61-derful: DAY 7

THE LIST

1. Process mail.

2. Update bank deposit, if applicable..

3. Email flush.

4. 50% of work day devoted to backlog.

 NO BACKLOG?

I’ve heard from a couple of you who are all caught up or had no backlog to speak of. If this is you – HIGH-WOOTNESS FIVE!!

So, this is the time when you start revamping the list so that you end up with a daily “to-do” that does not waver.

The first thing that I’d like you to do is schedule a filing & financial time each day. This will be the day when you file anything that needs filed and enter your receipts and expenditures into your accounting program. It’s important to keep up with this, so that at the end of the year, it doesn’t take you 3 weeks of work to get caught up at tax time.

RE-PURPOSE SOME OF YOUR STUFF

So, I have completely gutted the office and it currently only holds my main desk, computer system, 2 filing cabinets, secondary desk, small bookcase, chair and side table.  There’s a rug on the floor and a lamp on the desk. Other than that, it’s bare.

Everything else is lined up in the hallway and needs sorted through. Things all need put away in a place of their own or they need to find new owners. So, we’re going to re-purpose some stuff today.

As I was clearing out the office I noticed that I had a large number of items that were entirely useful, but I have never used them. They seem a little too valuable to just dump down at the Goodwill, so I’m going to put them in a box and let my photography students take what they want at tomorrow’s class. Since they all happen to be teachers, as well, hopefully everything in the box will find a new home.

These items have been placed in their own special box. Let’s call it “Special Box #1. (SB#1)

SPECIAL BOX PROJECT

So, what’s with the special box thing?

Well, I like boxes and bins and baskets and decorative containers. I just can’t seem to rid my life of them, so I’ve figured out a way to incorporate them into my office organization.

Special Box (or any container) #1: This will probably start out as a fairly large box, but as time progresses, you will want to transfer to a smaller container. This is a container that you may just carry to a destination and leave there, so perhaps a cardboard box will work best. This container is where you will put anything you have in your office that you are just not sure that you will be using. It is much better to re-purpose these items than to have them take up much needed space in your office or studio. Some items may be too valuable to just give away and you may want to ebay them.

SB#2 – This container should be placed by the door to your office. If will hold any items that need taken to the post office or UPS/FedEx. This is sort of like your outbox.

SB#3 – This is a container that will hold anything that is in your office that is a household or personal item that needs returned to its proper home. I am forever bringing in tape measures, screw drivers and cleaning sprays and paper towels into my office and leaving them scattered around or shoved somewhere that it doesn’t belong. This basket can be carried around as the items are returned.

My office is in my home. I have a unique setup. The house has a loft with a bedroom and full bath and walkway that overlooks the rest of the house. The bedroom serves as my office and the bathroom is for client use, only, so the entire upstairs is office space. After I have taken the basket downstairs and returned all items to their proper homes, I set the basket on the steps to the loft and use it to  gather items that need to go up to the office. So, basically this container travels back in forth and is pretty much in constant use.

The 4th item I want you to have in your office area is a special area to hold a deposit slip and any income receipts that need taken to the bank. This should be the ONLY purpose of this item. You want to be able to grab your deposit and grab SB#2 on errand day.

So – now your office area has 4 basic organizational items for you to keep things flowing smoothly.

We will add more items like this in the days ahead, but for today, these are the most important, so spend some time gathering some cool containers. They may as well be spiffy and cool, you’re going to have to look at them every day.

TODAY’S LIST:

• List and backlog
• Added SB#1 , 2 & 3 to office as well as a deposit/check holder.