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Welcome to Day 1 of 7 Days To An Organized Home Office.
Today’s task will take 1-2 hours.
Future tasks will take about 1 hour for the average home office. Depending on your home office situation you may need more or less time.
The steps we’ll do today will transform how you think about your home office space – today, this week, and well into the future.
And they’re going to make the next 7 days easier and more enjoyable.
Let’s start!
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Finally got to start Day 1 today, just had too much on in the week to get to it, but have done a big purge, and reoganised my office space today it looks so much better already and now I have a big pile of boxes and bags to go through later on in the week.
Wonderful start, Debbie!
Love, Love, Love this step! Since we are moving in a couple of months I wanted to purge as much stuff as possible, don’t want to pack, move, unpack things that I don’t want/need/care about. So far, I have gotten rid of two large trash bags of trash, I have two full bags of recycle, 4 boxes of stuff for charity, all my filing that needs to be filed in one big bin and I have packed up and inventoried on my BookCrawler app 8 boxes of books so far! My husband packed up all his books and is decluttering his side of the desk too. We have also packed up some other office items/supplies for the move as well. Lots more to do so far, but made a huge dent!
we’re moving too in a couple of months, only lived for 9 years in this chaos! So good to finally get my desk and office area organised and ready to start using properly and like you, good to know I wont be lugging all that stuff with my to a new house, but will be able to be organised from day 1 in our new home
Fantastic Tami! I love that you’ve got your husband decluttering as well. 🙂
PS You might also like this: http://www.getorganizedwizard.com/blog/2009/06/organizing-q-a-get-organized-for-moving-house-my-top-3-tips/
Although I haven’t been able to keep to the task-a-day plan due to being a stay at home mum with a 3.5yo, running my own business part time and 9 weeks away from having baby #2, I’ve still managed to find plenty of motivation to dig in and sort this mess out! I’ve completed day 2 but am still purging as well. Two and a half hours of sorting and purging and I haven’t even cleared my desk yet! Blimey! I was very excited though to find a few things I’d thought I’d lost 🙂 I’ve banished my husband from ‘The Abyss’ as I want to surprise him when it’s all done 😀
You’re doing super Karen and you should feel great about going at your own pace. You’ll have access to this program for 2 months from the start (ie from 18 March) – and if by chance baby messes that up, just contact HelpDesk@Getorganizedwizard.com and they’ll look after you.
Thanks Michele 🙂 Still plodding along and continuing to purge as I go. The great news is I’ve finally broken through to the top of the desk! Woohoo! I’ve also decided on a reward to buy myself (nothing too extravagant) once I’ve finished. Hubby has also planned a purge in his office over the Easter break 🙂
Thanks to work I am a few days behind, just starting this Step. The work area is the one I can change right now. The home office will change in a couple weeks. Long story but I will be moving into the bedroom and an re-configuring of the office area – new simpler desk and much better organization. For now I am reviewing the work area, deciding on what goes, what can move to a new home, what to keep and straighten out. WISH ME LUCK!
Good luck Katrina! With these changes you’re making it’s a perfect time to get your home office sorted.
Thanks to work, I am running a couple of days behind, so I am just now on Day 1. I really can’t change the location of the work office. However I will be changing the location of the home/personal office. It’s a long story, but I will be moving into the bedroom and taking the home office with me. I have some plans for that, and it includes totally reconfiguration and decluttered/organized. So I’m actually going to spend the next two hours evaluating the work area. I see some changes right off the bat, but I need to think about homes for other stuff. So…….here goes!
Good start made today – quite difficult though. More time needed as I (like someone else mentioned) have to look at each piece of paper to know which box it needs to go in – so progress is slow. BUT still progress 🙂
This is by far the most difficult day Jorja – so you can look forward to easier days ahead.
Hi Michelle, I’m still on Day 1 – snatching a bit of time here and there between work and children. I have a couple of issues – my TAFE notes that are relevant to my business now, and my husband’s stuff. He was a nurse, but has also studied – and most of his notes no longer relate to what he does (including all of his old textbooks from nursing back in the late ’80s). Neither of us have touched most of this stuff since we did our courses – how do we get rid of it? I should point out that I do tend to overthink as well, trying to get the mindset happening is the big challenge to me – and I can’t move in my office, there’s so many piles!
You need a shed!!!!!!!
Council application went in today – the shed will help huge amounts, in the meantime, I need to sort out what has to go into the shed!
If there’s stuff you or your husband still refer to Kathryn, then keep that. But most of those old study materials will be too old to be of use. Into the recycle bin with them! PS Overthinking is a habit. Left to my natural state, I will overanalyze everything till my head explodes. The more you make quick decisions, the easier it gets. 🙂
Wow, big inroads today. Finished the job I was working on, so spent the rest of the afternoon “purging”. I have managed to get rid of about 99% of my study materials. Even spoke to hubby tonight (he’s away for work at the moment) and he admits that he may not need all of it! Fantastic news. Have started shredding, thrown heaps into the recycling and loads into other boxes. Still got a bit more purging to go – hopefully I’ll get to Day 2 tomorrow – LOL!!!
Woohoo Kathryn – you’re doing really well! And taking your husband with you, too!!
Is the Archive box for things/papers that need to be filed? Ta 🙂
It’s for things you should keep for peace of mind, but are unlikely to need at short notice. EG Old client files, old tax records, old investment records.
