We all know the feeling. The bills are stacked high. The Christmas letter is late because we misplaced the photos. The catalogs need reordering. With our lives filled to their absolute brim, we stuff and stack our desks with paper to no organizational avail. We lose things. Invoices literally fall through the cracks. We wonder whatever happened to this or that notice. We pay late fees. The good news? There are ways to avoid the hassle of an unorganized workspace. The hard news? It will require diligence. If you are looking to set-up a home office space, you will also want to set-up good habits right away. If you already have a space, then today can be the day to start to nip in the bud the persnickety habits that have left it paper covered and hard to manage. A few simple tips will keep you (more) clutter-free.



Tip #1: It must make sense to you: there are numerous sites about organizing your life, with the cutest of pictures and the most beautifully scrawled tags you have ever seen. However, if you don't organize your space according to how you work and how your brain processes information, it will surely only be a temporary fix. Simple difference s like if you left-handed, then you should probably keep pens to the left of your phone. Are you someone that loves to stack? Find stackable containers that let your stack with purpose.

Tip #2: What comes in must go out: most parcels and letters that come to our homes need a response. It is best to devote a certain amount of time each day, or a longer period every other day, to devote to responding to the day's mail right away. For missives that demand more time (like letters from mom), create a box labeled “Things needing response” and finish them within a week. Maybe you could have a bill day, where you handle all the household bills at once, and a separate time to deal with miscellaneous communication like letters, organizational updates, and campaign notices.

Tip #3: Purge and Recycle It: Do you have boxes and boxes of old magazines and dusty catalogs? Even if you have grandiose plans to use them for your kids collage projects, 10-15 choices are probably sufficient for the craft room. The leftovers should be recycled. Hoarding not only creates cluttered desks, but also gives too much many to too many things. If we have had a catalog for 5 years, we may start to think it has meaning when really it's just not been thrown out yet. Taking a good hard look at what we keep in our office, will allow us the chance to minimize our lives—something that always has positive affects. In the process however, you will without a doubt toss something that you will come to want to use. Don't worry. It happens. The moment will pass and the overall benefits of streamlining your space will be worth it.

Rule #4: Diligence breeds Habits: Keeping our desks clean is hard work. Life happens. Bills come and don't make into their “to-do” box. However, with constant diligence, new habits will form and all of a sudden, one day you will realize you can see your tabletop and the bills have all been paid on-time.