1. Develop clear understandings and guidelines with others in the household to minimize misunderstandings about your home office.

2. Choose a location for your office that you like to be. If the purpose of your office is to run a business, keep it separate from your personal living space.

3. Choose furniture and lighting to suit your individual preferences. If possible, create an L-shape for your desk area with filing space within reach. Consider ergonomic design to protect yourself from fatigue or even injury.

4.    Set up your desk so you can process mail quickly. Most people need at least three containers within easy reach of their desk:

        a. In - for mail you haven’t yet looked at

        b. Out - for items that need to go someplace else

        c.      File - for items that need to be filed outside the reach of your desk

5. Put wastebasket or recycling containers wherever possible – for example, under your desk, near the filing cabinet, or next to the fax machine.

6. Create a system for filing paper and electronic information, so that you (or someone else) can find any information you need quickly and easily.

7. Divide your papers into "Action" (for things you need to do) and "Reference" (for information you want to be able to refer to).

8. If you are short on filing space, create "Archives" in a less accessible or off-site location for files you are legally required to keep, or for files you rarely use. Keep a list of those files at your desk for easy reference.

9. Make good use of wall space for bookshelves or cabinets for resources such as books, notebooks, magazines, and office supplies.

10. Continually ask yourself "What’s the worst possible thing that would happen if I didn’t have this?" If you can live with your answer, toss – or recycle it!

"Clutter is postponed decisions!" Apply the FAT system: File, Act, Toss.