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Desk & Office AreaOrganizing a Genealogy Mess

Why Most “Clean a Messy Office” Articles Don’t Work

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So Why Don’t “Clean a Messy Office” Articles Work?

Because they do NOT **REALLY** tell you how.

If they do, the “how” comes well after the work is underway.

Have you ever wanted to yell — “IF I KNEW HOW TO START, I WON’T HAVE A VISIBLE PILE IN THE FIRST PLACE.”

They show you a messy pile and the next picture you see is lovely, pristine enviable organization. In between are some nice words about throwing things away or donating them.

And yes, we try it and have some success but never reach what we TRULY want. And what they ALWAYS show in their end picture.

Their “piles” imply JUNK items to throw away or donate.
Our “Messy Area” = Genealogy
Therefore
YOU should assume every pile is MOSTLY good “stuff” if not even “important to your genealogy” stuff.

Real Life: Messy Offices & Especially “Genealogy Offices” Don’t Read …
So They Don’t Follow the “Clean a Messy Office” Instructions.

Instructions like this three-step plan:1

  1. Start with an empty room.
  2. Go wireless.
  3. Keep the desk clean.

My take on these instructions: All are correct … except they really aren’t talking about my (and perhaps your’s) level of “mess”. Our “messes” are different! Our situation is a mess PLUS all the genealogy good stuff!!!! ????

  1. An empty room!
    1. You have GOT to be kidding! And I can just move all my “stuff” into the middle of my living room (it’s the adjacent room to my office) to STAY THERE while I do all this filing & rearranging. Can I repeat? Sure I can — it’s my blog. You have GOT to be kidding!!!
  2. Go wireless.
    1. I’m already wireless.
      And trust me, my problem was NOT wires & cables in the days before going wireless.
      If YOU had everything 100% wireless in your genealogy area, would that deal with YOUR mess???? I thought so.
  3. Keep the desk clean.

Another article, 5 Days to Unclutter the Top of Your Desk, is considerably better.

Granted the article is just about getting clean DESKTOP. But the approach is “real life” for most people. And it doesn’t promise it in three minutes either.

BTW, I never trust anything that promises success quickly. Remember TANSTAAFL.

This article states:2

  1. Start with the visible piles first.
  2. Always work in one area at a time.
  3. Create zones in your office.
  4. Conquer the email traffic jam.
  5. Organizing is a process — not a destination.2

My take on this article:

The first statement in the “5 Days” article is the key … 1) Start with the visible piles first. The writer is thinking of the top of the desk.

[box] Oddly enough, not one word follows in the article on HOW to deal with those “visible piles” whether they are on your desk or somewhere else.[/box]

Despite the above, this article led to my personal breakthrough & Step 1.

Piles can be anywhere and occur when there is “Not enough filing [storage] space”, see my post Someone Trashed My Desk AGAIN!!!!!!! Yours too!

If you are into genealogy, there is probably at least pile somewhere. It may be on your desk or on the floor.

The other four steps are not bad — and I might revisit later — thinking about “office zones” boggles my mind right now.

Online Sources:

1. How to Overhaul a Messy Home Office
2. 5 Days to Unclutter the Top of Your Desk

Last updated: September 21, 2015 at 15:50 pm