Your home office is probably the most important place in your home, especially if you run a home-based business. It is the place where you keep your business files and communicate with your clients or manager. Even if you do not own a business, it is the place where you keep your most important documents. So, giving this place a fresh update should be at the top of your New Year’s to-do list. Thanks to Michael’s we have some organizing strategies to help you get a head start on a productive year working from home.
Your home office can become a dumping ground for all sorts of items from other parts of your home, especially around the holidays. Take time to remove all items that should be stored in another area of your home and return them to their proper place. Any old items that you no longer use can be donated or recycled.
Sort and organize through the paperwork
You must not like to start the New Year with all the paperwork of the entire year stacked on your desk. Sifting through these piles of papers is not an easy task but do it to shred and recycle as much as possible. Keep the receipts of only the major purchases and shred the rest. After getting rid of all the extra paperwork, you can start the organization’s works.
Organize papers, files, and office essentials in separate places. Consider opting for organization shelving, bins, and color coded file folders for ease of finding what is needed. A desk with built-in storage, some portable filing cabinets, a few stackable trays, and some storage boxes will be enough to make the place organized. Use labels on the boxes, cabinets, and drawers to find out things easily. Keep the items that you frequently use somewhere easily accessible. I got the perfect one at Michael’s to start.
As your primary workspace, your desk demands the most attention! Clear it off completely. File your papers away, leaving only the bare necessities on your desktop like your computer or phone. Keep office supplies, such as pens, pencils, and notebooks stored neatly in your desk drawers or nearby shelves in your home office. With your desk clear and frequently used supplies and files organized, your workspace is more conducive to being productive! Lend some floral charm to your office décor with this wall clipboard. You can display the things that you would have thrown on your desk such as: family photographs, notes, postcards and more on this pretty wall accent.
Once you have organized your home office. It will be easier to organize yourself.
It’s a fantastic time to start a new planner, just before the New Year starts. There’s something incredibly inspiring and motivating about a fresh start. It found so many great options at Michael’s that it was hard for me to select just one.
Pick a Planner
To get started, if you don’t already have your planner, you’ll need to choose your favorite layout and cover style. Not attached to a particular format? Then you have a few decisions to make! Ask yourself these questions to narrow down the options.
Think about what will work best for you! I believe a daily planner is essential for making it all happen when it needs to—each and every day.
Gather Schedules
It’s time to gather your upcoming events. Think through everything you’re juggling and get the dates in front of you. Don’t forget:
• Holidays and Birthdays
• Trips and Vacations
• Health and Fitness
• Appointments: Doctor, Dentist, Specialist, Hair, etc.
• Social Events and Church Events
• Membership Schedules: Clubs, Groups, etc.
• Nonprofit Events and Volunteer Schedules
• School Schedules (yours or your kids’) and Events
• Sports Schedules and other After-School Activities
• Work Schedule
• Spouse’s Schedule
Select Favorite Supplies
We’re talking planner stickers, washi tape, colored pens, page markers, and darling dashboards! Within each of those categories, you’ll find an array of styles, colors, materials, and more. The options are endless! Planner stickers and accessory companies are popping up left and right, which is super fun.
If you’re not the decorating type, don’t worry—you are not alone! You’ll love the simplicity of the pages, especially once you fill in your schedule and to-dos. Just select your pens (or pencils) and you’ll be set!
Review 2020 Goals
Think over the goals you set for yourself this year. Ideally, you have these written somewhere so you can pull them out and read back over them. Whether you started the year with a list of big (and small) goals or not, consider which activities, habits, relationships, etc. have been working for you—and which haven’t. Take some time for personal reflection and a midyear review. As you begin to set your goals, start by simply asking yourself these questions:
• Who do I want to be this time next year?
• How do I want to feel?
• What is essential for myself, for my people, for my heart, for my resources, and for my career?
• Are the goals I set earlier this year helping me to be the person I want to be?
• What are the goals that will get me there?
Review Priorities
In addition to setting your goals, you’ll also be reviewing your priorities. While things like family will always remain at the top of your priority list, you may find that other things have shifted. When new projects, tasks and opportunities arise, you’ll want to think about where they fall on your own personal list of priorities:
• At this point in my life, what’s most important?
• Where do I want to be focusing my time?
• What new habits have stuck? What old habits have been harder to break?
Record Everything
Yay! It’s time to fill it all in—you have arrived at the most exciting part of the process! Get those events, birthdays, holidays, trips, and much more on to paper and see how it all lays out. Incorporate your lists, tasks, and notes as needed! Visualize your upcoming days, weeks, and months.
I love getting ready to start a new year in my new planner. I hope that I’ve given you some helpful tips and ideas to get your new planner prepped for the new year.
