Whether your home office is a private room, the corner of the basement or just a desk, keeping things tidy will make your life a lot easier. Most of these suggestions are also great for the environment! Below are some simple steps you can take to make it easier to organize all the documents you must maintain for future reference.

Get Rid of Extra Paper

A simple way to reduce the paper you have to manage is to limit what comes in. If possible, arrange for your bills to come to you via email. As soon as you have the invoice amount, schedule the payment. Building this habit takes time but will greatly reduce the amount of filing you have to do.

Learn How to Sort Mail

If dealing with mail on a daily basis isn't an option for you, stack it in a basket or bin and go through it once a week.

Arrange three stacks as you open it:

shred, for offers that don't appeal to you

pay, for bills

file, for insurance or tax purposes

toss, for junk mail and bill inserts and envelopes that you don't need

Organize Using Containers

Paper to be shredded should go into a bin or basket. Pens go into a can or cup. Documents to be filed can go into a holding folder if you're really crunched for time, but that means another sorting step. If possible, file as soon as you're done dealing with the document.

Label Everything

Color-coding is a great way to keep track of the documents you need to file, but adding a label will reduce the need to memorize. For example, if blue is for banking, you may need multiple blue files to track documents from multiple accounts.

A fun labeling option for busy parents is the addition of a blank frame for each child. The latest art project can be placed in the frame while the previous project is recycled.

Use Wall Space

If your desk space is limited, consider mounting a floating desk or shelves above your workspace. Find the bins you want to use for filing first, then arrange the shelves to suit.

Consider adding a bulletin board to your wall. Your child's art work can go up here, or you can track bills you're working hard to pay down. Another option is to use this space for your vision board. If you're dreaming about a trip, put a photo of your destination on this board.

Finally, consider adding a white board or chalkboard to the wall of your office. Here you can write yourself notes, share inspiring quotes or just toss out ideas to consider later.

Your home office needs to be a place to work, but you also need some dreaming space. By handling paper in a timely fashion, keeping clutter under control and filing consistently, you can create an office that provides you with the information you need and gives you a place to track your goals!