Shelden Family 4: Operation: Organization (February)

Well, it's been all of (almost) 24 hours since I posted the instructions for January's Room of the Month, so I figured I'd give you (and me) a whole month this time to focus on our new project: the Home Office.

Declutter
*Go through drawers to separate junk from usable items such as pens, tape, and stamps.
*Divide paper stacks into piles: to pay, to do, to read, to visit, to file. Group other materials such as user manuals, warranties, receipts, etc.
*Cull old papers from existing file systems and countertops. Use a shredder for sensitive, outdated documents such as bank, credit-card or investment statements.
*Clean out old files on your computer, and scan your computer disks for errors. (Use the Help icon on your computer's operating system for more detailed instructions).

Clean
*Wash down surface areas and clean insides of drawers.
*Use cotton swabs lightly dampened with rubbing alcohol to clean keys on keyboard.
*Vacuum and clean office chair. Tighten screws and oil mechanism if necessary.
*Vacuum and clean floor, windows, window treatments as necessary.

Maintain
*Create and label folders, envelopes, binders, or accordion files for your paper piles.
*Open mail near the wastebasket; throw away what you don't need, then IMMEDIATELY file the rest.
*Keep a central paper and/or online calendar to mark important dates and appointments.
*Keep a basket near the door to hold things that belong in other rooms.
*Make a master list of all your financial accounts, insurance policies and other important financial info. Keep it in a fireproof lock-box with other important documents.

Treat: A new paper or electronic address book and some colorful file holders!