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Day 18: Declutter And Organizing Challenge – Your Computer

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Filed Under: 30 Days Organizing Challenge, Home Office, Organizing

Decluttering And Organizing Your Computer

WOW. Day 18 already! Today we are going to take a break from scrubbing and cleaning and clean out and declutter your virtual space – your computer.

We’ve all been at the place where we let things get really out of order on our desk or laptops. And because we use our computers on a daily basis, we may not notice just how disorderly they have become until you need to find a specific file and spend time, a LOT of time searching for it. That’s why today we will grab our favorite drink, sit at the computer and tackle our digital clutter.

Doing this digital decluttering and organizing session will noticeably improve your productivity on your computer forever. Talk about great return over investment!

Ready of organizing and re-organizing over and over again? Join the Decluttering and Organizing Challenge to organize your home room by room. Today we are organizing our computers!

How To Organize Your Computer

Let’s get after it!

  • Start by choosing a way to organize your folders that makes the most sense to you. A few options are to organize by subject matter, client, family member, activities, season- it’s really up to you as long as you have a system.
    • We like to organize our photos by Year > Month and we tag them with people’s names and also location.
    • For my business, I organize documents and images in two separate folders. On the document folder, I will have a sub-folder named Blog > Year > Blog Posts and on the images folder, I’ll have the same structure but only for the images.
  • Once you decided on a folder structure, create a master and subcategory folders for all of your files.
  • Start by cleaning up and giving a home to all loose and homeless files.
  • Next review the files you created and organize them. If you have the time, add tags to easily locate what you want on searches.
  • Now, head to the internet and repeat the same process and organize your bookmarks and reading lists that you have saved online.
  • Next is a big one: email. This can be a tremendous task, but once it is finished it makes a huge difference. Go through your email and delete read emails you don’t need anymore and then create organized folders.
  • Finally, make a list of all of your passwords and usernames for websites and profiles. You can do this on paper or digitally with a password app like LastPass.
  • How good does that feel? You will notice a big difference in the kind of time you spend at your computer now that it is decluttered and organized.

The Computer Declutter Checklist

Grab today’s Computer Declutter Checklist and let’s get started!

30 days decluttering and organizing challenge
Click on the image to sign up for the challenge and access all checklists.

After you grab the free printable each day, don’t forget to share your process and progress on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter with the hashtag #APONewYearChallenge for a chance to win a free copy of the Life BInder Purposeful Life Planner!

Organizing The Cords Is Possible With These Awesome Tools!

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Filed Under: Home Office, Organizing

6 Cords Organizing Tools and Hacks

Do you feel that no matter how beautiful and organized your space is organizing the cords is an impossible mission? Then this post is for you!

So you have a beautiful workspace. You’ve got your papers and files neatly organized, your office accessories in order and have enough storage space for all work-related items. You’ve even organized all your work in digital workspaces in order to prevent or reduce clutter on your desk.

We all have gadgets that make our work and personal lives easier, but they come with a clutter creator – cords!

They get tangled up with other cords, take up space or just get crammed all together in drawers. Sometimes, we don’t even know which cord or cable wire goes where! (confess you also have a box filled with them! 🙂

I’ve had my share of cord nightmares – from chargers to headphones to power cords and more. If you have kids who have their own gadgets, dealing with all those electronic cords can get downright unruly.

Organizing the cords can be tricky, but thankfully, there are great tools we can use to organize them and bring order to the chaos.

I’ve put together a list to help you tackle your cord situation with these awesome cord organization products!

Are the cords behind your desk, media center or nightstand a hot mess? Well, it doesn't have to be this way! With these awesome cords organizing gadgets, you'll have everything organized and easy to find in no time.

Note: There are affiliate links below and I’ll receive a commission at no cost to you if you act on them or decide to purchase.

Cord Organizing Solutions

1. The Desk Cable Clip

It’s common for us to have our laptops, tablets, and phones on our desks – sometimes plugged in and charging all at the same time! The cords can create a mess, but here’s one genius tool that can solve this problem – the desk cable clip.

To keep cords organized, all you need to do is to attach it to the edge of your desk or table. It’s small and flexible – it can hold three cords securely, keeping them in place even when you unplug and go!


bobino~ Desk Cable Clip

 

2. Colored Cable Ties

If you’re the type of person who fumbles with the cords and gets confused most of the time, (I mean, they’re almost always all white or all black. How can you tell which is which?), fret not! Colored cable ties allow you to easily identify all your cords and cables. Whether the cord is yours or of a family member, you can make your lives much easier with colored cable ties!

3. Cable Zipper

If you cannot stand the sight of disorganized cable wires, I’m pretty sure you will love the Cable Zipper. When it comes to containing cords and cables, this is definitely a lifesaver! All you have to do is to “lock those bothersome cables into the Zip Clip then “zip” them into the Cable Zipper”! The best part is, you can mount this to the wall or under your desk to keep it out of sight. No more wires!

