By Karen Van Winkle

The following tips & helpful hints work for your personal space at home as well.

Workspace should be as free of clutter and non-essential items as possible. If you have a bulletin board this is a great place for notes, family pictures, etc.

Working files should be within easy reach.

Filing - A necessary evil in most people’s eyes. However, have you ever needed to find a receipt, a warranty, instructions, or an article you cut out to save for future reference only to not be able to find it? Filing just once a week can make a big difference, depending on your needs.

Forms are a big time saver. Do you have forms that you could have on hand to make things a little easier? Maybe it's as simple as a partially completed fax form, a bill you pay every month that you need an envelope for, a phone list, resume, or various employment related forms. All of these can be created, or purchased and modified for your use, then stored in paper or electronic form to reduce the amount of time spent having to start from scratch each time.

Labeling your files. You can be as general or as detailed as you wish. Handwrite the labels, use your computer and store bought labels, or a label machine. Set up your working files with labels that tell you exactly what is needed. For example a "To Do" label may meet your needs or you may need to have a "Daily To Do" as well as a "Weekly To Do". For paying bills it can be as simple as "Bills to be Paid" or you can set up a folder for each day of the month. A few more examples are "Receipts", "Instructions - Electronics", and another "Instructions - Appliances".

Time Management. If just getting started feels overwhelming, try setting a timer for 30 minutes. When the timer goes off, see how you feel and if you want, set it for another 30 minutes. Thirty minutes here and there gets a lot done. If possible, put on some music, talking book or other inspiration to help motivate you through the process.

How much to take on. Some people might want to clear everything out of a space at once in an attempt to help "force" them to get through everything. Others find this overwhelming. If you want to tackle and entire room at once then do so. If you only feel up to the challenge of getting through a "catch all chair" or shelf, then start there. If the project is too overwhelming, you won't get through much, if any, of it. Start small and work your way up. As you finish one area it might inspire you to take on another area.

Replacing Office Equipment (laptops, printers, etc). Visit Earth911 to find information and locations near you and what kind of items they will accept.

Photos. Ask yourself - "Are you a photographer or a person who takes pictures?" Myself, I was a person who took pictures and would keep any and all that came out of the camera (pre-digital). If you aren't sure what you want to do with them then store them in acid-free boxes so they don't yellow. Archiving old photos in an album, digitally, or giving them away is just a few of the ways you can tackle those years of photos and memories.

There is no "right" or "wrong" way to go about organizing any space. It is what works for you. The above tips are just some of the steps I have found helpful over the years.