why organizing your office is like a dance

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Monarch Lane Interiors

hey there, I'm REBECCA

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Welcome to Monarch Lane Interiors! We are a full-service Interior Design firm located in Nashville, Tn. Serving clients locally and beyond. We help homeowners love the spaces they live in with a harmony of function and beauty. The story of the butterfly relates strongly to the transforming path to great design. We accomplish this with our professional design education, signature process, and online design studio. And as fate would have it my initials also make a butterfly ;-)
The Chrysalis Chronicles is a Design Blog giving you a Behind the scenes look into the process, inspiration, and projects we encounter as a Design Firm. Hope you enjoy!

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Have you ever walked into a room and just wanted to moon walk your way right out?

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Your office might have all the right pieces of furniture; the most comfy chair, the supplies to do good work, and plenty of inspiration. But, maybe too much. In fact, your stuff is everywhere. You need to find a home for everything, but you don’t know where to begin.

I get it.

I have helped many of my clients organize their rooms and office spaces. There is a way to break it down and learn the movement of the room. The setting has to be right. You have to be in the mood. There is going to be some energy needed to do this. And you need good shoes… Well, maybe you don’t need good shoes to organize your office. But have them on anyway. Just in case you cut a rug when you’re done!

The result will be a space that moves with you. The chaos will no longer push you against the wall, but allow you to lead your work flow.

I am going to show you why organizing your office is like a dance.

Do you remember your first dance?

Boys against one wall. Girls on the other side of the room in clusters. Waiting for that special someone to ask you to dance. And terrified at the same time that they will. The music cuts on and it is YOUR SONG. You shriek inside, excited to hear your song and start singing along even if it’s only a whisper. Your foot starts tapping or your head begins to bob. Your soul tries to encourage you to go with the beat and M O V E!

At my first dance I got out there and had a blast. I went in the middle of the room with my cluster of girls and we had the time of our lives.

When you have an organized office, you will be free to think, plan, and create with out the distraction and noise of clutter.

The paper shuffle

Just like the dance, there is a lot going on. Our offices usually have a lot of paperwork. Coming in and going out – it is a SHUFFLE! We are just pushing papers around and if left unchecked, they can swamp your office.


So let me.png

It might get messy at first, but trust the process. Once you have it down, it will be more natural.

Paper-shuffle moves

1. Have hanging files in either a cabinet or trunk that you can keep all the monthly and yearly paperwork organized in. I like simple alphabetical, some do color coding for different parts of your life. All the bills, tax documents, and health records need a spot to file away for safe keeping.

2. Use an Incoming and outcoming box that can sit on a credenza or desktop. This should be for papers you plan to file at the end of the week or toss once you have read.

3. Keep Desktop file holders to have current client or project files in view. At a glance, I can review and keep up with current projects. So I use a tiered file holder. Once a project is complete, I have a cabinet to file it away for later reference.

Some paper-shuffling ideas for you: (Click on picture for more info)

Your dance partner

Some of the most famous dances-  waltz, foxtrot, and merengue – need a partner. Someone to provide a supporting role. In your office, that would be your desk, credenza, and bookcase. They hold what you need and provide you with the tools to get the job done.

Do you have enough supporting roles in your office?

 If your office has all that will fit, but it still doesn’t have everything you need, ask yourself – what is taking up this valuable room? What is hogging the dance floor? Or, er the office floor?

Supporting Role Moves

1. It is time to evaluate. Pull one drawer out at a time or jump in and take everything out of your desk drawers and bookcases and set aside.

2. Pile it up! Put everything in piles to mark: keep, trash, move to another room, or donate.

3. Use organizing tools to help you find everything more efficiently.  Drawer and desk top organizers keep your supplies handy.

Magazine holders and various sized boxes or baskets also hold bulkier items.

Supporting Role Ideas for you:  (Click on picture for more info)

Dance Footwork

One of the most essential parts to any dance is getting the footwork right. When your steps are off, so is the whole dance. Your computer is most likely the framework to your office. Even if you do not have a home based business, you might pay bills online, etc.

When we don’t spend time cleaning up and maintaining our computers, we won’t be prepared if they crash.

It is not always your fault, but are you prepared?    Would you freak out if your computer crashed? I would die!

I have so many pictures, downloads, articles, client work….

Footwork Moves

1.I recommend backing it up every couple months or every month.

2. Spend 15 min a week cleaning through files and downloads and deleting where you can.

3. Use on line storage like drop box, trello, evernote, and even photo storage on shutterfly.

Sometimes we are more organized with the things that people can see. But if we neglect the cleaning out of our computer and programs, we will be left with a mess and get stuck in our work.

Controlling the paper shuffle, having supporting roles, and keeping your footwork in check will make organizing the office like a dance. And when you have a system down, you will rock into a good rhythm and the dance will just be a part of your every day life.

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  1. Michael says:

    Really great advice, Rebecca! Love the dance analogy. Brings back memories. I so need to back up my stuff!!! I’d be sunk if my computer crashed.

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hey there, I'm REBECCA

Categories

Welcome to Monarch Lane Interiors! We are a full-service Interior Design firm located in Nashville, Tn. Serving clients locally and beyond. We help homeowners love the spaces they live in with a harmony of function and beauty. The story of the butterfly relates strongly to the transforming path to great design. We accomplish this with our professional design education, signature process, and online design studio. And as fate would have it my initials also make a butterfly ;-)
The Chrysalis Chronicles is a Design Blog giving you a Behind the scenes look into the process, inspiration, and projects we encounter as a Design Firm. Hope you enjoy!

DESIGN

project reveals

bEHIND THE SCENES

lifestyle

shop the look

popular posts

Dcorating a small room, why it's like having a cat

How to Style your Bookcase

How to Survive a Home Renovation, without wrecking the Home

Entry Way -Where there is NO way

to the trade