The Bull’s-Eye Approach Bush provides a basic approach to help clear out the mess and organize what’s left. “Look at your office as a bull’s-eye,” she says. “You are the center of that bull’s-eye. The things you use more frequently should be close to the center; things
used less frequently should be moved farther toward the outer circles.” For example, paperwork addressed on a daily basis must be kept in a place
within easy reach. Notes, research, and papers needed on a weekly basis should
be kept in a drawer or a container just outside the center. Papers needed on a
monthly basis, such as bills or notes for long-term projects, should be kept in
an approachable mid-distance area. Insurance policies, IRS forms, and other
items addressed annually should be in the outermost ring of the bull’s-eye.
Fifteen Minutes per Day Bush advises spending fifteen minutes each day organizing paperwork and incoming
mail. “Papers that need to be accessed on a daily basis should be filed in an action
file,” she says. “This action file should be on the desk or in the front of a file drawer and must
be touched every day.” Bush suggests dividing your paper into three categories: first, “to do”—an item that requires action today; second, “to read later”—a decision that needs to be made; and third, “to file”—an item that can be filed. Incoming mail should be approached in a similar
manner. Some mail needs to be addressed immediately and should be put in the
to-do category. Other pieces such as solicitations or invitations require more
thorough reading and should be put in a deferred-decision file. As this file is
reviewed in the future, the papers will either go into recycling or into the
to-do file. The final choice is filing the item, for papers you must hold onto
but will not need to refer to anytime in the near future, such as signed
contracts or receipts.
Sifting through Piles of Paperwork Now that you’ve got your daily papers under control, it’s time to tackle that mountain of backlogged paperwork obscuring your desk. Bush advises starting by putting it all into a large plastic storage box and
taking an additional fifteen minutes each day to go through and organize this
backlog until it’s gone. With this approach, you can still process the new daily input of paper,
but you will also gain the satisfaction of working through the old stuff. And
you won’t feel as overwhelmed because you’ll only be spending fifteen minutes each day on this necessary project.
Photograph and products in the photograph are courtesy of the Container Store,
www.containerstore.com.
Extra Organization Systems Bush believes your personality will direct your final approach to organization. “We all have computers for our home office, but most people still feel the need
to write things down,” she explains. “Notebooks are very helpful. A spiral or composition notebook that allows you to
tear out pages that aren’t needed is a great solution. Notes can be kept chronologically and found
relatively easily.” She also suggests a white board for keeping track of to-do lists. “Just make sure you change the date on the top daily. That will force you to
review the list to see what can be erased or needs to be added.”
Three Weeks to a New Habit Finally, Bush assures that if you commit to the fifteen minutes per day for
three weeks, you will have established a new and positive habit—a habit that will help you gain back all the time for daily organization that
had been slipping away from you in the past. Written by
Carolyn M. Runyon.
Carolyn M. Runyon.
