I am the Queen of all that I Survey…
…including the clutter, the mess, the ick.
Ok, so while I’m the master of many, many things, I am not the Queen of Organization. However, I know people. (And as a good friend of mine says, “Life takes knowing a guy.”)
Heard in my home yesterday:
- One phone call: “Exactly *HOW* do you deal with all this paper?”
- In same phone call: “Well, that’s not how I’ve been doing it, I’ve been putting in a huge pile and scooting it around my office for 6 months — you don’t think that’s actually an organizational method do you?”
- Later in the same phone call: “Wait, I should have FILES?”
- Later still in the same phone call: “Throw stuff away? Yearly? Huh? What language is this exactly?”
- Finally, in the same phone call with my new office organizational guru, “Yes, I think you are right, I need to get this under control — now just a place to start….”
My family knows full well what my true problem is, it is simple really — and no, it is NOT that I’m a slob. I’m what is known the organizational biz as an “everything out” person. I’m the daughter of TWO “everything in” people. What you have to understand about those of us ill people with “everything out” issues is that if we can not SEE it at this very second we seriously believe that we no longer own it. (Shall we discuss my 4 pizza cutters? 3 cork screws (in a house without a single bottle of wine)? Rolls of tape? Don’t ask?) So, drawer space can be completely wasted on me. I have crocks of kitchen utensils, because it is more acceptable than leaving them on the counter lest I ‘lose’ them in a drawer.
This brings me full circle to my office. It is OUT.OF.CONTROL. Yes, I freely admit it. I also admit that I know where everything is, and there is some (rather insane) system. But I WANT/NEED a new system (you may have heard my group business is picking up — well this past week I got a BOX of documents in the mail for one group and OH, my the paperwork — the need to spread out and check stuff — the desire not to have to do it in the middle of my living room floor (because the robot has to work too)). Thus, I made THE call.
So while I have a bunch of ideas that are about organizing MY business stuff, I still have other things in my office that needs dealing with. Hence, I’m throwing it out to you. My office is about 250 Square Feet. It houses me (and the business); Prince (and the family business PLUS his computer stuff); one pinball machine (that can not be relocated to the garage for its age needs to be in a climate controlled area); and some storage (which is in the closet). (and the overwhelming need to let the robot go nuts in the office too)
Here’s what I’m asking for:
I need your ORGANIZATIONAL solutions, not just storage ideas. The way you handle some part of your organized life. I need details, even if you think they are too small. I’d like to know if you are an ‘everything out’ person (one who must have it out on top of flat surfaces to deal/organize it) or and ‘everything in’ person (one who puts stuff away because you need open, clean, flat surfaces to deal/organize).
I’ll even get you started. This is from the Queen Mum (who really missed her calling to come in and organize people’s stuff — she helped me with my kitchen and I’ve never had such organized cabinets — and I’ve been able to keep them that way). Anyway, I was complaining about the JUNK piling up and made a comment that it was mostly mail. Here’s what she told me about her routine:
I go get the mail and bring it straight into the office (where the garbage can and shredder are). I chuck all junk right then and shred much of it. I put the bills with the other bills (since they are right there). Then if there is anything else to deal with, I deal with it right then.
I’ve adapted her system pretty effectively to my life: I get the mail and open it in my office. I throw away everything that is junk. I put anything that isn’t mine on Prince’s chair. I’m done. I have STOPPED bringing ANY mail upstairs — in fact, it pretty much never makes it out of my office. Now, let’s not go into if my office is not also some blackhole, ok? But I think I adapted pretty well, right?
Ok, Go. Best idea gets a tote bag!
December 6th, 2006 at 3:17 pm
I’m definitely a “place for everything” kind of person – that being said, I like my stuff OUT in my space whenever possible. I agree completely with Mum about the mail – if only I could get hubby to understand that I do not personally need to shred every credit card application that comes in the mail. Oh – and I broke the shredder!
You need to figure out what will work for you. That sounds lame, but it is so true – no one system works for everyone. The biggest part is to have a plan to put everything away when you’re done using it – even if you know you’ll need it again tomorrow. Files, lots of files, and I think you need a rolling file holder if you don’t have one. Office supplies are pretty, don’tcha know? My home office is in my dining room, so it’s hard to keep straight, and I do have one big pile that gets dealt with from time to time, but I have tried to be better about putting away things as I pay/get them. And throwing things away is huge, and hard for me, but it is key.
OK, not great ideas, but it’s what (sort of) works for me! Oh – and lists – I’m a huge list person. It helps me not have quite so much cluttering up my poor brain.
December 6th, 2006 at 6:47 pm
Thank you for the compliment about my organizational skills. However, there is one thing you do not understand about me. I am TOTALLY an “everything out” type of person. It was one of those days, many, many years ago when I was hit by a blinding flash of the obvious..If I used drawers and shelves to their full advantage, then I could have everything spread out so I could see it AND have open space to do work. I had been using drawers, cupboards and closets to HIDE stuff. When approached from that thesis, then all drawers are “junk” drawers and things get lost in them. If I saw each drawer as an open space to spread things out, then each drawer is an “out” of its own. That is when I discovered I liked the look of clean surfaces, until then I had thought empty spaces were boring.
The down side to this is that I then had to devise a plan to organize what went in each drawer and remember which drawer I used for what. In the beginning, labels helped. Over time, it has become a habit. I still have right-brain vs. left-brain issues. Sometimes my organized left brain is in control and the system is very orderly, then the right brain kicks in and wants to make it pretty. But no matter which side is in control at any given time, I throw away the junk immediately. Life is too short to be chained to junk. There is a lot of freedom in that.
There have been times that I was not sure if I was going to need something and was undecided if I should throw it out. I have set aside a place for that now, too. If I haven’t needed it in 3-6 months, then odds are I won’t need it later. So, out it goes. I need to see what I have and if I have stuff sitting around that is useless, then I can’t see my stuff.
I enjoy a day of organizing stuff. I like the challenge of figuring out how something is going to be used and placing it so that the tasks can be done efficiently. And I love working in a space that allows me to spread out my work so I can see it. I like my horizontal spaces and vertical storage.
December 6th, 2006 at 7:10 pm
In case anyone had a doubt why my Mum is the coolest around!!!
And for anyone who needs an update on my office organizational project, I have a 3/4 full recycle bin to show for my efforts!! I have FLOOR, and only three piles less than 1/2″ each to create files for (I ran out of file folders — who knew???)
The robot shall be unleashed in the office by week’s end!