When a new year starts I develop a plan to organize or work on the maintenance of my home. I divide my home into 10 zones. Each month, except for July and December, I work on organizing one of those zones. I give myself July and December to work on other projects and to catch up if I have fallen behind.
January is set aside for my office zone. My plan is to revisit my vision for my office and see if I am still on track. I touch everything in my office and make decisions about what stays in the office, what stays but is stored outside of my office zone, and what I going to be tossed, donated, recycled, or shredded.
This past year I have moved, so my office is in a new location and has different dimensions. The vision for the area has also changed. The room is larger now, so I now have room for meetings in my office. The room has less built in storage, so I must decide what I need to store in this zone and what I will store elsewhere and what I no longer need to keep. I continue to want the room to be open and inviting both to me and to my guests.
I start with clearing out all of my files in my desk and filing cabinet. Some papers are moved to archival storage, some are tossed or shredded, some are set aside for tax preparation, and some return to the file folder. It is important that my files have plenty of room for the papers that will gather this year.
Next, I clear out my remaining drawers in my desk. Extra supplies are donated or stroked elsewhere. Tattered or broken work tools are tossed.
I continue around the office, clearing out the bookcase, the storage cabinet, and updating my vision board. My project bins are updated. I schedule daily and weekly maintenance to make certain that paper is not accumulating on my desk or on other surfaces and that I am keeping my action files working properly.
By the end of the month, I reward myself with a fresh flower on my desk. I feel ready to tackle another year.
Jonda S. Beattie Professional Organizer