What's Wrong With it? : Home Office

Hello my choco chums!

Hope you all are tolerating enjoying winters with hot beverages, dry fruits, lip-smacking fried fish and crocheted sweaters. For the first time in the history of my 23 years long life, I am enjoying winters. Before that, I usually wished to hybernate with fellow amphibian froggies as to the same extent, I believed I am a cold blooded animal [sweaters never felt warm enough]. This year, excitement of having my own blog seems to have my heart racing and keep pumping warm blood to the entire body. So, folks, things are way better right now.  

Today’s post is the official ribbon-cutting ceremony of our new monthly post: “What’s wrong with it?” Every month, we’ll have a look at something that doesn’t seem to be working, is relatable to us all and can help us learn how to go about organizing a particular area while having a detailed look at a real-life situation. Why a picture? It’s worth thousand words and in just one glance can concise number of challenges that we might face.  

For today’s post “What’s wrong with it?” I have selected an image of a home office desk that is calling out for help. For me, a desk is the MOST crucial area that ascertains the level of productivity; for that it has to be organized and functional. It should be such that when you pay it a visit, it should attract you like a magnet, motivate you like a mentor, help you accomplish your goals as your chum, and support you in checking the items off your to-do list. It’s not merely day dreaming as energy sucking, cluttered places can be transformed into constructive spaces chop-chop.

Yikes! This space is so unhappy and sad. What’s it that you wouldn’t find here? From sandals to hangers, electronics to stuffy figures, clutch to paper-clutter you’ll have it all. This is not out of the world, unreal picture. Anything can be turned into a dumping ground when we gear up to throw away things and don’t have proper systems in place. Let’s get started and get going with highlighting what’s wrong.

1: DUMPING GROUND

This is a dumping ground in literal sense. What’s the purpose of putting here anything that doesn’t belong here – even for the sake of it? We all have hallucinations when we see ourselves putting away those things nicely in the near future. As a result, things start getting piled up out of places which we sworn to have put there temporarily.

I’ll pick it just after finishing this pressing project. I’ll put away dishes in sink after responding to this crucial email. And my most favorite: just give me five minutes, I’ll get it organized [ after watching movie for three hours, I still not think about what I avowed to do earlier and start another “important” task. You know what! These are all excuses that we give to befool not anybody else but OURSELVES.

PRACTICAL TIPS:

1)    Assign a place to everything: Everything will be out of place unless you assign them one. Before bringing anything home, think of its proper place where it could slumber without dozing you off.  

2)      Establish a rule that you’ll never allow to rest anything on the table that doesn’t belong to the work space.  No matter how limited time you have, how crucial it has become to save the world; you’ll never have things stored out of place. Rules are there to help as they impart discipline in us. Without discipline, you’ll hardly ever find organizing systems working for you.

ACTION:

1)    Start by clearing off the desk – giving it room to breathe. Beginning from scratch is helpful in dealing with the actual root cause of the problem.

2)    Make two piles: Things that have its place in the work area and those which need to be tidied away.

3)    Keep only related items and take away other items (and deal with them later)

2. LACK OF ZONES:

Zonning is a very effective strategy to de-clutter a space and make it hard-wearing for chaotic bacteria - divide & conquer strategy has been winning the battles even for our predecessors. For many, a table might not seem big enough for creating distinct zones; whereas in veracity, it can still be separated via invisible portioning based on its functionality. May be, one segment could hold up all the files [if you don’t have a proper filing station]. Other chunk could be used as note taking compartment. It is all up to you.

ACTION:

1)    Identify different functions you use your office table for.

2)    Try to create zones so you know exactly where to reach out to find a place without wasting any minute. [Hint: all the files stay at the right side of my table. My planner, pen holders and telephonic equipment stays on the left side]

3. ABSENCE OF STORAGE SYSTEMS:

Investing in good storage systems pays you off big time. Neatly maintained filing system eats away all the paper clutter – things that are important and will be needed later get filed and the rest gets trashed or recycled.  Splurge on quality binders, file folders, drawers, baskets that could be a home to all the belongings. By no mean, I am asking you buy one tool after the other. After you are done purging and creating zones, you’ll be familiar with the organizing needs and the right tools. Label these apparatuses to increase their functionality.

ACTION:

1)    Invest in the right storage system for organizing papers, stationery, important documents, and other items.

2)    Label them for more effective results.

4. TOO MUCH ON TOP:

For an office table to be categorized as organized, according to my definition, you should be able to see 85% of its surface any minute of the day. Instead of positioning everything on top, and limiting your efficiency, try tucking them either in the drawer, under the table or in proper cabinets. On desktop, however, you can have stationery or only those supplies that are frequently used in routine. Electronics should never be left on table as with them come wires and tangled mess.

ACTION:

1)    Place only those items on the table that’ll be used frequently like stationery, phone, your coffee mug, your calendar, or planner.

After this exercise, you should be able to have:

ü  less clutter to deal with

ü  Clarity about your organizing needs

ü  An organized work stationed that’ll fill your heart with happiness

I hope you enjoyed today’s post. If you are brave enough to be sharing the picture of any such crisis situation for which you’d like a detailed help, write to me at practicallyorganizedkorner@gmail.com . Till then,

 

Photo Credit: 1