I have actually already done a lot of this in my office area, but I still have two lateral file drawers to go through. It’ll take me a lot longer than 80 minutes to go through the rest, so I need a block of time. I’ll shoot for Friday, or Saturday…ooh that’s sounds a lot like procrastination.
Trust yourself Cheryl – then you’ll be less inclined to procrastinate. If you feel you need to do more on these steps first, then do. If you feel like moving on and returning to these steps again later, that’s fine too. As long as you keep doing something every day this week.
Checking in too to confirm that I completed the day 1 purge in my work office too yesterday. I cleared the desktop, both sets of drawers, my in-trays, the noticeboard, whiteboard and flip chart. The window surfaces and the tops of the filing cabinets and the floor are also completely cleared. That does leave two large shelved cabinets and two 4-drawer filing cabinets, but it was a start! I probably annoyed everyone filling up the bins but the junk had to find it’s way out somehow ;-).
They’ll probably be envious of your decluttering!
Checking in to confirm day 1 work is complete on my home office this evening (I’m doing the work office too but will check in separately on that one when it’s done). I gave myself time to think over your first step – really thinking about the space options I have available and making peace with my choices at present. I think steps 2 and 3 is the crux of the problem, that issue of ‘later’ is a big one for me, but what really made it click for me was your point about “information is plentiful and constantly changing”. That is going to be a point I will really need to remember when we do the F word. I have also accepted that if I have a place for something I can keep it, if there isn’t a place it goes and I hope that helps me with the “trade-off” decisions. I now have a cleared desk area, including all the surfaces and the variety of drawers nearby. The shelves are dejunked and the A4 filing cabinet nearest my desk is emptied ready for instant access files, so hopefully this will be the hub for the rest of the activity needed to make all the other changes from. I haven’t chucked much to be brutally honest, but paperwork is the big issue for me, and you said “don’t worry about the piles of paper”, so I was a good girl and did as I was told :-p
LOL Amanda. 🙂 Sounds like you’ve made the mindset stuff your focus here – and that’s perfect. As you say, it’s what causes clutter problems in the first place. A great start. 🙂
Did my best to work the first day around my other commitments for yesterday. Got a great start on filling those boxes but will have to work a little bit more today to finish the first days task. Question about the archive file…is that for paperwork and other things that I plan on filing later this week? That box has turned into several.
Take as long as you like on the Day 1 steps Loriann, as that will make the rest of the week easier.
On Day 7 we’ll put your archived stuff out of easy reach (perhaps in the basement, attic, offsite). So my suggestion is to keep the archive box only for things you won’t need easy access to, and to keep it separate it from your everyday filing – which we’ll address on Day 3.
Wow! You guys are doing great! I was only able to allot about an hour today and have 3 boxes full. I will have more time tomorrow. I feel like I will still be working on day 1 tomorrow, but that’s ok as long as I’m making progress! Starting to look like I can work in there, though! Grateful!
Me too Becky! But I hope we are right in thinking that making progress is the key! Congratulations!
That’s absolutely OK Becky. This bigger the power purge at the start, the easier the rest of the steps will be. 3 boxes is a fantastic start!
Terri Beeler Progress is the key Terri – and giving yourself permission to LET GO of what holds back your present and future.
I was able to allot about an hour and a half today from my “real” work. But I have 8 boxes full!! Mostly recycling…some trash…some electronics. 8 boxes and I’ve not made a dent but will just keep plowing through. It’s somewhat gut wrenching as it is in many respects a walk down memory lane of my career. I really focused on #2 and #3 to help me make decisions. The shifts in technology get in the way…camcorder tepees, CDS, VHS tapes etc….I worked hard! Worked up a sweat!
8 boxes Terri – that’s an amazing start! Going through our stuff invariably does mean re-visiting the past, and all the good and bad that entails. I think you should feel great about this process.
I like throwing away things, its my type of cleaning. However, I am dreading those paperwork. From the look of it, it is not that bad. As part of the home office, do you cover how to file and organize personal files as well? I would really like everything organized, including personal files.
We cover filing on Day 3 and paper piles on days 4 and 5, Kokeb. Don’t dread it – I’ll make it doable, I promise!
Enjoyed yesterday a lot, I felt in control again. Just a few more loos ends to complete today before moving to next session. Thank you Michele!
My pleasure Rachel! Go at your own pace and embrace the enjoyment. You must be doing something right!
Just exhausted…moved ironing board, iron, ironing, bathroom stand & prepared my boxes! It’s 18-39 now here in UK on the 18th March after a busy day so finishing. There’s more space already! It’s my grandson’s 1st birthday tomorrow so I’ll fill the boxes on Wednesday 🙂 @byeeeeee x.
What a great start Irene! Yay you! Enjoy your grandson’s birthday tomorrow – you deserve it!! 🙂
I think I’m stuck on Step 2 … “Later” is my favourite time!
Great effort, even with my 19month old in toe as she was ‘keeening’ with me….
Well done Elizabeth – especially with your ‘keeeening’ assistance!
I did it! I put in a full 2 hours (in bits at a time) and actually filled an entire contractor bag with shreds and other junk I have been housing in here. I am so grateful to you (Michelle) and everyone doing this with me…just knowing you all are there is SO encouraging – we can DO THIS! In this first go round, I unearthed over a dozen ‘organizing’ containers from previous attempts at organizing by myself. What a mess! I am so happy for us, finally getting this done! WooHoo!