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The deck, six zones

The Home Office Deck

66 cards: the Manual's real six Home Office zones, the frictions each one causes, the 14 root causes underneath, the actions that fix them, and the standard each zone keeps. Typeset and free. No illustrations yet, so every card reads as text, not a photograph.

Read the deck

Prefer paper? This page's own print layout lays the fronts out at true card size. Use your browser's print dialog.

This is the first Home Office deck on the site: built straight from the same Manual as the Kitchen, Entryway and Laundry Room decks, with the same rules.

Built from the Manual, not around it

Six zones, real diagnosis, nothing invented

This is the room where physical clutter and unmade decisions about paper live in the same drawer. Almost nothing here is heavy or dirty, which is exactly why it sits untouched for years: every item asks for a judgment rather than a lift. Start with the desk surface, because you need one finished workspace to sort everything else onto, and give the file drawer a morning of its own.

Every card here is real: written from the same source as the Manual and the zone pages, gated so a root cause with no friction pointing at it, or an action nobody's problem needs, cannot ship. None of it is generated placeholder copy. What is missing is photography, which this deck does not pretend to have. A family-coloured panel and the card's own symbol stand where a photograph will eventually go.

66 cards, seven kinds

One zone, one friction, one cause, one fix, one standard

A Zone card names the place. Friction cards say what a household actually complains about there. Each friction points at a Root Cause, and each cause names the Action that fixes it. A Standard card is what you write down and keep. Event cards are the days that test whether it held.

  • Room · 1
  • Zone · 6
  • Friction · 18
  • Root Cause · 14
  • Action · 15
  • Standard · 6
  • Event · 6

The deck

Read it here, zone by zone

Tap a card's "How it works" to see its back. Start at the desk: everything else in this room eventually gets emptied onto it, so it has to stay the one surface you can trust.

The Home Office

RoomHOR-001

THE HOME OFFICE

SIX ZONES. START WITH THE DESK.

●○○○○

The home office is six small jobs built around one shared trap: physical clutter and unmade decisions about paper. This card is the map and the order.

How it works

Start here. HOZ-001 Primary Desk. Clear the desk surface completely before you open a single drawer. Every other zone in this room gets emptied onto that surface at some point, so it has to be the first thing finished and the last thing you let refill.

The six zones, in order

  1. HOZ-001 Primary Desk
  2. HOZ-002 Desk Drawers and Pedestal
  3. HOZ-003 File Storage
  4. HOZ-004 Bookshelf and Reference Zone
  5. HOZ-005 Printer and Scanning Station
  6. HOZ-006 Supply Cabinet

How to play

  1. Deal the six ZONE cards face up. Pick the one that is annoying you today, or take the one this card says to start at.
  2. Lay out that zone's three FRICTION cards. Keep the ones that are true in your home office. Put the rest back.
  3. Turn a friction card over and pick the answer that is true. It names a ROOT CAUSE.
  4. The root cause card names the ACTION cards that fix that cause. Pick the one that matches the time you actually have: fifteen or thirty minutes.
  5. Do it standing up, with the card in your hand.
  6. Read the victory condition out loud. If it is not true yet, you are not finished, and that is the whole scoring system.
  7. Fill in the zone's STANDARD card with a pen and put it where the zone is.
  8. Draw an EVENT card when an ordinary hard day happens, and see whether the standard held.

Players. 1 to 6. With more than one, split the chain: one clears the desk and drawers, another works the filing and the shelf.

Safety first. Do HOA-015 The Quarterly Reach-Behind Clean and Safety Walk before any rebuild. It takes thirty minutes and covers the cables, the cabinets, the shelves and the printer.

Primary Desk

ZoneHOZ-001

PRIMARY DESK

Zone 1 of 6 · Home Office

ONE INBOX TRAY. UNDER A DOZEN SHEETS, ALWAYS.

●●●○○

One clear surface for the work you are actually doing right now.

How it works

Done looks like: The monitor, keyboard, and mouse in fixed positions, one notebook, one inbox tray holding fewer than a dozen sheets, no sticky notes on the monitor bezel, and the power strip hooked off the floor so the chair rolls over bare carpet.

Six things to check

  1. Monitor, keyboard and mouse sitting in fixed positions
  2. One notebook on the desk
  3. One inbox tray holding fewer than a dozen sheets
  4. No sticky notes on the monitor bezel
  5. The power strip hooked off the floor onto the desk leg
  6. Bare carpet under the full arc the chair rolls through

Water and electricity A mug of coffee sitting behind the keyboard on the same surface as a power strip and a laptop charger. Move drinks to the far side of the mouse, away from cables and the machine.

