ORGANIZATION TIPS & TRICKS
I have always had a great love of office supplies. How I feel buying a new office supply is how I assume some people feel about buying new shoes. It brings me a sense of calm, joy, and excitement. There has been more than one occasion I’ve walked through a Staples to calm my nerves and brighten my mood (going to the office supply section of a drug store also does the trick in a pinch). I have a passion for organizing and getting things done (it’s one of the reasons I’m a VA!) so I wanted to share some of the office supplies I use to keep myself organized.
6 Tools I Use to Stay Organized
Post-it Tabs
These are a new addition to my life but I love them because they are so helpful! My planner tends to get messy and filled up quickly and can end up overwhelmed with visual clutter. I found these and they prevent me from putting extra to-do list items in my calendar and filling up the page. Instead, I can stick one of these to the page in my planner, add all my extras, and then just pull it out when those things are done! My page goes back to looking nice, clean, and not overcrowded. I’m a visual minimalist so I like having lots of empty space on my pages with only the things I need on it.
2. Physical Planner
This one is pretty self-explanatory but I could not survive without my physical planner. I also utilize Google Calendar, the calendar feature on Dubsado, and my phone but I still put everything into my paper planner. I get a better overall view of my schedule, obligations, tasks, and to-do’s with paper. I’m so picky about what I need from my planner but some of my must-have’s are: enough space on each day to write everything in, a monthly overview to put in important dates, extra space on each page for notes, and extra space at the end of every month or at the very end for important notes. I always have great luck finding cute (and inexpensive!) planners at places like Marshalls and TJ Maxx.
3. Pack of colored pens
I love color-coding my life so having a variety of colored pens. I tend to use light blue or light pink for any business-related items in my schedule or to-do list. I use red for meetings, appointments, or other important items. I use purple for personal items, like a happy hour or brunch with friends. Then I use black for items that are on the to-do list for that day
4. Highlighters
Highlighters are similar to colored pens and because of that, I don’t usually use them as frequently. But they are still very helpful in organizing my life. I highlight super important items in my schedule or the priorities on my to-do list.
5. Drop file folder
This is a great option if you don’t have a lot of storage space (hello, tiny NYC apartment!). I use this one to file away all of my client paperwork. Each client has their own color that corresponds to their color in my Asana (which I try to match to their business colors for optimal association)! It helps me keep all their forms, contracts, and other important files without taking up desk space. And it collapses down if I ever need to take it with me.
6. Small boxes
This one is not really a purchase but definitely helps me organize my stuff! I use boxes from old iPhones, eyeglasses, jewelry, etc. and use them to create custom organizers for my stuff! For example, I use the top of my empty Airpod box to hold my essential oils so they don’t roll or slide around. I currently use a lot of small boxes in my dresser and junk drawers but I have used them in desk drawers in the past!
I pride myself on staying organized and ahead of the game and these tools help me stay that way! If you like these ideas and want to nerd out about office supplies with me, shoot me an email! 🤓