What do you do when you don’t cook or eat at home, but you need to set up a home office? You may do exactly what entrepreneur and author Mandy Williams (aka Black of Red & Black) did, and convert your dining room into a home office.

Mandy isn’t your traditional author or business owner and doesn’t take a conventional approach in her personal and business life. Her approximately 15.8′ x 15.7′ home office is the perfect example. She could have converted a spare bedroom, corner of a family room, or a formal living room into her workspace, but how conventional would that be?

Mandy’s well-hidden home office is still disguised as a dining room, thanks to the wall of wood. Unless you opened the cabinets, you’d never know that behind the Wenge wood doors are several file drawers along the bottom, a slide-out printer stand, and open shelving for storing loose-leaf binders and  various office organizing boxes/sorters. She also has cubbyholes for paper, notepads and envelopes.

Her gorgeous custom-designed, glass-top table with a leather base looks like a dining table but can be used as a conference table or desk.  Not unlike many dining rooms, Mandy’s office is filled with natural light (often the best in the home).

Not eating or cooking at home seems to be a good trade-off for a stunning home office.

One of my clients was so excited about her new organizing habits, that she decided to change her husband’s disorganized ways. The more she talked to him about helping him sort through his files, clear off his desk and switch from writing his to-do list on his hand to using a smartphone, the less interested he was in the whole process.

Some people can help others get organized and still keep their relationship in tact. Others wind up frustrated and stop talking to each other for a few days.

Whether your spouse or someone else you know is organizationally challenged, you can help him or her get organized. The only catch is that they have to want to change.

The New Year is a good time for all of us to do things differently and change what isn’t working. While you’re making your own changes, consider helping others change their organizing habits.

Be non-threatening

If you call someone a slob, they’re going to be less interested in cleaning up than if you offer to help. If you see scraps of paper and sticky notes everywhere on your spouse or your associate’s desk, help him or her find a better planning system. The notes they’re using to remind them of tasks they need to handle are easy to lose and too hard to track. They could use a simple spiral notebook to list tasks, find a computer program to track to-dos, or use their smartphone for more than just making calls. Anything works better than sticky notes to keep track of to-dos.

Use positive reinforcement

Rather than focus on someone’s disorganization, give him or her compliments when they make even a small effort to get organized. A few words of encouragement can go a long way, and it’s easier to keep moving forward when you feel you’re making progress.

Teach by example

If your spouse or associate needs to improve his or her organizing skills, don’t expect that person to be organized if you’re not. If you’ve changed from being disorganized to organized, be willing to share the secrets behind your transformation.

Be patient

It helps to realize that not everyone is organized to the same degree. Keep in mind that if someone changes one bad organizing habit, his or her productivity will increase slightly. Give the other person time to make changes, no matter how small the changes may be.

The next time you decide to help someone make any change, remember the old joke: How many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb? One, but the light bulb has to want to change. It may take time, but a slight nudge, a bit of encouragement and a few strategies you share with others can make a difference.

How have you helped someone else get organized?

A few years ago, I reached the point where I was tired of handling papers and despised filing even more.

I sorted through my files, took out as many papers as I could and then dumped the papers I didn’t need in my recycling bin. This decluttering process took a few hours, but when I finished, I knew that maintenance would take only a few minutes every day.

Now, instead of adding more files to my file drawers, I store files electronically and back them up in three places. This may seem like overkill but it takes only one computer crash to figure out it’s easier to back up info than to try to recreate it.

Try these ways to reduce your files and overcome information overload, without spending too much time or money.

Think before you buy

Before you spend money on another file cabinet, weed through your file drawers and either dump files or put them in a box with a lid and label the box. Several of my clients have trashed files they didn’t even open because they knew they’d never refer to them again. Decluttering is easier when you label files clearly.

Don’t let your desk turn into one big “in” box

Separate magazines and anything else you can read later, and papers you need to file, from papers that need your attention. That includes bills, proposals and correspondence from clients. You shouldn’t have to sort through papers you don’t need, to find the papers you do need.

Use a stacking bin, basket or other type of container to hold anything you want to read and use a separate container for papers you need to file. Better yet, use a scanner to store important information you need to keep for tax or legal reasons. Then, remember to back up your files.

Use reliable reminders

Don’t leave stacks of paper on your desk to remind you of what you need to do. Instead, rely on a to-do list, whether paper-based, electronic or computerized, to remind you to handle important tasks. Then you can file the papers in a current file system, in your reference files, temporarily store them in a stacking bin, or put them aside to handle later. Filing isn’t for everyone, and because you’ve recorded any action you need to take with each piece of paper, you’ll be able to handle tasks without keeping papers in front of you.