Fall Charger cables and the power strip lead running across the floor where the chair moves and where you push back to stand.

The half-finished thing. One corner of the desk is held by a project you have not touched in weeks and cannot put away, because putting it away feels like admitting it is over. Say the next physical action out loud in one sentence. If you can name it ("call the insurer", "sign page four"), it is live: write that sentence on a card, clip it to the papers, and it goes in the inbox tray, not on the desk. If you cannot name a next action, it is not stalled, it is abandoned. Box it, write today's date on the lid, put it on the shelf, and if the box is still unopened on that date next year, it leaves unopened.

What it uses

  • Compact vacuum with attachments
  • Color-coded microfiber cloth set
  • Neutral pH multi-surface cleaner
  • Screen-safe electronics cleaner
  • Portable cleaning caddy

Three frictions, then the fix

FrictionHOF-001

CLEAR MONDAY, COVERED BY FRIDAY

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. THEN WHY.

●○○○○

“I clear the desk and it is covered again by the end of the week.”

How it works

Why does this happen here?

  1. Paper lands here because there is nowhere else to put it → NO ASSIGNED HOME
  2. The inbox tray is never emptied, only added to → MISSING TRIGGER
  3. Work from three different jobs shares one surface → EXCESS

Pick the answer that is true in your home office, then turn to that root cause card. If two are true, take the one you could change this week.

FrictionHOF-002

THE NOTE IS SOMEWHERE, LOST AGAIN

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. THEN WHY.

●○○○○

“I keep losing the note I wrote down.”

How it works

Why does this happen here?

  1. Notes are written on whatever sheet is nearest → NO ASSIGNED HOME
  2. They go on sticky notes that fall off the bezel → MISSING STANDARD
  3. There is a notebook but it is not within arm's reach → EXCESS MOTION

Pick the answer that is true in your home office, then turn to that root cause card. If two are true, take the one you could change this week.

FrictionHOF-003

THE CHAIR CATCHES ON SOMETHING AGAIN

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. THEN WHY.

●○○○○

“The chair catches on something every time I move.”

How it works

Why does this happen here?

  1. The power strip and cables have no fixing, so they lie across the floor → NO ASSIGNED HOME
  2. Boxes are stored under the desk → WRONG LOCATION
  3. The mat is rucked where the cables cross it → SAFETY CONSTRAINT

Pick the answer that is true in your home office, then turn to that root cause card. If two are true, take the one you could change this week.

ActionHOA-001

CLEAR THE DESK AND HOOK THE STRIP UP

15 MINUTES. 1.

●●○○○

Clear the desk down to the monitor, keyboard and mouse, and get the power strip off the floor.

How it works

Paper with no other place to land is why this desk fills back up by the end of the week, and a power strip on the floor is what the chair catches on every time.

You need

  • nothing beyond fifteen minutes and the inbox tray

Steps

  1. Take everything off the desk except the monitor, keyboard and mouse. Put the loose paper into the inbox tray, give every sheet in it a verdict until it is under a dozen, and hook the power strip up off the floor.
  2. Set the notebook on your writing-hand side and the phone face down beyond it.
  3. Check the sweep the mouse travels is left completely bare.

Victory. One notebook and one tray under a dozen sheets, and the chair rolls the width of the desk without catching.

If this keeps happening

Part of: PRIMARY DESK and PRIMARY DESK STANDARD

Next: PRIMARY DESK STANDARD

ActionHOA-002

PHOTOGRAPH THE CLEARED DESK

30 MINUTES. 1.

●●●○○

Photograph the cleared desk, tape the print inside the drawer, and settle the half-finished project sitting in the corner.

How it works

A surface with no photographed standard drifts back to full by familiarity alone, not volume, and a project you cannot name a next action for is not stalled, it is abandoned.

You need

  • a phone or camera
  • a printer or tape for the photo
  • an index card

Steps

  1. Clear the desk completely and photograph it.
  2. Tape the printed photo inside the top drawer so the word clear stops being a matter of opinion.
  3. Say the half-finished project's next physical action out loud in one sentence; if you can name it, write it on a card and clip it into the inbox tray.
  4. If you cannot name a next action, box the project, mark today's date on the lid, and put it on the shelf.

