BEFORE ORGANIZING YOUR HOME OFFICE By Gayle Bochow Professional Organizer	AFTER
Why do we organize? We know why our personal spaces become messy, but what finally drives us to do something about it? Quite often it is a sense of panic. Fear of not being able to find that one crucial document or of forgetting something important.      The home office is the first place that most busy, disorganized people usually address. It is the nerve center of their personal lives. Checkbooks are balanced and bills are paid here. Financial Statements are filed beside professional goals. Dreams of redecorating compete with literature on future vacations.      Before you start organizing make sure that you have the necessary supplies. The most important items you will need are:	One of the best ways to gain the peace of mind that a neat and organized office will being you is to start by throwing things away.  First, get a big trashcan. Choose an area and start going through the bits of paper, mail or publications that you have accumulated. Stack all items you wish to keep into individual piles. Put a Post-It note on the top document of each pile indicating the category that it will be filed under.      Regarding magazines: If desired, keep three or four of your favorites. You may want to refer back to them. Store these magazines vertically (saves space) on a shelf for up to a year.
Unfortunately, I am very allergic to cats.  Dogs are welcome companions! 1. A Label Maker & extra Label Tape Refills 2. Interior File Folders 3. Assorted Colored Hanging File 4. Clear Slanted Hanging File Tabs 5. Plastic Box for Hanging Files        The label maker will be indispensable in terms of keeping everything legible and uniform.  Interior file folders are great as they don't stick out of the hanging files and get raggedy. Seperate categories with colored hanging files and each section will be easier to find. A repeating sequence of blue, green, yellow, orange and red hanging files also gives your files a pretty rainbow effect. Clear hanging file tabs are simply easier to read than the colored ones. A plastic file box (better than cardboard since the files won't fall down as easily) can hold your files until they are ready to be transferred to your file drawer.	Once you have several stacks of paper in front of you it is time to start filling the temporary plastic file box. The best way to initially arrange the tabs is alphabetically, one in front of the other. This way it is easy to add new categories. Resist the temptation to fan them out until everything is filed.          Patience is key at this stage, as this is probably the most unpleasant part of the process of getting organized.  There is a lot of trash hauling involved.  You still see a big mess and feel like you are never going to finish.  Relax, you will.  The bottom of your desk will emerge and you will experience the first thrill of liberation from clutter!       Set aside time for organization and you will ultimately have more freedom to enjoy your life.