4. Protective Sleeve Charging Cable

If you have teenagers like me, you know they love being on their phones while lounging in bed. But that can mean the iPhone cord is being bent and it will eventually be broken beyond repair. Before you have to fork another $20 for a new cable, here is a solution – an Anti-Breaking Protective Sleeve Charging Cable!

 

5. Cable Box

Who hasn’t charged several gadgets at the same time and fumbled with the cords at some point? Untidy power strips and excess cords can make any desk look disorganized, so keep them neat and tidy with a cable box. This genius box enables you to slip the cords and cables neatly through openings in the box, separating the wires, and therefore preventing entanglements!

6. Floor Cable Protector

Finally, it’s not just the cords of our phones’ or tablets’ chargers that can create a mess. You may have a well-organized desk, but when you look under the table, cable wires can be in disarray! Get your cables under control under your desk with a floor cable protector. This simple solution allows you to keep cable wires safe AND in order.


Floor Cord Protector

What I love about all these cool tools is that they’re simple, sleek and handy. More importantly, tidying up with a little cord organization will make it easier to sit down and work efficiently. Surely, it will be such a relief once you’ve organized your cords!

Creating A Comfortable And Inspiring Home Office

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Filed Under: Home Office, Organizing

Designing Your Home Office To Work From Home

Are you looking for design ideas and inspiration for your home office? Then you’re in the right place to get your home office organized and decorated in a way that makes working from home a pleasant experience.

Once you have taken the plunge and decided to work from home, there are some essential things you should consider how you want your working space to feel and look.

Too many people think that working from home means that they can effectively handle phone calls from the kitchen table, or work well into the night cuddled up in front of the television. And while you may be able to get away with this type of working style once in awhile, you will need to design a home office space that is effective and efficient.

A well-designed home office will allow you to be more organized, more productive and more professional.

Home office organization.

There are a few things that you will need to consider when you are designing your space.

Do you entertain clients in your office?

If so, think how you can have them come into your office without having to show them your kitchen sink or the clutter you left on your family room last night.

 

 

But, honestly, even if you don’t host clients in your home office, I encourage you to consider the benefits of having a separate space for your workspace.

You will feel more professional if you have a designated room or space for your office rather than a corner of the living room. This will also allow you to tune out distractions such as the children, or the television. When you are working, close the door and focus on work and when you finish, you can officially call it a day by turning everything off and closing the door until the next day.

In fact, having this small ritual at night has been helping me to enjoy my evenings much more.

Some things that you will need to consider are furniture, organization, lighting, and ventilation.

Home Office Furniture

 

 

You will need to equip your office to suit your needs, and for most people, this means that you will need the standard desk.

Your desk does not need to be fancy; in fact, as long as it suits your needs, you can get away with a straightforward table.

 

 

When I started my small business, back in 2010, I went to Ikea and bought a white tabletop and the legs, brought it home and assembled it. I am pretty sure it didn’t cost me more than 30 bucks, but I was so excited to have a desk to call my own.

If you like moving and standing while doing other things, consider a standup desk, like Varidesk or similar.

I have not yet tried it, but I am pretty sure my husband, for example, would love something like it.

Home Office Desk Chairs

 

 

I’ll tell you this. You may skimp when buying your desk but do not save money on a quality desk with excellent back and arm support. You will spend hours upon hours on it, and you will feel the negative difference in your productivity immediately if you stick to a kitchen chair or something like it.

For the ladies: I know there are lovely upholstered desk chairs for sale on sites like Ballards Design, Pottery Barn or Wayfair, but I would invest in a professional chair if you’re going to be working from home for more than 4 hours a day.

[click_to_tweet tweet=”Tips to create your home office! Pick your chair wisely: You want to feel like the CEO of a successful company when sitting at your desk. ” quote=”Pick your chair wisely. You want to feel like the CEO of a successful company when sitting at your desk.”]

Home Office Storage

 

 

Storage is crucial for a home office. Do not underestimate the power of a quality file cabinet and a good organizing system. If you have a lot of books, a shelving system will go along way.

If at this time you don’t want to or can’t invest in storage, organize your new home-office with shelving units until you decide to invest in something more permanent. You can use containers to group like items together while keeping everything with a clean, neat look.

 

 

I like everything stored and put away and don’t want to see every. single. item. I own out in the open. Clutter-free surfaces are a must for my sanity and bins and containers can be your best friends for that.

Home Office Lighting

 

 

High-quality lighting is also essential in your home office.

Observe which room in your home has better daylight and consider if you can make that space your new home-office.

When we moved to our new home, I claimed the sunroom as my office.