Victory. A taped photo of the bare desk hangs inside the drawer, and the half-finished project either carries a named next action or sits boxed and dated on the shelf.

If this keeps happening

Part of: PRIMARY DESK and PRIMARY DESK STANDARD

Next: CLEAR THE DESK AND HOOK THE STRIP UP

StandardHOS-001

PRIMARY DESK STANDARD

WRITE IT. SIGN IT. PUT IT WHERE IT HAPPENS.

●○○○○

The desk holds the tools of the current task plus one inbox tray, and nothing else stays there overnight.

How it works

Trigger: When you close the laptop lid for the day.

Write on

  • Who agreed this: ______________ and ______________
  • Date: ____ / ____ / ______
  • Where this card lives: ______________________________

This is a write on card. Fill it in with a pen, in your own words if the printed sentence is not yours, and put it where the zone is. A standard nobody signed is a preference.

Ninety seconds, if that is what you have

  • Count the sheets in your inbox tray right now, and if it is more than a dozen, give the top three a verdict before you stand up.
  • Peel every sticky note off the monitor bezel and either act on it now or copy it into the notebook.
  • Check the power strip is still hooked on the desk leg, and coil any cable that crosses where the chair rolls.

Desk Drawers and Pedestal

ZoneHOZ-002

DESK DRAWERS AND PEDESTAL

Zone 2 of 6 · Home Office

EVERY PEN WRITES. THE SCISSORS POINT DOWN.

●●○○○

Hold the small tools you reach for without looking, and the live files you touch weekly.

How it works

Done looks like: A top drawer with a divided tray holding pens that all write, one stapler, one pair of scissors point-down in its own slot, and a deep pedestal drawer of hanging files with tabs all standing in one line.

Six things to check

  1. A divided tray in the top drawer
  2. Pens in the tray that all write
  3. One stapler in the tray
  4. Scissors resting point-down in their own slot
  5. A deep pedestal drawer of hanging files
  6. File tabs all standing in one line

Fall, cut, or crush Loose scissors and a letter opener rolling free in a drawer you reach into without looking, and a pedestal that tips forward if you pull the loaded file drawer fully out while the top drawer is open.

The cable bag. Somewhere in the pedestal there is a bag or a drawer of cables, adapters, and wall bricks, and it survives because each individual cable is too cheap to think about and too specific to throw away. That decision cannot be made one cable at a time. Empty the whole lot onto the desk at once, pick up each cable, name the device it powers, and point at where that device physically is in this house. No device, no keep. Then keep exactly one spare of each connector type you still use daily, coil and band it, and take the rest to electronics recycling this week. Made in one batch at the cleared desk, it is a single sitting. Made one cable at a time, it never gets made at all.

What it uses

  • Compact vacuum with attachments
  • Small detail brush set
  • Color-coded microfiber cloth set
  • Neutral pH multi-surface cleaner
  • Portable cleaning caddy

Three frictions, then the fix

FrictionHOF-004

THREE DEAD PENS BEFORE ONE WRITES

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. THEN WHY.

●○○○○

“I test three pens before I find one that writes.”

How it works

Why does this happen here?

  1. Dead pens go back into the drawer instead of the bin → MISSING STANDARD
  2. Nobody feels it is their place to throw them out → UNCLEAR OWNERSHIP
  3. There are far more pens than this office uses → EXCESS

Pick the answer that is true in your home office, then turn to that root cause card. If two are true, take the one you could change this week.

FrictionHOF-005

PULLING THREE FOLDERS TO FIND ONE

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. THEN WHY.

●○○○○

“I cannot find a live file without pulling several out.”

How it works

Why does this happen here?

  1. The tabs are at different positions along the folder → POOR VISIBILITY
  2. Files that are finished are still in the pedestal → EXCESS
  3. Folders are labelled by department, not by what I would ask → MISSING STANDARD

Pick the answer that is true in your home office, then turn to that root cause card. If two are true, take the one you could change this week.

FrictionHOF-006

THE SCISSORS CAUGHT MY HAND AGAIN

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. THEN WHY.

●○○○○

“I have cut myself or caught my hand in this drawer.”

How it works

Why does this happen here?

  1. Scissors and blades are loose in the tray rather than point-down in their own slots → SAFETY CONSTRAINT
  2. The drawer is so full things spring up when it opens → INSUFFICIENT CAPACITY
  3. Nothing was ever agreed about where the sharp things live → MISSING STANDARD

Pick the answer that is true in your home office, then turn to that root cause card. If two are true, take the one you could change this week.

