Family, Faith, and Fridays: 34 Weeks of Clean 2019! Week 31- The Office

Welcome back to 34 Weeks of Clean! We are nearing the end of our series and by now you should be feeling really good about your homes. One week at a time, we have been on a mission to take back our homes! If you are just finding us, it is still not too late to get started. Just pick a room, set a timer for 15 minutes if that is all you have, and go! If you do that each day, you WILL see results. You can find a complete list of the previous assignments at the bottom of this post.

Slow and steady wins the race, promise!

It is not by coincidence that I saved the "Office" for the end. Or that I will be breaking it down for you in three weeks of assignments. This is a hard place for many people.

Our new home does have a separate office room that we call our library. It is a room I have dreamed of having for a very long time. 26 years, to be exact. It was one of my non-negotiable when we started house hunting. I have always wanted a place to keep our books, but also a place for Clarke to have his desk and all of his collected military "things." It might look a bit overdone a lot to some people, but for us, it is a lifetime of precious memories that make me smile whenever I see them. We do not normally collect stuff, but each thing in this room holds a story to my husband's dedication and service to his country. BUT, it is the room to your left right when you walk in the door and therefore I do feel like it needs to stay as clutter free as possible.

See, right in the open for the world to see.

View from our front entry

When we first began this cleaning and organizing journey years ago, it was brought to my attention that we are fighting three problems really-

LAZINESS

TOO MUCH STUFF

NOT HAVING HOMES FOR EVERYTHING

Here is how we began to deal with those issues.

Laziness. We have, all of us, got to commit to finishing what we start. That includes if you take something out, you put it up. Sadly, the kids are not the only ones guilty of this. We are working on it, I promise.

Too much stuff. Well, by now you know that I like to throw things away! Each year I sort through desk things and get rid of extras. Notice I said extras, not just what we did not need. I think there is a difference. Yes, we need pens, no we do not need 200 of them. Last year I seriously went through our whole house on a war path against pens and threw every last one of them away that did not fit my fancy. The reality is I have never had to throw a pen away because it actually ran out of ink. Do they even do that? The other reality is that when I go to use a pen I seek out one of two kinds, ignoring the rest. So those two kinds stayed and the rest went out, with the exception of highlighters and pencils that we use for homeschooling. Bye bye motel and business pens! If I need your number I will look you up in the phone book.

Sharpie pens are my favorite in case you were wondering!

Not having homes for everything. I read in my Kathi Lipp book (Clutter Free) that one of the problems with organizing is that if something does not have a home, it just gets rearranged daily. Yep! Guilty! And paperwork seems to be one of those areas for me. I am working to change that. My often heard war cry is EVERYTHING. HAS. A. HOME! The kids love it. NOT! If something does not have a home, a place that it goes every single time, then we either find it a home or it goes out the door. It is amazing what that simple little task will do for you. Try it- go around your house one room at a time and anything that is sitting out, ask yourself, where does this belong? If you do not have a home for it- find one. Now! Or move it out.

We are going to divide the "office" into several weeks for sanity's sake. It will look a little different for everyone, but even if you do not have a dedicated office room, I KNOW that somewhere in your home is a secret stash of files, bills, and random paperwork.

This week then is dedicated to all of that paperwork and the bills/filing system, since for me, that is where my clutter typically comes from.

For this job, go on and get a large trash bag out. I am guessing you will probably need it.

I will also introduce you to one of my favorite office supplies- the paper shredder. A wonderful invention! Go get or borrow one- you are going to need it!

Here we go!

FIRST- Go through the stacks of papers you have sitting out! This is everything from bills to receipts to flyers. Whatever paper you have just sitting around. Make three piles-

Throw away

File

Move somewhere else (the paper, not you!)

Your goal is to organize now, we will put it where it belongs in a bit.

Yes, shred things as you go, or your pile will grow large. Very large!

NEXT- do the same thing with any paperwork or files you may have hidden in the recesses of your desk. Or sitting anywhere else they do not belong. (Kitchen counter, anyone?)

Once you have left only what you need to keep (do not skip the first two steps, friends!)- establish a system for filing and stick to it! Each time we love our system changes a bit but for now I have a file box for important papers. I put stuff on top of that box with the intention to file those papers once a week. Notice I said intention. Like you, I am a busy person, so I do the best I can and give myself a little grace when needed. The point is, have a place to put stuff and then PUT it there!

The goal is to find a system that works for you and use it. Everyone does things a little differently. The key is to find a simple solution you love and then stick to it.

A key point. Papers WILL pile up if you allow them to. Make your life easy and have the 1 touch rule. Touch it for the first time and take care of it, whether that means the trash or a file. If you just lay it down somewhere random, you will simply move it from place to place. That is not one touch! It is a time waster, and a counter cluttering habit. Ask me how I know!

Yes, I realize there is still much work to be done in the office, trust me we will get there! But for this week your goal is to move through all the paperwork, get rid of the old you no longer need to keep, and organize what you need to. I KNOW it is a monumental task for some, it was for us, but we can do this. Once again, if you need to- set a timer for 15 or 20 minutes a day, work until the buzzer rings and then repeat the next day. You might be surprised at how far you get in 7 days!

Blessings,

Intro Week
Week 1- Holiday Decorations
Week 2-The Pantry
Week 3-Kitchen Cabinets and Drawers