Decluttering Part II: The Dreaded DESK
They say a messy desk is an indicator of creative genius. We’ve found that it can also be a indicator of late tax filings… with that said, as we head into tax season, maybe now is the time to talk about organizing those stacks of paper in your file cabinet and desk.
Of course, everyone has different ways of keeping track of paperwork, receipts, expenses, etc. but here is what we’ve found is a key to success:
Boxes.
We know, it seems overly simplistic. But if you have trouble keeping paperwork straight – if you find that you have a folder in your file cabinet for all the paperwork, but that paperwork still sits on your desk for months without being filed… try this method. Most craft stores sell nice cardboard boxes with a space for labeling right on the front. They look nice, they’re stackable, and – maybe best of all – they’re cheap.
Get yourself as many boxes as you feel you need, but here’s a good jumping off point:
Invoices
Receipts
Paperwork you’ll need for business tax filing
Paperwork you’ll need for personal tax filing
Drafts of work written
Supplies/documents that you find yourself using regularly (consider putting these in a binder or electronic form)
Training & educational materials (later to be filed or put in binders, perhaps? Timeblock for this project)
Paperwork to be filed (make sure to timeblock filing regularly so this box doesn’t fill up too quickly – it will)
Surplus pens/pencils/highlighters/post-it pads
This, of course, is a jumping off point to start organizing – because the smaller the items are, the more overwhelming the task can feel. Once you have categorized the paperwork into their respective boxes, then you can begin to timeblock for filing and organizing the paperwork in each of these boxes, and the job won’t seem nearly as daunting.