ActionHOA-003

TEST THE PENS AND SLOT THE SCISSORS

15 MINUTES. 1.

●●○○○

Empty the top drawer, test every pen, and give the scissors a fixed point-down slot.

How it works

A drawer you reach into without looking is the wrong place for a loose blade, and a dead pen that goes back in the drawer is a decision deferred, not avoided.

You need

  • scrap paper
  • the divided tray

Steps

  1. Empty the top drawer, test every pen on a scrap and bin the ones that skip, then put back only what writes into a divided tray with the scissors point-down in their own slot.
  2. Wipe the tray before anything goes back into it.
  3. Confirm the stapler sits in the tray, not riding on top of any folder.

Victory. Every pen in the drawer writes first time, and the scissors have a slot of their own.

If this keeps happening

Part of: DESK DRAWERS AND PEDESTAL and DESK DRAWERS AND PEDESTAL STANDARD

Next: DESK DRAWERS AND PEDESTAL STANDARD

ActionHOA-004

EMPTY THE CABLE BAG

30 MINUTES. 1.

●●●○○

Empty the whole bag of loose cables and adapters onto the desk, name each device, and keep one spare of each connector you actually use.

How it works

A drawer full of cables too cheap to think about and too specific to throw away only clears when the whole bag is judged at once, not one cable at a time.

You need

  • the cable bag
  • a labelled small box for the kept spares
  • a bag for electronics recycling

Steps

  1. Empty the whole cable bag onto the cleared desk in one go.
  2. Pick up each cable and adapter and point at the device it powers, physically, somewhere in this house.
  3. Anything with no device gets no keep: it goes straight into the recycling bag.
  4. Coil and band exactly one spare of each connector type you still use daily, and box the rest for electronics recycling this week.

Victory. One labelled box holds exactly one spare of each connector type still in daily use, and everything else is boxed for electronics recycling.

If this keeps happening

Part of: DESK DRAWERS AND PEDESTAL and DESK DRAWERS AND PEDESTAL STANDARD

Next: TEST THE PENS AND SLOT THE SCISSORS

StandardHOS-002

DESK DRAWERS AND PEDESTAL STANDARD

WRITE IT. SIGN IT. PUT IT WHERE IT HAPPENS.

●○○○○

One purpose per drawer, every pen in it writes, and the scissors live point-down in a fixed slot.

How it works

Trigger: When you sit down to pay the bills.

Write on

  • Who agreed this: ______________ and ______________
  • Date: ____ / ____ / ______
  • Where this card lives: ______________________________

This is a write on card. Fill it in with a pen, in your own words if the printed sentence is not yours, and put it where the zone is. A standard nobody signed is a preference.

Ninety seconds, if that is what you have

  • Pull three pens from the tray at random and test each on scrap paper, binning any that skip.
  • Check the scissors sit point-down in their own slot, not loose among the pens.
  • Run your finger along the hanging file tabs and nudge any that sit out of line back into place.

File Storage

ZoneHOZ-003

FILE STORAGE

Zone 3 of 6 · Home Office

ONE QUESTION PER FOLDER. ONE STRAIGHT LINE OF TABS.

●●●○○

Keep the documents you are genuinely required to hold, and put your hand on any one of them without opening a second drawer.

How it works

Done looks like: Hanging folders labelled by the question you would ask when looking, tabs all in the same position so your eye runs one straight line, a closed fireproof box holding the permanent originals, and a full shred bag by the door ready to go.

Six things to check

  1. Hanging folders labeled by the question you would ask
  2. Every tab in the same position along the row
  3. A closed fireproof box holding the permanent originals
  4. A full shred bag standing by the door
  5. A retention card taped inside the top drawer
  6. The cabinet anchored to the wall

Burn or fire A four-drawer cabinet of dense paper standing against a heater, or the overflow boxes stacked on top of a power strip. Paper is the fuel load of this room, so keep it clear of heat and of the outlet.

Fall, cut, or crush A tall filing cabinet will tip forward onto you if the top drawer is loaded and pulled fully out. Anchor it to the wall and open one drawer at a time.

