National days are fun. There’s one for everything you can think of. On the day I am composing this text, it’s “National Tortilla Chip Day.” You can’t make this stuff up. But one of the days I think serves us all well is “National Organize Your Home Office Day.”

Who among us would not benefit from a nice, well-organized dedicated space in our homes to get “work” done. For the business owner, “work” could be the scheduling of employees, composing orders, or examining finances where there was simply not enough time “at the office” (outside the home) to get it done. For others, that home office may be THE office as remote work has become popular.

We all have “work” associated with maintaining our personal lives. We have finances to manage, household supplies to order, and a host of other administrative duties. And for that matter, “work” could be the essay the 8th grader is writing or the math worksheet the 3rd grader is completing.

If our “work” is important, it’s also important to arrange a dedicated space that’s stocked with the supplies needed.

I provided some guidelines in this post called “How to Organize Your Home Office the Easy Way.” Come over and read that one (or listen to the audio) and then rejoin this post.

Let’s take a tour…

Today is all about a tour of my home office. The video shows you what’s there and why.

An L-shaped desk. I am a big believer in a clear workspace. I don’t want to constantly push the computer keyboard aside in order to do some paperwork.

Recording equipment that is always ready. If you back up two years, you would find my Blue Yeti microphone and webcam in the closet. I pulled them out and plugged them into the front of the computer as needed. Today, the webcam stays perched atop the computer monitor and is always plugged into a USB port in the back of the computer. My Yongnuo YN300 III LED light sits atop one of the computer speakers. It provides light on my face during videoconference meetings or when I record video.

My Tickler File in a hanging file drawer. It’s always close at hand. These days, I have very little paper in my life. But I control the paper I do have with the Tickler File. One of my very first blog posts explained how to use the TIckler File.

The surface of the desk stays clear. This principle is one I have maintained since my freshman year in college. Throughout my professional career, working from a clean desk has been important.

A decorative inbox. Somewhere around 2004, I picked up this sturdy solid-wood inbox with a lion figure lid. The store was going out of business and I was able to get it for $10. Here is a photo I was able to find where someone is selling one that is exactly the same as mine.

Carved rosewood tablet and book easel. Like many items in my office, this was a gift. The rosewood easel is available from Levenger’s.

Pen case. I like nice pens and like to enjoy seeing them. This pen case from Levenger’s does the job.

My favorite pens. Among the 10 fine writing pens in the pen case are three made from bourbon barrels. The company making them is Bourbonpen.com. They are sturdy and feature magnetic caps.

Pictures of my wife and our dogs. I don’t like papers on the desk. I do like to have reminders of what’s important to me. The edge of the desk is lined with photos of our Shelties displayed in matching frames.

Plenty of memorabilia. My home office is for me and not one where I am entertaining clients. During my years as a school administrator, the desk would be clear of these items except for a picture of my wife, a desk pen set, and a couple of paperweights. Today, everything in the office has some significance. Many of the items are gifts. Others are items that have been with me for quite a while and remind me of the people and accomplishments from those years. The memorabilia included a collection of batons from my years as a band director, a shadowboxed pistol and powder horn from centuries ago, and an assortment of diplomas and plaques on the wall.

On this “National Organize Your Home Office Day,” I thought you would enjoy this behind-the-scenes look.

Don’t leave without becoming an email list subscriber. I start you off with two free gifts. One gets your desk clean. The other puts everything you have to do in one place. Each week, you’ll hear from me with nuts & bolts tools and strategies to make life easier and more productive. You’re one click away from making it happen.