Move paper forward

The saying, “handle paper (or incoming information) once” is outdated and unrealistic. Instead, take action to move papers and e-mails to the next step. That means that instead of looking at a piece of paper and then putting it back into a stack, do something to move it forward. The P-A-P-E-R system is a good place to start.

The stacks of paper in your home office didn’t appear overnight, so it’s going to take time to thin your piles, set up files, and get your papers under control. After you’ve set up systems that work, maintaining paperwork should take only minutes a day.

How do you handle paper overload?

source: balanced.crafts

A good friend of mine refuses to see a doctor (she hasn’t seen one in years) because she’s afraid that a doctor will find something wrong with her. What she doesn’t understand is that if she never gets a checkup, she may not discover a medical problem until it’s well advanced (and too late).

Change isn’t easy, and some people can’t get motivated to change their habits until they’ve had a bad experience. Or they may hear about something bad happening to someone else, which finally triggers them to make a change.

When you work for yourself, a bad experience could be losing an account, missing an important deadline, or double-booking appointments with two important clients. Bad days are part of life, but you’re a lot less likely to experience these types of setbacks if you take steps to get organized.

To read the rest of my guest post on Success Your Way, click here.

One of my favorite parts of this site is the All Dressed Up page. I feature all types of home offices to inspire you to change, update or tweak your own home office. The only problem with sorting through all of these photos of home offices that I’ve designed and others have designed, is that they make me want to change my own home office…often.

So, I’ve redesigned my home office again.

I started my home office makeover from the ground up, by adding a new rug with circles in different colors and sizes. Whether you pick an area rug, wall-to-wall carpeting, or keep the floor bare, keep sound reduction in mind to avoid the “cave effect” when you’re on the phone.

Normally, my next step would have been to pick out furniture, but since my furniture is fairly new I used the desk and bookcases I already had in my home office. My desk with a return gives me plenty of room for my laptop, external hard drive, all-in-one and lamp. I use the keyboard drawer to hold extra printer paper, and the cabinet that was meant to hold a CPU is perfect for storing extra supplies.

I bought two chairs at my favorite commercial furniture store. One is an animal print chair for reading, and the other is a tan desk chair. Behind and next to my reading chair are an iron floor lamp and a small round table.

I had installed the woven shade last year, but to soften the room I added striped drapery panels. The artwork that was next to the window was boring, so to add a bit of color and interest I found a print from a site that features works from independent artists. Rather than buy the print already framed, I had it framed locally.

Next, I replaced my ceiling fan (it came with the house) with a beautiful pendant. Then I added a few more things to my desk including a multi-circle frame and three jars to hold paper clips, rubber bands and markers.

My new home office is exactly the look I’ve wanted for awhile. It suits me perfectly for now, but I may need to stop looking at so many home office photos!

source: NatalieMaynor

A few days ago, my refrigerator stopped working.

When I opened the refrigerator door, the light turned on but everything felt a little warmer than it should. When I opened the freezer and squished an ice cream sandwich that should have been frozen solid, I knew I didn’t have much time to clear everything out.

While I cleared out my freezer, I tossed a few things I’d had a bit too long. I did the same thing with some of the food from my refrigerator. I was making a clean start (no pun intended).

My forced refrigerator and freezer purging and cleaning made me think about people who struggle to toss papers they don’t need. What if the papers scattered all over your home office were fruit, vegetables, or meat that had an expiration date? You’d be forced to deal with them within days instead of within weeks or months from when they hit your desk.

You may have stacks of papers on your desk that you want to get rid of, but don’t know how. There are a few ways to get started.

To read the rest of my guest post on Success Your Way, click here. (I’ve closed comments on this post so you can post a comment on Success Your Way.)

Have you ever heard anyone complain about having too much room to store everything they need to have in their home office? It’s about as likely as someone saying they have too much money, they need to gain weight, or they have plenty of free time. (I wouldn’t mind having more of the first one, less of the second, and plenty of the third!)

Finding extra storage space in your home office can be frustrating and challenging. Before you start stashing extra supplies, products and equipment in other parts of your home (where you’re likely to forget you own them), be creative. Either make use of what you already own or invest in a few storage pieces.

Make furniture do double duty

This small storage ottoman (I’ve also featured it on the Bare Essentials page) can give you additional seating in your home office, and has room inside to store files, books, or extra supplies.

This leather cube is small enough to fit next to or near your desk. While it looks good, it works well to store things you need to access quickly, but don’t need to keep within view.