What you are actually required to keep. Most of this drawer is neither obviously permanent nor obviously rubbish, and that middle band is why the whole job stalls. Split it into three by rule. Permanent originals, meaning birth and marriage certificates, deeds, vehicle titles, wills, and immigration papers, go into one closed fireproof box and never into the filing cabinet. Tax returns and their supporting paper get one folder per year and are held for whatever your local retention period is, which you look up once and write on the card. Everything else, the bank statements, the utility bills, the receipts for things you no longer own, goes by this test: if the issuer will reprint it on request, or it already lives inside an online account, it is information, not a record, and information does not get a folder.

What it uses

  • Compact vacuum with attachments
  • Color-coded microfiber cloth set
  • Neutral pH multi-surface cleaner
  • Portable cleaning caddy

Three frictions, then the fix

FrictionHOF-007

FILED SOMEWHERE, FOUND NOWHERE

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. THEN WHY.

●○○○○

“I know the document is filed but I cannot find it.”

How it works

Why does this happen here?

  1. Folders are labelled by company name rather than by what I would ask → MISSING STANDARD
  2. Tabs are staggered so my eye has to zigzag → POOR VISIBILITY
  3. The same kind of paper lives in two different places → NO ASSIGNED HOME

Pick the answer that is true in your home office, then turn to that root cause card. If two are true, take the one you could change this week.

FrictionHOF-008

THE TO-BE-FILED PILE KEEPS GROWING

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. THEN WHY.

●○○○○

“There is a pile of paper waiting to be filed.”

How it works

Why does this happen here?

  1. Filing takes too many steps from where the post lands → EXCESS MOTION
  2. The drawer is too full to file into → INSUFFICIENT CAPACITY
  3. I am unsure what is safe to throw out, so nothing moves → UNRESOLVED DECISION

Pick the answer that is true in your home office, then turn to that root cause card. If two are true, take the one you could change this week.

FrictionHOF-009

A BANK STATEMENT WENT OUT WITH THE TRASH

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. THEN WHY.

●○○○○

“Paper with my account numbers on it goes out in the bin.”

How it works

Why does this happen here?

  1. There is no shred bag at the point where I open the post → NO ASSIGNED HOME
  2. The bag is full so things get binned instead → INSUFFICIENT CAPACITY
  3. The shredder is stored somewhere it has to be fetched from → EXCESS MOTION

Pick the answer that is true in your home office, then turn to that root cause card. If two are true, take the one you could change this week.

ActionHOA-005

RELABEL ONE DRAWER BY THE QUESTION

15 MINUTES. 1.

●●○○○

Relabel one drawer's folders by the question you would ask, and line up every tab.

How it works

Nobody has ever gone looking for a folder called Correspondence, and a staggered row of tabs makes your eye zigzag instead of run straight down the line.

You need

  • blank tab inserts or a marker
  • the shred bag

Steps

  1. Take one drawer. Relabel each folder with the question you would ask when looking for it, set every tab in the same position, and shred the statements you could download again.
  2. Check the drawer closes without pressure once the tabs are aligned.
  3. Carry anything shredded straight to the bag by the door.

Victory. One drawer where the tabs read down in a single line, and it closes without pressure.

If this keeps happening

Part of: FILE STORAGE and FILE STORAGE STANDARD

Next: FILE STORAGE STANDARD

ActionHOA-006

SORT INTO KEEP, SCAN, SHRED

30 MINUTES. 1.

●●●○○

Work the backlog pile into three piles by rule, and get the retention card written.

How it works

The middle band, neither obviously permanent nor obviously rubbish, is why this job stalls; a rule applied once settles the whole pile instead of one sheet at a time.

You need

  • the shred bag
  • a scanner if you keep digital copies
  • an index card for the retention rule

Steps

  1. Work one drawer at a time into three piles: keep as paper, scan then shred, shred now.
  2. Move permanent originals into a closed fireproof box, never the filing cabinet.
  3. Write your retention rule on a card and tape it inside the top drawer.
  4. Carry the finished shred pile straight to the bag by the door.

Victory. Every sheet from the drawer sits in one of three piles, permanent originals are in the fireproof box, and the retention card is taped inside the drawer.

If this keeps happening

Part of: FILE STORAGE and FILE STORAGE STANDARD

Next: RELABEL ONE DRAWER BY THE QUESTION

StandardHOS-003

FILE STORAGE STANDARD

WRITE IT. SIGN IT. PUT IT WHERE IT HAPPENS.

●○○○○

Every folder is named for the question you would ask when looking for it, and the retention card taped inside the drawer decides what stays.

