CB> other half. This way I will have a "small office" in the dining room
 CB> where there is a lot more light, and room to work. Being in a mobile
 CB> home it is still very cramped tho. I need some ideas on organization.
 CB> When you are starting out what are the essentials as far as books,
 CB> office equipment ? How can I get myself geared to  "go to work" ?
 CB> what is a good filing system ? ANY advice would be 
 CB> appreciated because I
 CB> have ADD and find it hard to know what is important to file or toss. I
 CB> am very creative and determined and i'm good at what I do but this
 CB> organization thing is going to kill me. Help!
I find surroundings very important.  If you can find left over paint at 
garage sales, or sell offs of rejected colours at paint stores, dig around 
and hunt out some way to make the area bright and cheery without spending 
much money.  Put things in the office that please you, so you'll want to be 
near them.  My office catches the sun, and I have things hanging in the 
window that catch the light (prism butterflies and junk like that) you can be 
as silly as you  want - it's your office and no one's going to see it but 
you.  Whatever makes you want to be there helps.
 
Divide the office off from the house - if the dining room has a door, use it 
to shut the office when you're not working.  If it's open to the living room, 
use sets of shelves or whatever to make a division so that the office space 
is definitely separate from the house.  You don't want to feel like a kid 
doing homework and explaining that the TV isn't actually distracting you.
 
Put the things you use every day at arms reach so that you can get everything 
you need without needing to get up from your desk.  This will involve making 
or finding shelves or things that can be used as shelves.  The essentials as 
far as equipment and books go will depend entirely on what you need to run 
your business.  Whatever will help you do the work you plan to do is what you 
need.  A good desk at the right height for you to work at for hours without 
getting a sore back or carpal tunnel syndrome, a chair that will contribute 
to comfort and support your back properly, and keep your arms and legs at the 
right height, are about the only generic essentials.  Everything else depends 
on what you need to help you do what you're going to do.  Sometimes you need 
to find that out as you go along.
 
Best of luck.
--- Maximus 2.01wb
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