How to Live Well- The Home Office

Some time ago I watched a documentary on Princess Diana where they showed her living quarters at Kensington Palace. Of course she lived in beautifully appointed rooms, but I will never forget the sight of her desk- which was kept (and still is, I believe) in the same condition- the majority of its contents untouched- after her untimely death.

The primary thing I observed about her desk was that it was completely in order. It was tidy and organized displaying only a few nice writing pens, a pad of paper, a picture of her boys and a various writing boxes.

Now if I were ever to leave the world in an untimely manner I would shudder to think what people would think of my desk. Yes, my desk (and entire home office for that matter) is my Achilles heel. While the rest of my home is relatively in order, my home office is a nightmare. So I am not really one to give advice on this subject. I can, however, tell you what I’d like to see happen:

An easy, fail proof system, whereby mail and bills are sorted, paid and filed in a timely matter (this has more to do with me and less to do with my office).

A display of only the books that interest me in that moment- books I’m currently reading or referencing (I have a tremendous amount of book clutter- so much so I’m thinking of getting a kindle).

All electronic clutter banished! I detest electronic clutter. My husband says, “Where do you want it to go? This is the office- this is where it belongs!” I don’t really have a response to that.

An inbox on my desk with only active, relevant paperwork.

A filing system (which I have) that gets used on a weekly basis to file away all stray and important papers (which is where I go astray… it’s more on a monthly basis for me… this is one of the Sisyphean tasks I abhor).

A rule that says the home office cannot be a dumping ground for ‘stuff’. Everyone has one room in their home where they sneak miscellaneous things in. You know- bags of clothes to be donated, boxes of books to be stored, old TVs etc… trouble is I never get around to taking care of these things. These things should be placed by the front door and dealt with ASAP.

There you go. Even though my desk is actually a folding table from Costco (we have yet to properly furnish our home office) there is no excuse why it can’t look as beautiful and efficient as Princess Diana’s…

Please tell me I am not the only one who struggles with this…

One of the great merits of my home office is that it has this magnificent window (pictured above).