 

 

Don’t feel guilty if you have to move someone to another room. Remember that you will spend hours upon hours there, and if you’re in the Northern States, the lack of light during winter can be gruelling on your mood and productivity.

Most residences don’t have overhead lighting, and desk lamps just don’t put out enough quality light that we need for an office. To get started, buy a floor lamp to function as a flood light and then in the future, you can hire an electrician to install the appropriate lighting.

In our new home, I have a light fixture that gives me tons of light even on the darkest winter days, and I love it.

 

Home Office Ventilation

 

 

Ventilation is also essential, as you want to work in a comfortable environment.

If your space gets hot in the summer months, invest in a portable air conditioning or if you have central air and you still feel the room gets too warm -like mine!- invest in a small fan to place near or under your desk.

Home Office Decor

Last but not least, do not forget to make your home office inviting when you to come to work.

Put up a few pieces of artwork or some prints, bring in some house plants or fresh flowers and create an environment that is not only functional but enjoyable to be in as well.

After all, you’re going to be spending 8 – 10 hours per day in there.

 

Tools to Keep Your Life Organized

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Filed Under: Home Office, Organizing, Routines & Time

An Organizing Tool For Every Area of Your Life

Creating an organized life, and maintaining it, isn’t as hard as you might think. Of course, it will require planning and some time to set it up but once you’ve got the following six key tools in place you will feel more focused and in control of your life and time.

organizing tools
An organizing tool for every area of your life.

This post contains affiliate links and I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you if you make a purchase through such links.

Paper Planner

Yes, even in the age of digital organization a paper planner does still have a place in your organizational tool chest. It doesn’t have to be big and bulky or expensive. In fact, you might find that the latest trend for a bespoke bullet journal might suit you best. Your paper planner can include tasks and items that you want to keep a close eye on, as well as for making notes and lists.

Online Calendar

In addition to the paper planner, an online calendar or app for your smartphone is another essential. This calendar will be with you everywhere that your phone goes and has the added benefit of being able to give you alerts for meetings and scheduled tasks.

Evernote

This amazing and handy tool is free but does have a paid option that provides more functionality. However, for most people, the free version will be sufficient. You can clip whole web pages, URLs, create notebooks, share information, create draft documents and add pdf files. Evernote is an online tool but has apps for smart devices that will allow you to sync your notebooks across all of your devices so you’ll always be able to access your information.

I use Evernote to jot down from blog post ideas to recipes and measurements of each nook and cranny of our home. It’s always with me and if I’m shopping, for example, all I have to do is check the app.

Financial Planner

You can create a dedicated financial planner in which to record your income, expenses, and savings. To keep track of bills due you can use a monthly bill payment calendar to ensure that you never miss making a payment again. If you don’t want to have a paper planner for your finances, then there are lots of financial planning and management apps available online. One such tool is YNAB, which is my personal favorite.

To Do List

Your to-do list is going to be an essential tool to keep your life on track, running smoothly and perfectly organized. Paper lists are great as you can carry them with you or display them where you can’t miss them. There are also plenty of to-do list apps that can help you create, monitor and organize your lists. Suggested apps are Todoist and Jamie’s To Do which are both free.

A Health & Fitness App

A health and fitness tracker can help you monitor your exercise as well as your diet. I personally use SleepCycle to track my sleep and wake me up at the most optimal time during my sleep. I also use is a popular free online tool for Android and iPhone apps. It contains a huge food database for tracking what you eat and you can create a personalized diet profile.

These six tools can really help you stay on top of your personal organization. There are obviously other tools that you may find useful and necessary in organizing your life but I find that these are the ones that will get you started by centralizing the most important information needed on our daily lives.

An organizing tool for every area of your life.

Tips to Quickly Organize Your Home Office: Increase your efficiency with these quick organization tips

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Filed Under: Home Office, Organizing, Paper

Follow these quick tips to quickly organize your home office and increase your efficiency.

Working at home gives people the flexibility to be at home, while still being able
to collect a paycheck. But, does working at home automatically make you get
more done? As more and more people begin to work from home, it’s increasingly important to organize your home office and stay productive. Here’s how to tidy and declutter your space in 15 minutes or less.

 

Take over your home office with these small organizing steps you can take today.
home office organization

Before you start organizing your home office, consider your needs. When you work from howe you need your home office to be a place where you can be efficient and productive. The best way to maximize your work at home efficiency will be to set your self up for success by creating a system of organization that is in line with the way that you work. Everyone’s workflow is a little different and you will do yourself a huge favor by keeping your style of workflow in mind while you organize.

For this quick how office organization you will want to begin by prioritizing and designating a place for important paperwork, items to be shredded and office supplies. If your kids do their home in your office, set aside space for them to work and store their homework, books, and school supplies.

For now, ignore the computer. Electronic file and inbox organization are projects for another day. If it’s dusty, go ahead and give it a quick wipe down and move on.

