Storage units. Storage closets. Storage at work and at home. Storage for legal and archival documents. Storage for keepsakes, items we want to keep but don’t have space for right now. Storage allows us to keep things we feel cannot be replaced.
At your desk: Have only the things you use on a daily basis on your desk and in arms reach. The things you reference weekly can be in your space, further away from your immediate reach. Organize for effectiveness. The things you use, refer to, or access on less than a weekly basis can be moved to onsite storage. Things you use quarterly, or less frequently, can be moved to offsite storage.
Onsite storage: Label files and boxes for easy access by you and by anyone else who will need the information or materials. Keep onsite the items that are accessed on a weekly or monthly basis. If the materials are accessed infrequently but are necessary to keep – meaning they can’t be destroyed – then consider offsite storage.
Offsite storage: Useful for things that must be kept legally, historically, or for reference. Establish and maintain an organized system for labeling, dating, and indicating when the materials can potentially be destroyed. All storage costs money. When offsite storage costs more than the value – or necessity – of the materials themselves, it is time to review the disposal process for the items.
Clean up and clean out: Destroy Dates on boxes are the first place to being cleaning up storage spaces. Ensure that the labeling and organization system used for storing items is followed and indexed so that items can be located as needed. Watch for rodents and insects in storage spaces; unchecked they can destroy what is being stored and potentially the storage structure itself. Keep clean and organized so that safety and productivity is maintained.
What’s in your storage spaces? Do you really need it? Is it time to let it go?
Ready for mental and physical spaces to be re-organized and productivity to increase? Contact Jana Kemp: 208-367-1701 or jana@janakemp.com
Moving Out of the Box is one of Jana’s seven books. All can be found at Amazon.com