My Dirty Little Secret Drawer

As a professional organizer people assume I maintain an orderly environment everywhere I go--wrongo! The key to being and staying organized is having good systems that work for you, not against you. Chaos ensues like crazy in my very busy household, but one of my favorite vices is my secret drawer. I have a 5" deep drawer at my desk where I hide all of my current papers. As a business owner, wife, mother of three and community volunteer, paperwork abounds in the office--especially when I am out more than I am in!

Here's how it works...When the mail comes and I am on my way out, it goes in my drawer. When I have to run out of the office and have papers strewn about my desk, I quickly file what I can, but what's left goes into my drawer. When I come back to my desk, I know that what I was working on is in that drawer along with the mail and papers that need attention. This drawer is not a place where papers continue to pile up, it is only for the current stuff I'm working on that hasn't yet landed in a file. When I have a few extra minutes, I always go to the drawer and clear out what I can. The secret is in the depth. I can't stuff it full or it won't function. If used properly, it's a great way for your desk to be clear in the midst of the chaos of life!