Please note: This section is extremely lengthy and has been creatively designed to assist you when you are finally ready to uncover your missing Desk-top -- at your leisure.

I highly suggest taking several "before" pictures prior to starting this project. You will be absolutely amazed at the results you achieve in following this simple recipe and you may appreciate the pictures at a later date.

When you have completed the recipe we believe you will be very proud of the results and once again ...remember to take the "after" shot!

There will be 12 specific "Hot Picks" recommended in this recipe as well as "how" to use them. So make sure you check out the products mentioned and do your ordering/pick up prior to D-Day.

"I am the only one with this dilemma."

"No one else has this problem."

"I'm suppose to be able to handle this myself."

"I couldn't possibly ask for help -- I'm too embarrassed."

"Something is wrong with me --

"I should be able to do this on my own."

• See the "Hot Picks" located in the Library section for product recommendations and decide which organizing tools you may be lacking and which appeal to your specific needs.
  
  
• Create a "to purchase" list as you peruse the "Hot Picks" section for product recommendations.
  
  
• After you have decided which office organizing tools you will need in following this desktop organizing recipe, and have made your purchases ... setup a real, live, genuine target date for this project.
  
  
• Now, "X" out the entire day. I promise you will be able to complete this task with my gentle guidance and simple "how to's!"

• Now make sure you have no commitments for the day you designate to organize your desk. This day belongs to you and your desk.
  
  
• Turn on the answering machine because we wouldn't want any excuses to pull you away from the task at hand.
  
  
• Put on your favorite kind of music. Why of course! See... I told you this would be fun!

• Before we even start I have to ask you: "do you have a desk for your office?" I know you are in the Home Office section of 1, 2, 3, SORT IT and I know we are dealing with desks at the moment, yet you would be surprised at how many offices I have dealt with that don't have this integral tool -- especially Home Offices!
  
  
• You cannot expect to stay on top of things or maintain a neat and organized work area if you constantly have to set up on a kitchen table. Utilizing the kitchen table will become a bothersome eyesore because you are constantly all spread out . It will also be more difficult to clear papers in an organized fashion for easy future access. Not to mention the fact that many people eventually lose the use of this eating space permanently!
  
  
• So, step number one is understanding that you deserve a real desk and need to view it as an investment in yourself.
  
  
• Locate a "used office furniture store" in your area. Get to know the owners real well and let them know what you are looking for. Many will give you a call when one comes in sometime in the future. You'd be surprised at the quality of furniture that many of these stores carry! (I once located a $500 Steelcase office chair for $75 for a client -- the deal of a lifetime!)
  
  Oftentimes, the owners get to purchase furniture that has never been used! It may have a slight scratch or ding, which warrants a very happy face on your behalf, in regards to the price tag!
  
  
• Please, whatever you do, do not settle for a desk...it's worth it if you have to wait until you get what you need, want and like! You deserve it -- remember?
  
  
• One last point in purchasing a desk. Make sure you take your office measurements in advance so that you know precisely the space you are dealing with.
  
  
• Also, refrain from purchasing some of these desks that are hitting the market for the "smaller office." They are making 24" depths that just are not conducive to enough desktop surface for working. Let alone the fact that these desks won't handle a computer comfortably. This is not a deal -- regardless of the price tag.

• The first step is to weed through, sort and dispose (yup, you heard me, t-r-a-s-h ), a great deal of those papers you are collecting. Let's face it ...if you haven't found these papers in the last 6 months how important are they?
  
  
• Remember, 80% of what we will find today is too old to deal with, expired data, illegible due to food stains, or just not as important as we really thought.
  
  
• We desperately need to make some decisions regarding this paper and selectively save what is truly valuable information. Put on your "critique cap" and gather "a healthy dose of honesty from the desktop organizing ingredients" and let's go for it!

• From the "Desktop Organizing Ingredients" above, select one large trash bag and keep it close by. Feel free to utilize additional garbage bags on an as needed basis.
  
  
• Place all 5 boxes from the "Desktop Organizing Ingredients" in a central location in the office. We will sort items immediately as we discover them, while avoiding unnecessary side-trips. I wouldn't want to lose any of you off on a tangent here. You know what I mean ...you return the hammer to the garage and before you know it ...Poof! Gonzo! You decide to finally fix Johnny's bike or do a load of laundry! Funny how that works...
  
  
• Although we will proceed by grouping the "keepers" initially, please do not be shy about tossing what is really useless, outdated, unidentifiable or unsalvageable as you pass them by. It's time you lay much of this stuff to R.I.P.
  
  
• Remember, you can recycle any paper and materials that are beyond identification and avoid those landfills! Just grab the ol' recycling box from the "Desktop Organizing Ingredients" and be proud that you are not only cleaning up your immediate office environment -- you are creating a better environment for your children's children.

• First of all eliminate any food items you spot immediately. If the item is boxed and uncontaminated, reach for the organizing box labeled "return to proper room" from the "Desktop Organizing Ingredients." Toss the item in this box for later delivery.
  
  
• Any food groups that are growing and showing signs of life, need to be tossed into the garbage bag pronto!
  
  
• If you choose to expand on the above step, quickly scan the entire office for any other food items that you may easily spot (or if you have a stash somewhere). By incorporating this step now, you will eliminate it later when we tackle the rest of the office. Just stay focused in the process. See you in 5 minutes!

• Utilizing the box labeled "dirty dishes" from the "desktop organizing ingredients" let's collect all food containers of any and all sorts that need to be washed or tossed. You know, old dinner plates from who knows when, the plastic container loaded with stale chocolate chip cookies, coffee mugs from last week holding insipid java at the bottom, yeeks ...it's green now! Yesterdays lunch that you didn't have time to eat, those old burger doodle wrappers, empty cans of soda .... what's this? The cat's food dish? And your cat disappeared 6 months ago? Hmmmm ...and wait ...I see a Ben and Jerry's ice cream container -- sure hope it's empty!

