system, and it doesn't really work for you
- You work from home & there is no pre-set system
Time to Organize at Work:
Then there's the whole time issue.
- When you travel to an office, you can't wait to get home :: who wants to hang around after hours to organize?
- When you work from home, you can't escape :: "I already feel like I work 24/7!"
Organize at Work Boundaries:
There I said it. Boundaries.
Admit it, you knew it was coming.
- Setting limits in a professional space for both your co-workers & yourself can go a long way when it comes to clutter.
- Establishing guidelines for yourself and others in the home can help you gain control over the chaos.
Organize at Work Client Story:
I once worked with an executive that used all surfaces as the potential filing system. {the couch, the chairs, the conference table, the desk, the top of filing cabinets, books on the bookshelves}
I was called in to help "organize" the space.
Taking one look around I immediately knew what the problem was.
This executive had inherited someone else's system. More importantly? It didn't work for the executive's organizing personality.
Once we realized the flow of the office and the filing system were the biggest concerns we set about re-arranging. EVERYTHING.
- First gathering piles, relocating them to a "staging area".
- Then moving the furniture to a more comfortable layout
- And finally, bringing piles in one at a time - assigning them a new home in files or project areas.
These solutions may seem simple, but trust me - the process took several weekends over the span of about 6 months.
So, "what happened to the executive?"
After our work together the executive felt so confident, a promotion was applied for & accepted!
Moral of the story?
- Take in the view.
- What is frustrating about the space?
- Do you respond with 'it's always been that way'?
- What can you change?
As for you Work-at-Home folks:
My best advice is to establish a space dedicated to productivity. Even if it's the coat closet.
Corral your work related clutter there.
Then, when you take care of domestic chores add the work space to your list.
Chipping away at the clutter of your workspace when you're in "home" mode can be effective as long as you don't get sucked into "work" mode.
Remember, when you work from home - you are the janitor as much as you are the CEO.
I'd love to hear more over on the VolunteerSpot Facebook Page:
What organize at work tips {or struggles} have you had?
Keepin in Tidy,
April
P.S. If you're interested in more tips you can join the DIY Club - with daily, weekly or monthly emails!
April is a Mental Clutter Expert | Mom of 2 boys | Wife to 1 Fireman | Horrible Cook | Loyal Friend | National Public Speaker who gives you permission to be imperfect
