‘Organised'. And ‘home office'. In the same sentence? You're KIDDING, aren't you?

Isn't a home office that place where you chuck everything that won't fit elsewhere in the house, then climb over piles to reach the computer to pay the occasional bill. Or not.

Hopefully yours is set up a little better, but I'm sure you know someone with a home office like that. Just about everyone has one these days. In fact do you know anyone who doesn't? Whether it's a little nook under the stairwell or an entire dedicated room, most homes have some sort of office.

And that's why we've decided to dedicate this column to home office organising - from setting up to beating the backlog, to de-toxing your in-box! You'll learn how to do it all in the coming year. Let's start with the very important first step: setting up.

There are some fundamentals you need to use in the set up of your home office to ensure it's the slick, efficient machine you need it to be. From bill paying, to keeping track of school newsletters to having kids use the computer, follow this process to set up your organised home office.

Identify the purpose of your home office. And remember there are limits.
Two or three purposes may be achievable: personal admin, children's homework, perhaps even a comfy place to read if you have the space. But once you start adding stuff like ‘storing old boxes' (what was in that box again?), cat grooming or photo album storage, you have too many purposes and something's got to give. Only when you commit to a purpose for your office, can you set it up to serve you in the best way possible.

Establish Zones
You need different zones for the different activities in your home office.
Ensure you have:
Entry point. Don't toss unopened mail on the desk to never be found again! Have one collection point for everything entering your office. Then schedule time to sort through and attend to it.
Action zone is where you complete tasks. A clear desktop, or separate bench is a must.
Filing zone This deserves its own book, but just make sure you only keep the records you refer to regularly, close at hand. Others like last years tax records can be stored further away from you, maybe even in a different room. More on specific filing systems in future issues!
Exit point You need a collection point for anything that needs to leave the office. Whether it's letters to post or items that belong elsewhere in the house, keep them together until you get a chance to distribute. TIP: Only use the exit point for items that are ready to go. Do not put unaddressed letters in there. It is a quick collection point where you can grab things as you walk out the door, knowing they are ready to go where they need to.

Written by Roz Howland and Published in HOME Magazine, Cairns Post 13 March, 2010