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March 2013 Newsletter
Greetings! ,

With all this rain we've been having, it's been a perfect time to start work on home projects or finish ones that were never completed.  I've been doing my annual purging of all my rooms and am planning my next clothes swap party along with putting aside items for our bi-annual neighborhood garage sale!  Now is a perfect time to get started on small projects that you've been waiting to do.

The second Tuesday in the month of March is Organize your Home Office Day. I find that many of my clients would like to have a home office but haven't quite established the where, when, why and hows of creating the space in their home. If you are possibly contemplating setting up an office, the article below can help you set some guidelines for your own personal requirements to a successful home office environment. So why not take advantage of the rain keeping you indoors and do something for yourself!
Wishing you a happy new year for starting a clutter-free life!
 
Jennifer Truesdale
Your Organizing Professional
Setting Up Shop: Your Guide to Creating a Great Space

Whether your home office consists of a spacious basement suite or a miniscule bedroom corner, making the best of your space is so important. Location, furniture placement, and ambience will impact the ease and enjoyability with which you function.

 

First, identify your home office location. Will you be working when others are at home? If noise and distractions are a concern, consider finding the most secluded spot in your home. Any spare room where you can shut the door - bedroom, attic, or basement -is great. If you don't have an entire room to work with, get creative. If you can give up a closet, consider emptying one and installing a simple work surface inside. Add shelving above for supplies and reference materials. Pull up a desk chair, and voila, instant mini-office! When the work day is done, simply shut the closet door and the office disappears. If you can't give up the closet space, try sectioning off a corner of any room with a fold-out decorative screen.

 

Next, arrange your office furniture carefully. Consider whether you'll need lots of surface space and where you plan to put your desk and computer. Other items, such as filing drawers and book cases, can be placed next. Make sure to have good lighting, both indirect and direct.

 

And finally, take the time to add a little "you" to the room. Paint the walls a color you love. Add artwork - whether expensive originals or a child's framed finger paintings. And add a little greenery in the form of a potted plant or fresh flowers. Now it feels like home (office)!

 

Now that your space is ready, you'll need to prepare for inevitable interruptions. A day working from your home office can be filled with them from spouses, kids, roommates - even the cat. To maximize your time, consider these tips:

 

* Establish regular office hours and make sure everyone knows and respects them. If necessary, find quiet time by getting up early or staying up late.

 

* For parents working at home with small children, you already know that nap time is your savior. For the waking hours, set up a small play area in your office. Set aside a bucket of special toys to be taken out only when you're on the phone and need extra special quiet.

 

* Resist the urge to continually check email or voicemail. Ignore the doorbell. Use caller ID to direct your energies toward work-related calls, rather than chatty friends and pesky telemarketers.

 

* Make a to-do list at the beginning of each day or the evening before. Schedule your time so the most important tasks get done first. That way, if you do get interrupted, at least your most urgent needs have been met.

 

� 2011 Articles on Demand™  

In This Issue
Setting Up Shop
Upcoming Events
Simple Organizing Tips
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SIMPLE
ORGANIZING
TIPS

Home Office Tip:

If you work from home be sure to purchase extra basic items for your office (stapler, scissors, tape dispenser, etc.) That way you won't have to walk through the house and potentially get distracted when all you needed to do was staple some paperwork together.

 




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