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I need organizing tips

Posted: Feb 25, 2011

Has anybody out there gone from an office where paperwork is everywhere to a serene, organized work environment? What changes did you make to bring this about?

I share a home office with my husband. He lets paperwork pile up (medical stuff, school paperwork, as well as work-related - even junk mail sometimes, if he thinks there might be anything interesting in it) and things really get out of hand quickly in our office. I want to walk in and see everything put away with clear work surfaces because I am calmer that way and it is less distracting. Hubby has good intentions, but he never follows through. He is very protective of the paperwork, so I can't just take over. I'm just sick of papers everywhere. He takes over the dining room table too, for weeks at a time, but never finishes his projects. He's kind of an all or nothing person, too. If he can't do it all, he has trouble getting started. Any ideas? We have a very large office so space is not a problem.

;

re: annie - Gwenny

[ In Reply To ..]
Uh oh... could be on the verge of hoarding. My ex used to do this and even though he always said he'd try harder to organize and once in a blue moon put everything in a huge plastic tub, it NEVER got done. He would keep every single little bit of paper, any and all receipts, print out pages and pages of stuff from the internet saying "I'm going to read this later"...

Worst of all, he'd pick up our mail and bills and important papers would often get lost in the black hole of papers in my office (he didn't share the office, but that's where the computer was).

I explained over and over that I prefered and worked better in a clean, organized office and he's say, uh huh... that's about it. It finally got to be a real issue and I banned him from the office, locked the door, put a password on the computer and hide ink cartridges.

That and other problems escalated until we separated and finally divorced.

I have been to his home on a few occasions since the divorce and it's like one of those TV shows on Hoarding. It's awful, but at least it's no longer in my home.

MY advise is NIP THIS IN THE BUD!!! It is your space where you do your job, where you make your living, your livelihood, and it can cause big problems. In our homes we are entitled to a bit of space for ourselves afterall.

call in a third party mediator or check if your city has a professional organizer. They consult for free sometimes and their fees are affordable. Whatever you do, make him understand, it is an issue for you and you're at your wits end.

good luck. Stand FIRM.

We're exactly opposite to you - - I'm the disorganized one

[ In Reply To ..]
My husband and I share a home office, too, a room that is about 10 x 12 feet. My desk is a disaster area, according to him, and it is true I let things pile up, but I know exactly what's where. I clean it maybe once every six months or so. He, on the other hand, ends every day with his desk pristine, everything exactly where it should be and not even a stray pen sitting out.

He used to "clean up" my desk, which led to some real conflict. We were able to communicate eventually about each of our work areas being our own responsibility, and we now work back to back. A small thing, but it works for us. He doesn't have to be bothered by my clutter and I don't have to be fending off his complaints. It's really about respect for each other as individuals.

Your husband and I sound very much alike. Most of my papers are things I'm not sure what to do with yet, and will sit there until inspiration hits me.

Advice-wise, I would just see if you can come to an agreement that he wouldn't let his papers just spill out everywhere, and anything you find outside that perimeter you have tacit permission to collect and put in a certain box or something where he'll know where to look. Maybe then you'll be able to live with the more concentrated clutter in just one place.

Good luck!

I would... - ThreeOlives

[ In Reply To ..]
Hang a piece of fabric from floor to ceiling dividing your two spaces, and that way you can look at your nice clean office and not look at his mess.

If he ever cleans it up, take the fabric down. If not, goodbye garbage!

Organizing tips - cleanup

[ In Reply To ..]
I like a clean office, too, but I always seem to have things pile up. Kids bring their permission slips, activity notices, etc, to my office for me to handle. DH puts the mail on my desk, sales catalogs, and various personal mail of his. I have the only desktop and since I'm not home in the evenings (outside job), he uses my computer and leaves things lying around.

Not that I'm not guilty of creating my own pile-up. What I do is at least once a week, I take a 1/2 hour and clean it up. I go through all my papers, bills, etc. If anything is on my desk that isn't mine, I ask DH what it is and if he needs it. I gave him a drawer in our file cabinet and put a pretty basket on top of it. I put his loose papers in the basket and then he can file or file 13 it as he sees fit.

I also bought some really nice desktop storage items at Target. They coordinate really well with the colors in my office (blue/green) and keep all the loose stuff out of site.

I don't know if it would work, but you might want to do a 15-minute pick-up with your husband each day at the end of your workdays. Talk about dinner plans, etc. while you're doing it. Let him know that this is something that's important to you. I did this with my kids over the summer and it worked great. We set a timer and worked as fast as we could to get everything cleaned up. Sometimes men are like kids and you have to find what works. Good luck :)

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