It's tax time. A perfect time to go through your files. This is one job that can seem overwhelming, but it is better once you break it up into steps.

QUESTIONS
1. Look to see if your basic filing system is working for you. Is it too complicated? Can you find what you need? Are some folders overflowing? Write a list of what you want to do to improve your filing system.

SHOPPING
2. Now you can go play at the office supply store. Find bright, colorful folders if that is what you want or you can keep them all one color for less stress. Make sure you have hanging folders, file folders, things to label them with and any other office supplies you are running low on.

ORDER
3. Look to see if the hanging folders are in the order you want them to be (categories, alphabetical, family members, etc.)Reorder the folders. If you see any that are bursting with paper, use two or more folders to take care of the excess. Break it down. For instance, if it is an insurance folder, break it down to medical, home, life and car insurance.

ACTION FILES
4. Have an area for your action files. My action files are in red and include To Read, To Do, monthly folders for ticklers(i.e. tickets, itineraries, appointment reminders), and my project folders.

NEW CATEGORIES
5. Look around your office area and see what stacks of paper you have laying around. Perhaps they are there because there is no place to file them. I like to make file folders for each project I am working on. Right now I have project folders for second honeymoon, taxes and writing projects. This keeps the paper off the desk and in the drawer.

RENAMING
6. Consider renaming folders you never can find. If you always look for car instead of auto, change the folder name to car.

SUGGESTED CATEGORIES
Here are some suggested categories: Files for each family member, each hobby, each organization, religon, career (resumes, portfolio, work), computer, education for each family member, health, family fun, food, geneaology, holidays, medical, parenting, pet, redecorating and organization, soccer (or whatever your kids are in), travel, any organization you support, Financial section with banking, bills paid, investments, death info, documents, loans, financial planning, mortgage, pay stubs and insurance.

MAINTENANCE
7. Now that your file system is set up how you like it, maintain it. FIle your papers weekly. Go through 1-2 files folders a week, purging what you no longer need. Keep file folders and labels handy to make new folders when projects come up. Finally, once a year, go through the steps above to keep your file system running smoothly.

Home offices could be creative spaces, but more often they are vast wastelands of paper and other things without homes. It's time to reclaim this room.

1. Take everything off the top of your desk. Clean the desktop. Now replace only what you need. Maybe just a mug of pens, an inbox, a stapler, a phone and your computer. Place on your desktop only those things that are used daily. Now look at all the space you have for creative writing or laying out a project.

2. Take a look at the top of your desk. The pile of knick knacks and books. Clear that off and spray down the shelf. Now add a small decorative display and a lamp. The less stuff you have up there, the less time you have to clean it.

3. Now it's time for your books. Most books should be in bookshelves. An office is a great place for bookshelves. That way you are not always leaving the office to find a reference manual you need. If you must have books on your desk, make it no more than five and use bookends to keep them up. If you have room in your desk, you might be able to have a place for your binders-like your household notebook and Christmas notebook. I have a specific shelf built into the desk I use for binders.

4. Next set up your action files. Either using real files or file folders, make categories to sort your mail. Some choices are to do, to file, to read, kids, and financial.

5. Once you sort your papers into those files, it is time to work on your desk drawers and cubbyholes. Empty them out. It's easiest to use drawer organizers from office supply stores to reorganize them. Throw out the useless junk. Make sure your pens write before putting back. If you have lots of extras give some to the kids for their desks or place in the kitchen junk drawer (which should also be organzized with drawer organizers.) You extra office supplies you might be able to box up for the basement or the office closet. Make a list of any supplies you are short of. Now when you open your drawer you should be able to see what you need at a glance.

6. If you have bookshelves in your office it is time to sort through your books. First cull any books you no longer want. You can often bring them to used bookstores for store credit. Now sort your books into categories, i.e. parenting, organization, writing, gardening, fiction, etc. If you have too many books for your shelves you either have too many books or not enough shelves. I find that books that are put in boxes get lost for years When they are finally found, the books are smelly and not very useful anymorep> 7. Go through any closets or piles of things on the floor. Decide if you want to keep the objects or not. Many things can be stored better in the basement or attic than the office.

8. Now is the time to turn your office into your creative space. Group all your projects together. All your sewing together in containers, a scrapbooking and supply table, a music corner, or whatever your hobbies are. Put up motivational and inspirational posters, calendars, plaques. Frame graduation certificates, first article you sold, or other portraits of past successes. Place your goals and focuses where you can see them easily. I have a list of creative affirmations taped into a door of my desk. Create an enviroment that motivates, challenges and yet relaxes you. 9. Now that you have a beautiful office, what can you do to maintain it? Every evening before bed include a 5-minute pick up office in your routine. Every day go through your mail and sort it into the files. Every week do your weekly review that I discussed recently. Then every few months you can do a major cleaning and reorganizing like above. But, since you have been maintaining your office, it shouldn't be nearly as messy as it was the last time.

Just when I think paperwork is done, more comes in. When I don't get to it, the piles just get bigger and bigger. Most of the time we don't regularly go through papers because of all the decisions involved.

I read an excellent book by David Allen called Getting Things Done. He says we should completely go through all our paperwork once a week and our e-mail boxes. To process the paper he suggests using this Workflow Diagram. It helps the decision making process of papers. My in-box never overflows and it feels wonderful being caught up on my e-mail.

Another part of the process is the Weekly Review. All those to-do's on scraps of paper and in your head go into your planner, palm or notebook. Once all the mental garbage in your head is emptied out you are free from trying to remember them. Your creativity comes out and you experience less stress.

I highly recommend the class, Getting Things Done at Barnes and Noble University.

DESK AREA
Find a place for a desk if you don't have one, even if it's just a corner of a table. ON your desk set up your action file. This is where you will sort your mail everyday. The files can include To Do, To File, To Pay and To Read. Once a week have a day set aside to do your paperwork. Answer the To Do's, file the To File's, Pay the To Pays. This is also a good time to plan your week and make your grocery list.

MAIL
Mail comes into the house every day and grows into piles. Even junk mail gets thrown in. Do yourself a favor, don't even set that junk mail down. Put it straight into the garbage. No pit stops.

PROJECTS and PAPER If you are anything like me you are always in the middle of at least a few projects at home. Right now I am working on vacation Bible school planning, job searching, a health plan and Easter planning. What do we do with all the paper that we accumulate for our various projects?

There are several different ways to organize your projects. You can use 3-ring binders with dividers. I have binders for meal planning, household management, job search, holiday planning writing and personal development. I can tear out magazine articles on subjects, or print them off the internet. I can also use planning calendars, checklists and forms for the projects. Everything will be in the binder, not in a big pile on my desk.

File folders are useful for projects that don't have as much paper. I have VBS , taxes and school projects in a section of my action files called projects. These are only for current projects I am in the middle of and they get weeded through regularly.

Other things go in my tickler files. I have monthly files Jan-Dec for things like Easter plans, doctor's appt notices, articles I want to read, spring cleaning checklists, etc. I also have Mon-Weekend file folders for daily ticklers like phone calls to make, postcards to mail, letters to write and anything else that I need to remember.

Look on your desk. Are there any piles of things to do that could go into a tickler system? Are there any piles of projects you are working on that could go into a binder or file folder? If you have any projects that are just too full of paper, you can even use a plastic tote for them. Don't let piles steal your energy, find a place for all your papers