National Organize Your Home Office Day Is March 8

Online, March 3, 2011 (Newswire.com) - As national Organize Your Home Office Day, on Tuesday, March 8, draws near, professional organizer Sally Allen shares some clutter-clearing tips.

Allen's mantra: Keep the things you work on daily on the top of your desk, the things you work on weekly in your desk, and the things you work on monthly around your desk. Toss or archive the rest.

Place a corkboard on the wall near the desk, advises Allen, CEO and founder of Golden, Colo.-based A Place For Everything LLC. Then, create defined areas on the corkboard for schedules, reminders, tasks, messages and must-dos.

Because the desk file drawer is one of the biggest "containers" in the room, there is a tendency to use it as a storage bin for sports stuff, cameras and the like. Instead, use the drawer to hold paperwork in hanging files, placing "action" files in front where they are easy to access. Use an accordion file for all documents and receipts related to filing income tax returns; having the information in one place means less time and hassle when tax time rolls around.

Atop the desk, a red folder labeled "bills to pay" will be easy to find in a vertical file; while a basket for sorted mail and current projects keeps the desktop clear.

Assign pencils, pens, paper, paper clips and highlighters to a convenient drawer so there's no searching when the phone rings or for starting a to-do list. Drawer dividers are a must-have in order to prevent items from sliding to the back of the drawer or hiding under papers.

Beanie Babies, bobblehead dolls and plaques with cute sayings may be fun but Allen recommends finding a home for them elsewhere. Other clutter can be concealed in cabinets that hide binders, reading material and baskets for office supplies.

If you share the home office with family, communicate with them to develop the best solutions for time and space management. Getting the family involved makes them feel more committed to systems that everyone helped design.

Whether the home office (aka command center) runs household operations, a business, or both, remember that organization is a critical key to success.

Sally Allen is a certified professional organizer and founder of Golden, Colo.-based A Place for Everything LLC. She helps homes and businesses turn chaos into order. www.APlaceForEverythingLLC.com.