How it works

Trigger: When next year's tax paperwork lands on the desk.

Write on

  • Who agreed this: ______________ and ______________
  • Date: ____ / ____ / ______
  • Where this card lives: ______________________________

This is a write on card. Fill it in with a pen, in your own words if the printed sentence is not yours, and put it where the zone is. A standard nobody signed is a preference.

Ninety seconds, if that is what you have

  • Pull one folder and read its label out loud: if it names a company instead of a question, rename it now.
  • Check the shred bag by the door; if it is full, carry it out before you sit back down.
  • Open the fireproof box and confirm it still closes flush over what is inside.

Bookshelf and Reference Zone

ZoneHOZ-004

BOOKSHELF AND REFERENCE ZONE

Zone 4 of 6 · Home Office

A BOOKEND CLOSES EVERY GROUP. A HAND'S WIDTH LEFT OVER.

●●○○○

Hold the reference you genuinely reach for, at the height you reach for it from.

How it works

Done looks like: Working reference at seated eye level from the desk chair, heavy binders and box files on the bottom two shelves, a bookend closing each group, a hand's width of empty shelf left at the end of every row, and the unit screwed to the wall.

Six things to check

  1. Working reference books at seated eye level
  2. Heavy binders and box files on the bottom two shelves
  3. A bookend closing each group of books
  4. A hand's width of empty shelf at the end of every row
  5. The unit screwed to the wall
  6. No books stacked flat on top of the upright row

Fall, cut, or crush An unanchored shelf unit standing above the desk chair, with the heaviest binders and box files loaded on the top shelf. Anchor the unit and put the weight low.

The shelf that says who you used to be. The textbooks from a degree, the professional library from a job you left, the reference set that a website now answers better and faster. These are the hardest books in the house to release, because they stand for a version of you that you have not formally retired. The rule that settles it: ask when you last took it down since it arrived on this shelf, not whether you might one day. If you cannot name a specific occasion, and the book is one you could borrow or reorder inside a week, it is no longer reference, it is display, and it must now win a display slot in open competition with everything else on the shelf. Most of them will not. Appliance manuals are simpler: model still in the house, keep it; model gone, it goes today.

What it uses

  • Compact vacuum with attachments
  • Color-coded microfiber cloth set
  • Neutral pH multi-surface cleaner
  • Portable cleaning caddy

Three frictions, then the fix

FrictionHOF-010

THE SHELF IS FULL BUT THE BOOK ISN'T THERE

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. THEN WHY.

●○○○○

“The shelf looks full and I still cannot find the book I want.”

How it works

Why does this happen here?

  1. Books are shelved by size or colour, not by what they are for → POOR VISIBILITY
  2. Reference I use is above or below comfortable seated eye level → EXCESS MOTION
  3. Books I never open take the best shelf → EXCESS

Pick the answer that is true in your home office, then turn to that root cause card. If two are true, take the one you could change this week.

FrictionHOF-011

THINGS ARE PILING UP ON TOP OF THE BOOKS

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. THEN WHY.

●○○○○

“Things are stacked flat on top of the upright books.”

How it works

Why does this happen here?

  1. The shelves have been full for a while and nothing left → INSUFFICIENT CAPACITY
  2. There is no rule for what leaves when something arrives → MISSING TRIGGER
  3. Paper and folders are being stored on the book shelf → NO ASSIGNED HOME

Pick the answer that is true in your home office, then turn to that root cause card. If two are true, take the one you could change this week.

FrictionHOF-012

THE SHELF ROCKS WHEN A BOOK COMES OUT

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. THEN WHY.

●○○○○

“The unit rocks or leans when I pull a book out.”

How it works

Why does this happen here?

  1. It is not fixed to the wall, and it stands on carpet or an uneven floor → SAFETY CONSTRAINT
  2. The heavy binders are on the top shelves instead of the bottom two → WRONG LOCATION
  3. The unit carries more weight than its shelves and brackets are rated for → INSUFFICIENT CAPACITY

Pick the answer that is true in your home office, then turn to that root cause card. If two are true, take the one you could change this week.

ActionHOA-007

MOVE THE WEIGHT DOWN AND ANCHOR THE SHELF

15 MINUTES. 1.

●●○○○

Move the heaviest binders down, bring real reference to eye level, and confirm the wall fixing.

