Whether or not you're into making resolutions this time of year, January always feels like a good time to make a fresh start. This year, I decided to make that fresh start happen at the heart of my business - my office.
I came across a great new-to-me blog in my search for how best to attack the job of organizing your workspace - professional organizer Alaia Williams' One Organized Life blog, where she offers really useful tips on a variety of topics like:
- Simplifying your filing system
- Clearing your clutter 10 minutes at a time and
- Motivating yourself to get and stay organized.
In her post Get Organized for Success in 2009, Alaia talks about setting realistic goals to make "getting organized" seem less daunting.
You can NOT do everything at once - even if you have nothing else to do with your time. So break down the work. What is your goal for January? The office? Okay, great. So maybe at the top of your January calendar page you write “Goal: Organize my office.” The next thing you should do is decide what you can do each week to get you closer to that goal.
It's like she was reading my mind! Armed with my realistic de-clutterization goals, I sallied forth into my workspace, recycle bin, shredder and file folders at the ready. A few days later, I stepped back to survey the results.
While I'm drawn to an ultra-modern, de-cluttered look like this:
the reality is that I like my space to be organized AND have some character. Who works in that office? Robots?
Here's my colorful, cozy office at Career Bags headquarters:
When you spend as much time at work as I do, you want to make sure to have the things you love around you for inspiration. Along with my letter trays and magazine holders, I made sure to include items like these in my office decor:
- My top 10 business books
- My gardening books, for when I take a break and fantasize that I will plant something in my spare time in 2018
- A copy of my favorite painting in the world of Joan of Arc from the Met
- A photograph of my gorgeous daughter Veronica (the inspiration behind my Veronica London laptop bag line)
This little black number below is my new favorite thing on my desk. It's meant to hold CDs but I'm using its little cubby holes to store all the things that tend to creep onto my desk when I'm not looking (like my cunning calculator). This way I can keep track off all my day-to-day things (cords, cards, pens, hand cream) without having them all over the place. Neat!
I put the art deco teapot and colorful file on the desk there for a Better Homes and Gardens effect. I am still awaiting their call.
Over to you! Are you planning an office overhaul in 2009? And here's a poll question for you - what's the most valuable organizational tool in your office? Vote below or leave your answer in the comments!