If you don’t care whether or not the ottoman is leather or faux leather, there are less expensive options.

This large storage ottoman can give you an extra place to stretch out in your home office, and plenty of room inside to store bigger items. I bought one for my family room and I use it to store old photo albums. (My new photos are stored online and after certain events, I’ll order small photo albums from Snapfish.)

Although it has clean lines, you could use this in a contemporary home office or a traditional one.

Dressers, converted bars and armoires are ideal for storing supplies. The best part about them is the amount of supplies they can hold and their ability to hide supplies from view. And they’re more interesting than a standard storage cabinet or a computer cabinet.

The Tate Entertaining Bar can hold supplies and even your laptop. What I like best about it is if you want to move it out of your home office, you can use it as a bar in another room.

Would that be considered thinking out of the bar?

Think vertically

If you added shelves to a spare bedroom closet, would you have enough space to store books, supplies and even a file cabinet inside? If so, add simple-to-install shelves within your office closet. Even if you’re not handy, you could install wire shelving fairly quickly.

Several years ago I installed an Elfa shelf unit in my younger son’s closet. This is one of those “if I can do it, you can too” examples. It didn’t take long for me to put up the shelving unit. All you do is secure a thick bar to the wall and attach brackets to it.

Note: Time-wise, it’s easier to place bookcases or metal shelving inside a closet instead of installing built-ins. Space-wise, though, you’re wasting valuable space above, below and beside where you’ve placed the portable shelves.

If you don’t have a closet or storage cabinet in your home office, install shelves near your desk or create a desk within a wire shelving unit. This is the perfect idea for a smaller home office.

One of my favorite organizing supplies (and storage tips) is to use a magazine holder for magazines (of course), but also to hold blank paper and extra file folders.

You can give yourself more storage space by taking supplies out of their original packaging. Also, it’s easier to find extra supplies and see what you have quickly, by storing them in clear containers.

Nothing’s permanent

When you have limited space or you rent your home and can’t attach anything to the walls, a standing bookcase is the perfect storage solution. This EFFEKTIV storage cabinet/bookcase from IKEA has two open shelves at the top, while the rest of the shelves are behind doors.

A storage cabinet or a bookcase is also ideal if you’ve converted a bedroom into a home office and will want to convert it back when you sell your home.

If you tend to be a pack rat, add doors to your shelving unit. If not, you should be fine with open shelves.

You don’t have to spend a fortune to add extra storage space in your home office. Look around your house for furniture you’ve stuck in your basement, attic or garage. Instead of letting it collect desk, put it to work.

How have you created extra storage space in your home office?

source: Homini:)

Yesterday while I was waiting in line at a store, a little boy threw a fit. His mom told him to do something and he kept saying, “I don’t have to!” while he stomped his feet. Two candy bars later, the mom convinced him to do what she asked.

That’s one kid who has a strong future in negotiating!

Working for yourself involves having to do things you want to do, have to do and hate to do…even when there’s no candy involved. Fortunately there are a few things you don’t have to do.

To learn what they are, click here to read the rest of my guest blog post on Success…Your Way.

Today I’m excited to announce that after spending way too much time at Starbucks, on planes, and locked in my home office working on Organize Your Home Office for Success, the new and improved 4th edition is now available.

This is the ideal e-book (it’s also available in paperback) for entrepreneurs, home-based corporate employees, telecommuters, and stay-at-home moms and dads who need a space to manage a business or run a busy household.

How it all started

Eighteen years ago, I wrote the first edition of this book because I started getting two types of phone calls: one from business owners who wanted individual home office consultations, and the other from people who wanted suggestions for books they could use to organize their home offices on their own.

When I looked for a home office book to recommend, I couldn’t find one. It didn’t exist. There were plenty of home organizing books, but nothing that focused specifically on home offices and the challenges of working from home.

Sometimes ignorance pays off

After at least a dozen calls from home-based business owners looking for a home office book, the light bulb went off (finally). I realized I needed to be the one who wrote that book. I also knew that I was going to need a literary agent to sell it for me.

A few days later, I read an article about a literary agent who worked from home (and would understand the audience for this book). I sent her my proposal, she agreed to represent me, and within three weeks she had bids from three major publishers. Everything happened so quickly and easily.

When I look back, I realize how naive I had been to think an agent would take an unknown writer’s book and sell it to a publisher. I later found out that publishing doesn’t work that way! I’m glad I didn’t know better because fear of rejection probably would have kept me from approaching the agent.

