The green home office: my new project
Two years ago, my husband built me a fabulous desk. It’s six feet long and three feet wide. I want to see the top of it again. I want to walk into my office and not hear the crunch of paper under my feet. I want to sit down to do the bills and not spend a half hour trying to find the bills and the checkbook. I want to get my printer off the floor and on to my desk.
It’s no secret that I’m a bit of a slob. Even in my little blurb to the right, I admit to my poor housekeeping skills. No where in the house is this more obvious than my office. It has gotten so bad that it is hurting my productivity. I can’t find things. The top of my desk is piled high with books, magazines, papers, and mail. The floor is covered with piles, too. It doesn’t help that my office is the dumping ground for things we don’t know what else to do with. And, it’s also where I keep a couple of containers to throw the clothing and other items that are destined for Good Will.
Thoreau commented in Walden abut the railroad that was making everyone’s lives easier but consuming everyone’s lives to create. He said, “We do not ride upon the railroad. It rides upon us.” I can’t help but wonder what he would think about the computer, printer, and iPhone in my office. Do I use them or do they use me?
This is part of a six-foot by two-foot folding table that is in the office covered with papers. It's only there to hold papers.
I have decided it’s time for me to be more in charge of the office. So I’m starting a new project – I’m calling it “The Green Home Office.” I’m purging, organizing, going as paperless as possible, finding a computer program that can organize all my finances and statements, and decorating as greenly as possible. If I can do it, anyone can. So I’ll be documenting my project every Wednesday on this blog, and if I’m successful, perhaps I’ll even write a book. Any publisher out there want to scoop me up now and give me a big advance? No big advance? Okay, just scoop me up.
The first step in my project is the purge. I started yesterday. I’m going through the thousands of papers. The shredder has become my best friend. I’ll update you next week on the purge, but rest assured, all paper will be recycled.
About a year ago I, too, decided to get rid of all the junk paper I kept tripping over. All the mail I now get is scanned into the computer. If it’s important (like insurance documents) I’ll keep the hardcopy in the file. If it’s not important (the insurance company confirming my payments) then I’ll shred and recycle – if I absolutely have to look at the letter again then there’s a copy on my computer.
It doesn’t take that much to keep on top of – once a week or a fortnight I’ll stick the radio on and plow through it. You’d be amazed at how many bits of paper we realise aren’t that essential when we take a second look at them.
Scanning is a good idea. I’m hoping to get as much as possible sent to me electronically, and one of my big challenges is finding or creating a system to organize all my electronic documents. I’m just as disorganized on my computer as I am in my office.
Can’t wait for the updates Robin. There’s way too much paper in my life. Just make sure you have a rock-solid computer back-up system, including an off-site storage component, if you’re moving to electronic storage of vital information.
My in-house technical support (my husband, of course) has us backed up really well. But great advice that I’ll make sure to put in my book – which I am confident will be picked up by a publisher. Just throwing that out there!
Robin, I do think a publisher should snap up this opportunity. You’re a great writer.