How do you find something? There's an easy way to take care of that. Just give everything a home base.
What do I mean by that?
Assign everything a place of its own. For example, phone books go by the phone. Keys go in a basket or container by the door where you usually come in. Shoes go on the mat in the entry closet. Files go into the filing cabinet or your desktop file holder. Pens and pencils go in the pencil holder. Tape and envelopes could go in a desk drawer. And so on.
While others can make suggestions for where to put things, the most important thing is that you put them where it makes sense to you and where you will remember it.
Some things may need more than one home base. It's a good idea to have a holder with pens, scissors, paper, etc in several areas - your desk, by the phone, next to your bed, by your easy chair, etc.
The idea is that everything has a place. Then when you need that something, you know where to find it.
Of course, there is a caveat to that - you'll find it providing you have obeyed one of the cardinal rules of organizing, which is, when you've finished using it, put it back in its place!
Showing posts with label where to put things. Show all posts
Showing posts with label where to put things. Show all posts
Friday, March 11, 2011
Hot, Warm, Cold
Here's a simple way to determine where to put things. Items you use frequently need to be placed closest to where you use them. These are your "hot" items.
Items you use, but less frequently can be placed a bit further away. These are your "warm" items.
Things you only use once in a long while are your "cold" items and they can be stored anywhere.
For example, in your office, "hot" items would most likely include your phone, paper, pens, files, phonebook or rolodex, computer and so on. These should be within easy reach.
"Warm" items like extra paper for your printer, resource books, extra office supplies, etc, could be placed in a cabinet or closet across the room. Basically somewhere where you could access them within a few steps.
Outdated files that have to be kept for legal reasons could be stored in offsite storage or a basement room. Any "cold" items like this can be stored where they can be accessed if absolutely needed, but are likely not going to be needed.
Items you use, but less frequently can be placed a bit further away. These are your "warm" items.
Things you only use once in a long while are your "cold" items and they can be stored anywhere.
For example, in your office, "hot" items would most likely include your phone, paper, pens, files, phonebook or rolodex, computer and so on. These should be within easy reach.
"Warm" items like extra paper for your printer, resource books, extra office supplies, etc, could be placed in a cabinet or closet across the room. Basically somewhere where you could access them within a few steps.
Outdated files that have to be kept for legal reasons could be stored in offsite storage or a basement room. Any "cold" items like this can be stored where they can be accessed if absolutely needed, but are likely not going to be needed.
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