How it works

An unanchored shelf loaded heavy at the top is a fall risk the moment you pull the wrong book, and reference you cannot reach without standing is reference you stop using.

You need

  • a wall anchor kit if none is fitted
  • a step stool

Steps

  1. Move every heavy binder to the bottom two shelves, bring the reference you actually open to seated eye level, then check the wall fixing and fit one if it is missing.
  2. Close each group with a bookend.
  3. Confirm a hand's width of empty shelf remains at the end of every row.

Victory. The heaviest things are lowest, the unit does not move when you pull a book, and every row ends in a hand's width of space.

If this keeps happening

Part of: BOOKSHELF AND REFERENCE ZONE and BOOKSHELF AND REFERENCE ZONE STANDARD

Next: BOOKSHELF AND REFERENCE ZONE STANDARD

ActionHOA-008

THIN ONE GROUP BY THE LAST-TAKEN-DOWN TEST

30 MINUTES. 1.

●●●○○

For one group of books, name the last time each was taken down, and remove anything that fails the test.

How it works

A book that stands for who you used to be is the hardest to release, and the shelf only stays a working shelf if reference wins its place in open competition with everything else on it.

You need

  • a box for books leaving the house
  • nothing else beyond thirty minutes

Steps

  1. Pick one group of books on the shelf.
  2. For each one, name out loud a specific occasion you last took it down; if you cannot, it is display, not reference.
  3. Box anything that fails the test for donation or resale.
  4. Confirm a hand's width of empty shelf remains once the group is thinned.

Victory. Every book in the group has a named reason for staying, and a hand's width of shelf is free at the end of the row.

If this keeps happening

Part of: BOOKSHELF AND REFERENCE ZONE and BOOKSHELF AND REFERENCE ZONE STANDARD

Next: MOVE THE WEIGHT DOWN AND ANCHOR THE SHELF

StandardHOS-004

BOOKSHELF AND REFERENCE ZONE STANDARD

WRITE IT. SIGN IT. PUT IT WHERE IT HAPPENS.

●○○○○

Every shelf keeps a hand's width of empty space, and heavy binders and box files never live above head height.

How it works

Trigger: When you finish a book or close out a project binder.

Write on

  • Who agreed this: ______________ and ______________
  • Date: ____ / ____ / ______
  • Where this card lives: ______________________________

This is a write on card. Fill it in with a pen, in your own words if the printed sentence is not yours, and put it where the zone is. A standard nobody signed is a preference.

Ninety seconds, if that is what you have

  • Run your hand along one shelf's end and confirm a hand's width of empty space is still there.
  • Pick one book you have not opened in a year and name out loud the last time you actually used it.
  • Give the shelf unit a gentle push and confirm it does not rock or lean away from the wall.

Printer and Scanning Station

ZoneHOZ-005

PRINTER AND SCANNING STATION

Zone 5 of 6 · Home Office

A MIN LINE INSIDE THE BIN. CLEAR AIR BEHIND THE MACHINE.

●●○○○

Turn paper into files and files into paper, without hunting for either.

How it works

Done looks like: Paper in a bin directly beneath the printer with a min line and a max line drawn inside it, one spare cartridge in a labelled box beside it, a single scan tray with a to-do side and a done side, clear air behind the machine, and nothing sitting on the lid.

Six things to check

  1. A paper bin directly beneath the printer
  2. A min line and a max line drawn inside the bin
  3. One spare cartridge in a labeled box beside it
  4. A scan tray split into a to-do side and a done side
  5. Clear air behind the machine
  6. Nothing sitting on top of the lid

Burn or fire A laser printer pushed tight against the wall or into a closed cupboard with no clearance behind it, and powered through a strip plugged into another strip. The fuser needs air and the machine needs its own wall outlet.

Water and electricity A plant or a water glass sitting on top of the printer lid, directly above the electronics and the paper path.

The backup printer. The old printer is still in the corner, or on the floor of the cupboard, because it might be a backup. Settle it before you leave this corner today: plug it in and print a test page right now. If it prints, and you are prepared to keep a spare cartridge for it in stock, it is a backup and it gets a home. If you will not plug it in today, it is not a backup, it is a large object you have not decided about, and it goes to electronics recycling this week. Apply the same blade to the sealed cartridges: hold each box against the model number on the machine you actually use. Anything unmatched sells this week for more than it will ever be worth again, because cartridge value only falls.