New and improved

From the time my first book was published until now, the book has been through three revisions. Considering how much technology has affected the way we work from home, along with new challenges that those of us who work from home face, I knew it was time to do one more update, especially since the last update was in 2002.

The goal of this book is to help you organize your home office (of course), but in a way that makes sense and fits your working style. Think of it this way: I could come in, change your office, tell you to come back in, and watch as you struggle to find the papers you need, search for the notes you wrote last week, and try to make sense of your new filing system. That would be a waste of your time and mine, and the bottom line is that your home office wouldn’t stay organized because you wouldn’t have played a part in the organizing process.

When you take the time to organize your home office using proven methods in this book (the same ones I recommend to my clients and audiences), not only will your office get organized…it will stay organized.

Without sounding too infomercial-like, here’s what others are saying:

“Lisa – where have you been all my home-office life? As a ‘not naturally organized’ person who loves working at home, I’ve been ‘surviving’ my workspaces for years! Chapter 3 alone is worth the price of the book. Honestly, this book is the next best thing to having you come over and ‘get me sorted!’ As a coach to thousands of work at home professionals, I will absolutely be recommending this resource to them! I am breathing easier already!”

—Carrie Wilkerson, Author, The Barefoot Executive: The Ultimate Guide for Being Your Own Boss and Achieving Financial Freedom

“Your office is a reflection of you. If it’s a mess, then so are you. Lisa’s no-nonsense approach to decluttering your home office, will in fact declutter your entire business.”

—Mike Michalowicz, Author of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur

“Filled with real-life scenarios, tips and strategies, Organize Your Home Office for Success is more than just a book, it’s a complete guide to setting yourself up to achieve work-at-home success. Lisa not only shares the pros of working from home, but she discusses the cons, and offers up solutions to some of the most common challenges that home-based workers encounter. This book is a must-read for all telecommuters and home-based entrepreneurs alike.”

– Holly Reisem Hanna, Publisher of The Work at Home Woman

“I was thrilled to read Lisa Kanarek’s newest edition to Organize Your Home Office for Success: Expert Strategies That Can Work for You, that included a chapter specifically on clearing off your desk. What’s most helpful about the book is that Lisa recognizes that when it comes to organizing, one size does not fit all and she provides a variety of tips and tools so you can use strategies that work best for you. Lisa gives you the information you need to set up a home office designed for productivity and profitability. “

— Leslie Truex, Author of The Work-At-Home Success Bible and Jobs Online: How To Find and Get Hired to a Work-At-Home Job, and Founder of Work At Home Success

Without giving away too much of the book, it definitely has a tidy ending.

Click the link below to order Organize Your Home Office for Success!

A good friend of mine used to use a paper-based planner to write her to-do lists.

As her business grew, she quit using her planner and switched to sticky notes that she plastered all over her monitor. Her system broke down when she started covering older notes with newer ones. She tried to improve her sticky note system by using different colored notes, but that didn’t help.

Now, instead of using her new smartphone to record tasks, she writes her top to-do’s on her hand. She admits that her “organic” way of tracking tasks is a little unreliable, especially by the middle of the day when she’s washed her hands a few times, but she’s out of ideas.

Whether you’re like my friend and you’ve exhausted all of your options, or you’ve used the same planning system for years, take a close look at how you’re planning your days. There are a few ways you can make your system more effective.

Be willing to change what isn’t working

Decide whether or not your planning system is still working. If not, decide whether you want to use a paper-based list within a daily planner, a program on your computer or an app on your smartphone. Whatever system you pick, make sure it’s easy to use and that it fits your needs. A program that has more features than you need or more than you’ll ever use, will help you waste time, not save it. In this case, less is more.

Keep your list readily available

Your to-do list will be easier to use if you’re able to find it when you need it. You shouldn’t have to dig through layers of paper to find your list or search through your computer to find a planning program you use often. As with anything in your home office, including equipment you may have had for years, if you can see it, there’s more of a chance that you’ll use it.

Break your list down into “calls” and “tasks”

A long list of tasks and calls can be overwhelming. If you want to combine your personal and business to-do lists, use the headings “personal calls,” “personal to-do’s,” “business calls” and “business to-do’s.” You could also label each task according to the type of task. When you break a long list down into smaller lists, it’s easier to manage.

Move it forward

At the end of the day, look at your list and either move uncompleted tasks forward or delete them. This will give you a head start on the next day’s tasks. Realize that you can’t do everything, and at the end of the day if you’ve accomplished even five or six items on your list, give yourself a pat on the back.

A final tip is to keep your list manageable. Most of the time, quality matters more than quantity.

What type of planning system do you use, and why? Share your comments below.