 

Home office under the roof

 

A lot of stuff accumulates in home offices: knick-knacks, awards, mugs and more. Then you have office equipment: a printer, scanner, shredder and perhaps an external hard drive. Then there’s the paperwork. That is where things can get really messy. Do yourself a favor and prioritize these quick home office organizing sessions so that you can maintain an organized home office.

Start organizing by collecting and sorting any clutter on the horizontal spaces of your office, such as your desk, file folder cabinet, chairs, and tables. When you pick up an item, quickly decide where it needs to be put away.

For large stacks of paperwork, tidy the pile and leave it for another day when you can organize documents and do all the filing. If you have time, sort similar paperwork into categories: bills to be paid, items to be shredded, paper to be filed, etc.

 

The Elwood - Skye Estates

To keep this organizing session quick, grab a box or basket to toss items that belong in another part of the house like clothes, dishes, and toys. Simply collect those items and leave them for another time. By clearing away items that don’t belong you will be able to see what kind of space you have to organize and keep the things you do want in your office.

Straighten up as you move around the room. Put books back on the bookshelf and return collectibles to the appropriate shelf. Gather office supplies like cables, notepads, and pencils. Place them in your desk drawers or supply cabinet. Don’t be distracted by disorganized drawers or cubbies. Remember, this is a quick cleanup and it’s important to stay focused on the areas most visible. Make a note of other spaces that need to be organized and put it off for another day.

 

Grand Mission Estates // Richmond, TX // Plan 539 // Highland Homes

 

If you come across trash, toss it immediately. When you fill the trash can, be sure to empty it as soon as you’re finished. Finally, do one last pass of the entire room to ensure everything is straightened up. Don’t worry about dusting or vacuuming. Instead, focus on tidying your home office. You can always dust during your routine cleaning.

When you are finished, take a few minutes to appreciate what you have accomplished. You will feel rewarded and much more productive when working in your organized office. Making these quick home office organizing sessions a regular habit will greatly increase your efficiency while you are working from home.

 

Home Office File Organization

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Filed Under: Home Office, Organizing, Paper

Home Document Organizer

The only way to stay on top of household paperwork is to create a filing system for your home office. When a bank statement or bill is received, file it immediately — that way you’ll never have piles of paperwork develop on your kitchen counter or in your home’s entryway.

Here’s how to develop your filing system, choose the best file categories for your home office and stay organized.

 

Supplies You’ll Need

To reorganize your home office filing system, gather the following items:

How To Organize Your Documents – Choose Categories

Review your current files and paperwork to determine which categories you need. Here are the basic categories most home offices require.

  • Legal: This is the file where you want to store your family’s most vital documents. Create a file folder for birth certificates, death certificates, marriage or divorce records, military records, wills and power of attorney information.
  • Money or wealth: Create a file for each month of the year to hold receipts. Then create a separate file for every bank account, credit card, and loan. File financial statements and payment receipts in the appropriate file folders.
  • Taxes: Create a file for each working adult’s paystubs and every retirement or investment account. Then create separate files for tax deductions, donations, and expenses. Finally, organize previous tax returns in individual files by year for the last 7 years.
  • Medical: Create a file for each member of your household. Include important medical records such as immunizations and lab results. Finally, create a file category for your family’s medical, dental and vision insurance. You’ll also want to create a separate file category for your HSA or FSA accounts.
  • Home: Create a file folder for each of the following: real estate records, utilities (gas, electric, water, etc.), homeowner’s insurance, warranties for appliances and records of household repairs.
  • Auto: File records of your auto loan, if applicable, as well as repairs and service for each of your vehicles. You’ll also want to create file categories for auto information such as your title, registration and auto insurance.
  • Business: If you run a small business out of your home office, make sure to file the appropriate client paperwork, invoices, and receipts in separate file folders.

 

Home office file organization. How to & tools.
BEDFORD 3-DRAWER FILE CABINET

 

How To Organize Your Documents – How Long To Keep Documents

Not sure if you should keep it? Review the following list when you’re sorting through paperwork and organizing your file cabinet. This is a simple guide. For accurate information consult your accountant or tax attorney.

Keep for about a month:

  • Receipts
  • Reconciled bank statements

Retain for 1-3 years:

  • Paystubs
  • Loan statements
  • Expired insurance records
  • Receipts for charitable donations
  • Proof of deductions and income-related documents

Store for at least 7 years:

  • Tax documents and returns
  • Medical bills
  • Contracts

Never throw away:

  • Birth certificates
  • Marriage or divorce records
  • Property titles
  • Passports
  • Wills
  • Medical records

 

 

Paperwork and file organization in your home office start with choosing the right system. Once you know what you and your family need to keep (and for how long), you’ll be able to create the best file categories and stay organized. Here’s everything you need to know to get started.

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