Yesterday, we tidied up our virtual desktops, now it's time to do the same to our physical desktops and/or work spaces. If you have already organized your computer desktop, it will be much easier to organize all the papers in your office.
Did you know...
When you're not organized you can lose money? If you can't find the business card of that important person you met at last month's training, how are you supposed to expand your business or expertise? If you work in a profession where you have clients, you could lose clients if you are not on top of your game, which includes being on top of your paper work and presentation.
Now you know you can't meet with people and have all kind of papers falling out of your bag and folders. It's not cool. At all. This alone should be enough motivation to change your habits. We have to have our stuff together if we want to be successful.
Goal for today:
Make sure that we will be able to find every single document you need or want from now on.
Materials:
- Manilla folders (Many)
- 2 pocket folders (1)
- 1½ or 2 in. binder
- 12 dividers
- Sheet protectors
Step 1: Two Piles
As you sort through your papers, separate into two piles:
- Keep
- Trash
Create a folder for each project you have done in the past, are doing currently, and will do in the future. These folder names should coincide with the folder names you created yesterday when you organized your virtual desktop. This is important for you, so you can always find what you're looking for, but also if you work with others at your office often. When you're not there or not available, they will easily be able to find what they're looking for.
And those are the basics!
I have some additional tips that will help you stay sane and be seen as the Got-It-Together Queen or King of the office. If you work from home, you can be the Queen or King of your home :)
3 Binders
Get your workspace poppin' with these 3 binders that will simplify your life.
I will be giving you ways to organize a:
- Logistics Binder/Folder
- Archive Binder
- And Current Projects Binder
Logistics Binder/Folder
Think of this as your emergency folder Anything that you don't need specifically for the work you do everyday goes in here.
Items that would go in your Logistics Binder:
Faxes-received and sent, templates for things you need to do your work ex. fax cover sheets, meeting templates, etc., completed parking application
Archive Binder
Think of this as your work portfolio.
Items that would go in your Archives Binder:
Previous meeting/conference notes, training certificates, the final drafts of items you've created, the end result of a project you finished, etc.
- Get a 1½ or 2 inch binder and put in12 dividers that are labeled for each month of the year.
- Decide what documents you want to be in your archive and put them behind the month they were completed in.
- Put documents that need to be preserved in plastic sheet protectors. This may include awards you've won and training certificates.
Current Projects
Think of this as your working binder. Everything you need to take with you to meetings, conferences, and to always have on hand should be in this binder.
This is the binder and dividers I use in my current projects binder. It includes:
- Meetings -- I keep the last four meeting notes plus meeting templates (see below)!
- Current Projects
- Follow-up -- Any deliverables I need to turn in or use for my next meeting
- Reference --Things I may need to reference while I'm working on something
- Time sheet -- Current time sheet, older time sheets go in the Archive Binder
- Accomplishment plan --Work goals for the year
- Miscellaneous --Anything that doesn't go anywhere else
Here is the printable I promised! It's a simple meeting template I designed for myself when I started my new job. I like to have a simple template, with no fancy colors, etc. for things I use at work. For home I like items with more flare;)
Click to download
2 pages- print double sided to save paper:)
Is this template self-explanatory or do you need a quick tutorial on how to use it? Let me know in the comments below
I hope this helped all in the blogosphere- which at times I feel is empty. Comment so I can know if anyone is finding these tips useful:)
What's the messiest part of your office/workspace? And will you be using a tip from this post?
Tomorrow: Project board to see all you need for the day at a glance
A Bientot....
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