• Now, moving right along -- the next category is magazines and catalogues. Select the box labeled "recycling" from the "Desktop Organizing Ingredients." Start weeding through the magazines. Discard any magazines older than six months.
  
  
• Understand that much of what we subscribe to is outdated in as little as 6 months ...especially computer magazines and you receive four different ones??
  
  
• Realize that if you haven't read them yet ...you probably still don't have time to get to them.
  
  
• Scan the index, and I mean scan -- avoid taking the time to read at this point!
  
  
• See if there is an article that is really important. If so, rip the article out of the magazine. Staple the pieces together and place the article in a manila folder labeled "to read."
  
  
• Pile the "keeper magazines" in a separate area for organized storage later on when we tackle the whole office.
  
  
• The product of choice for segregating magazines in an organized fashion is the acrylic magazine organizer. Depending on your budget, alternative models may be purchased in heavy duty plastic or corrugated cardboard. The products can be found at Hold Everything or your local office supply store.
  
  
• Understand, that we are looking for durability here. Keep in mind that you want to avoid replacing the magazine organizer due to wear and tear in the near future. This, like all organizing products is an investment.
  
  
• If your budget does not currently warrant an organizer that will be durable ...maybe you will want to save for this important office tool? You'll save $$$ in the long run when choosing a product that will last! See our Library section (Fall '99) and view our past "Hot Picks" for product recommendations.
  
  
• OK. Now business journals and periodicals are often saved as reference material for a later date by many entrepreneurs. Pile these magazines by category and once again utilize the magazine organizer of your choice to segregate this reference material. See our Library section (Fall '99) and view our past "Hot Picks" for product recommendations.

• The next item we will search for is business cards. Ugh! The little beasties are all over the place! Right?
  
  
• Take 3 Tbsps of honesty from the "Desktop Organizing Ingredients." Snag as many of these cards that you can lay your eyes on -- immediately!
  
  
• Now I want you to really scrutinize the cards in your hand. Do you really want them? Will you ever utilize their services? Will you really refer them to someone else? Are they reputable? Do you even remember who they are?
  
  
• The next time someone passes you a business card don't be afraid to toss it when you get home if you are not interested in their services. Let's face it, the vast majority of the time we take many business cards out of politeness.
  
  
• The next time you take a business card that is of importance, jot down on the back of the card when you met them, where you met them and any other pertinent information to jog your memory at a later date. Hint: The date on the back of the card will also aid you in tossing the card the next time you weed through the Rolodex.
  
  
• Speaking of which ...when was the last time you weeded though your Rolodex? Hmmm, seems like it's time ehh? All you have to do is sort through and toss all cards that have not been referenced in the last 1.5 years max.! Don't be afraid to toss it now ...if you haven't referred to the card by now -- in all reality -- you probably never will. Fact. It's OK -- just do it!
  
  
• So how does one organize all the business cards after the weeding? Invest in a "personal punch" for your business cards in order to insert them directly onto your rolodex. See our Library section (Spring '99) and view our past "Hot Picks" for product recommendations. Merrick and Rogers both make this product -- for as little as $7.00 and it's a lifesaver!!!
  
  
• Use your personal punch, then staple the business card directly onto the Rolodex card. Indicate on the back of the Rolodex file card any pertinent information you may have written on the back of the business card.
  
  
• No time to do the weeding you say? Can you perform this simple task as you watch T.V. or while you're chit-chatting on the phone? You'd be surprised what you could accomplish while doing this task during a mindless function. Insert a post-it where you last left off and resume at your next opportunity until this weeding is completed.
  
  
• Now to further organize your Rolodex -- check out the nifty little product we carry in "Orders To Go" The Jr. File can ONLY be purchased at this website. It is a remarkably innovative tool that organizers your Rolodex to a level you never dreamed of -- for only $5.00 / package of 12!

• Alright! Now we're heading towards the paper piles here. Not to worry -- we have some easy questions to help you decipher whether they are a "yea or nay." Take 5 cups of sincerity from "Desktop Organizing Ingredients". We need it ALL here!
  
  
• It will also greatly help if you have (4) wire baskets (preferably the ones made by Fellowes) to assist you with this task. See our Library section (Winter '97) and view our past "Hot Picks" for product recommendations.
  
  
• Now roll up your sleeves because this will be the worst of it. I won't kid you here. Take 10 very healthy sprinkles of diligence from the "Desktop Organizing Ingredients" and let's go for it! Understand that after this portion is complete you've hit "easy street."
  
  
• You will need to take some of the manila interior files folders (or color coded folders if you'd prefer), or some of your slash pocket folders from our "Desktop Organizing Ingredients" for this next step. See our Library section (Winter '97) and view our past "Hot Picks" for product recommendations.
  
  
• In order to process the papers in this next step I need you to add in a healthy dose of honesty from the "Desktop Organizing Ingredients." I want you to seriously answer the following questions as you approach each and every paper, in order to assist you in making knowledgeable decisions.

• The most workable daily paper management system falls into only 5 slots. Using the "5 basket system," See our office resource section for product recommendations, each paper will fall into one of the following categories :
  • To Do
  • To Read
  • To File
  • Today
  • Trash
  
  
• The following compiled list of categorical questions will give you a better idea of what to ask yourself when handling papers on a daily basis. This system REALLY WORKS. You just need to be totally honest with yourself -- that's all.