If you are working from home you need to have a work area whether you have an actual office or you have space set up in a spare room, living room or your bedroom. Ideally we would all like to have an office... well sometimes life is not ideal and we need to make the best with what we have. where ever your space is it needs to be set up in a manner that is most productive for you if you have to spend time searching on your desk or through your supplies to get what you need that is valuable time that could have been spent progressing your business. First you need to make sure your space is just that Your space! That means get rid of anything that is not business related kids toys, dog toys, etc gone. Now you need to organize what is related to your busines in a way that will make things easier for you. For example if it is easier for you to create if you can see your supplies then you need to purchase clear containers. This does not have to be expensive first utilize things that you may already have around the house if you have to purchase check out your local dollar stores.
If you have lots of paperwork in your business you may have to purchase a file cabinet (I know I need a couple of them). While you are getting your space organized its time to organize all that paperwork. I have come across a few methods and the one I like the best is
D.R.A.F.T.
DISCARD: Trash it. If it will never be retrieved again, don't file it. Realize that files are an information and resource "holding" place, not a dead storage place
REFER: If someone else needs this information give it up do not hold onto things you don't need.
ACT: Act on it now. Don't procrastinate. Do routine paperwork immediately. If not, the time needed to tackle your paperwork later on can snowball!
FILE: File it in your files. Forget about letting it all sit there. With a proper filing system, important documents can be filed, and found easily
TABLE: Table it. If you need it at some time in the near future, other than today, place it in a simple follow-up system for easy, quick access. You can keep a special basket for paperwork such as this but be careful when coosing what goes into this it can add up quickly.
Organizing your space and keeping your space organized can be one of the most difficult task because chances are it has been out of hand for awhile and become a habit. Getting organized could take all day maybe two but once your space is organized it will only take a little work to keep it that way and it will help make your days much more productive.
Effective time management is a habit, just like brushing your teeth or walking the dog. It’s only when you consistently practice good time management skills that you begin to see positive results. It doesn't happen overnight, especially if you have deep-rooted habits to replace.
If you have any questions or advice I would love to hear them. I think together we can change our habits and make our lifes easier. I hope this has helped you some and be on the look out for part 3 of the time management series. I still have lots more to share with you!
