Have you tried different systems to organize your office? Maybe at first they've seemed like the perfect solution, but after a while you realize they just don't work for you. You know you need help, but there's no room in your schedule or your budget to bring in a professional organizer, so you just muddle through, hoping you don't miss any important deadlines. Pretty stressful, isn't it?

Stress no more - I may have found the help you need! I recently discovered Smead Organomics, a fabulous website that helps you create customized organizing solutions to the problems you're facing that are based on your individual workstyle. As I teach in my workshops, a solution that's effective for someone else won't necessarily work well for you!

 

I decided to try out the interactive questionnaire, not expecting to find it terribly helpful since I am essentially an organized person, but just to see how it worked. I began by selecting, from a list of 18, the work activities that are causing me problems. No one's perfect, after all! Next, from a list of five work styles, I chose the one I felt described me best. I then identified the problem I wanted to begin with.

 

At first, I was disappointed with the results, because the suggested solution was something I'd already tried that just didn't work well for me. Then a little bell went off in my head - maybe I'm not "task oriented" as I originally thought, but "visually oriented" - certainly many of my current systems fit that description, such as my colour-coded filing system, and the desktop container which holds all my current project files vertically. I simply clicked on "choose a different workstyle" and was presented with three brand new suggestions - systems that closely match the way I think and work!

 

Rather than just recommending products, as you might anticipate on a supplier's website, My Organomics walks you step-by-step through the process of implementing your new systems, even offering the option of emailing, printing, or saving the information as a PDF. You can even include a list of the products you need to buy from your local supplier after using the handy "Where to Buy" tool.

 

One aspect I really appreciate about this website is that although you can sign up for either or both of their two mailing lists, it's not a requirement in order to access the site's resources, which also include articles, tips, and calculators to help you determine how much disorganization is costing your business.