Work at Home Mom Staying Organized

How To Get and Stay Organized
by Melissa Olivero
http://www.melsatticimages.com/

If you know me personally, then you could be asking yourself how the female version of the "Absent Minded Professor" could think of writing an article on organization. Well, I admit that I just haven't been able to find a system that works for me and my personality. BUT -- in my quest to find one, I have learned an awful lot about putting things in their place. With that said, I thought because it is such an important topic -- it is better that I share what I've learned versus risking sounding like a hypocrite. LOL

Okay, my first piece of advice to make sure your home is organized first. You may find that your "Office Area" is a little tight on space and you will have to make use of other areas of your home. If you have all your ducks in a row in the rest of your house/apartment, that will allow you to start with a "clean slate" so to speak.

I already had a file cabinet. I've always kept one for bills, paper memorabilia, writings and so on. If you do not and your desk doesn't automatically come equipped with one, please don't think that you need to run out to buy one. Today you do have different options that will allow for more feasible and some times creative storage. You can find in either your discount department store or office supply store trendy file boxes. They come complete in a variety of colors and a handle for easy transportation from one room to another.

Get a different file box for each need. If you are a rep for more than one company or you work for one company and do eBay -- then have a box for each one. You might want a another box for household papers, tax papers and receipts. Get a certain color file folder for each company too -- especially if you get the clear plastic file boxes. This will help you spot the right file when you have a few on your desk. Again, try to assign each category a different color for your file folders. Take the time to properly label your files and folders as it will save time.

Next you are going to want to set up some sort of schedule for yourself. Whether you use a day planner or steno pad with 2 columns on each page for your To Do Lists, you will need something. If you have young children at home, you will have to be flexible with your time and your plans for each day -- but you do need a base to jump from. How detailed you want to be on your list is up to you. I tend to be very detailed only because I am very forgetful. If I don't write everything down then my odds of remembering to do it are slim. Before you end work for the day, take 10 minutes to write down your game plan for the next day. Do it every evening no matter if you are working or not the next day for at least the first month or so -- you'll need to so that it becomes a habit.

It may sound silly, but when you make those plans - don't forget why you are working at home. Make it a priority to put time for your children & your husband, time for your home and time for yourself. Your new working hours are going to be like none that you've ever experienced before. Sometimes you'll set your child up with a craft or a movie so you can have some concentrated time to work. Other work time will come during naps, preschool hours, late at night after the family has gone to bed or early in the morning before anyone is awake. Between these times... these working hours -- are your real priority time. Make dates with your family and with yourself. You are working at home so you can enjoy life more -- so enjoy it!

How you actually set up your day is going to depend a lot on the type of business you have, your family life and your personality. If you are a "Superwoman" with the power to multitask - you have my admiration and a bit of envy. You will be able to play a game with Junior while being on the phone with a client or filing some mail. If you are more like me don't get discouraged if you have to focus on one task at a time or if things start to pile up around you again. Take a break from everything for a day or two and get it back in order. You do need some sort of "set hours" though or else it will take over your life.

No matter how well suited you are to your new career path, it won't work if you aren't organized. You will lose money and time faster than you can say the word: organize. Do you know how often I've had to buy a present twice because I forget where I "hid" the first one? Take your time and do not make light of the importance of being prepared for each day.

I once worked for a company that required that your desk was cleared off before you left each day. As long as you aren't just shoving things in drawers and you actually put them away in their proper place -- just that one action goes a long way. When I came in each morning, it was like starting with a clean slate. A clutter desk equaled a cluttered mind. I would sit down and take out my pad that had my list of things to do on it (I created it before I cleaned off my desk) and I swear I was more productive working in that office than anywhere else in my life.

And the last point I will make is about mail -- both online and off. Mail needs to be taken care of immediately. Business emails should be answered within 24 hours. Paper mail needs to be sorted and then thrown out or filed right away. It can and will overwhelm you -- especially the email. Create at least two folders offline -- "Action" and "To Be Filed" for those papers that just have to wait. Online, create folders in your in-box and create message rules for the types of emails you get. All emails from family go straight into a family email box when they use a particular address. Each one of my mailing lists goes into its own folder. Only business and friends go into my actual inbox.

Run a search on Google for organization to learn different systems. There are many out there for you to experiment with until you find the one that works for you. When I remember to make them and remember to look at them -- weekly calendars to work well for me. I have one each for business, household, personal and one for activities for Alex, Megan and Matthew. My personal needs require this bit of "anality" (yep - just made that up) and most of you will hopefully not need the degree of scheduling I do. If I could just learn to follow the things -- I would get so much more accomplished! *smiles*