What it uses

  • Color-coded microfiber cloth set
  • Compact vacuum with attachments
  • Neutral pH multi-surface cleaner
  • Streak-free glass and mirror cleaner
  • Portable cleaning caddy

Three frictions, then the fix

FrictionHOF-013

OUT OF PAPER HALFWAY THROUGH THE JOB

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. THEN WHY.

●○○○○

“I run out of paper or ink mid-job.”

How it works

Why does this happen here?

  1. There is no min line, so nobody sees low coming → POOR REPLENISHMENT
  2. Stock is kept somewhere else and nobody checks it → EXCESS MOTION
  3. Nobody is named as the person who reorders → UNCLEAR OWNERSHIP

Pick the answer that is true in your home office, then turn to that root cause card. If two are true, take the one you could change this week.

FrictionHOF-014

THE SCANNED PILE NEVER GETS SMALLER

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. THEN WHY.

●○○○○

“Scanned paper piles up beside the machine.”

How it works

Why does this happen here?

  1. There is one tray with no to-do and done sides → POOR VISIBILITY
  2. There is no regular slot when scanning gets done → MISSING TRIGGER
  3. Scanned sheets have nowhere to go afterwards → NO ASSIGNED HOME

Pick the answer that is true in your home office, then turn to that root cause card. If two are true, take the one you could change this week.

FrictionHOF-015

THE PAPER KEEPS COMING OUT CURLED

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. THEN WHY.

●○○○○

“The printer jams or the paper comes out curled.”

How it works

Why does this happen here?

  1. Things are stored on top of and behind the machine → WRONG LOCATION
  2. Paper has no proper home, so it sits somewhere damp or in direct sun → NO ASSIGNED HOME
  3. The rollers and paper path have never been cleaned → DIFFICULT TO CLEAN

Pick the answer that is true in your home office, then turn to that root cause card. If two are true, take the one you could change this week.

ActionHOA-009

DRAW THE MIN LINE AND CLEAR THE VENTS

15 MINUTES. 1.

●●○○○

Clear the space around the printer and mark a min and max line on the paper bin.

How it works

A printer with no clear air behind it and no visible paper level is how this room runs out mid-job and overheats at the same time.

You need

  • a marker
  • nothing else beyond fifteen minutes

Steps

  1. Clear the top of and the space behind the printer, draw a min line and a max line on the paper bin, and split the scan tray into a to-do side and a done side.
  2. Move anything sitting on top of the lid off it for good.
  3. Confirm the printer plugs straight into a wall outlet, not a strip chained off another strip.

Victory. Air behind the machine, a paper level anyone can read at a glance, and a scan tray that says what still needs doing.

If this keeps happening

Part of: PRINTER AND SCANNING STATION and PRINTER AND SCANNING STATION STANDARD

Next: PRINTER AND SCANNING STATION STANDARD

ActionHOA-010

SETTLE THE BACKUP PRINTER AND MATCH THE CARTRIDGES

30 MINUTES. 1.

●●●○○

Test the spare printer for real, decide backup or recycle, and match every cartridge box to the machine you actually use.

How it works

An unplugged spare printer is a large object you have not decided about, not a backup, and an unmatched cartridge only loses value the longer it sits.

You need

  • the spare printer
  • its power cable
  • a marker to note the model on kept cartridge boxes

Steps

  1. Plug in the spare printer and print a test page right now.
  2. If it prints and you will stock a spare cartridge for it, give it a real home; if not, box it for electronics recycling this week.
  3. Hold every sealed cartridge box against the model number on the machine you actually use.
  4. Sell or recycle any cartridge that does not match.

Victory. The spare printer either has a real home with a named spare cartridge or is boxed for recycling, and every kept cartridge matches the machine on the desk.

If this keeps happening

Part of: PRINTER AND SCANNING STATION and PRINTER AND SCANNING STATION STANDARD

Next: DRAW THE MIN LINE AND CLEAR THE VENTS

StandardHOS-005

PRINTER AND SCANNING STATION STANDARD

WRITE IT. SIGN IT. PUT IT WHERE IT HAPPENS.

●○○○○

Only cartridges matching the printer on the desk are stocked, the paper bin carries a min line, and the top of the machine stays bare.

How it works

Trigger: When you take the last sheet out of the paper bin.

Write on

  • Who agreed this: ______________ and ______________
  • Date: ____ / ____ / ______
  • Where this card lives: ______________________________

This is a write on card. Fill it in with a pen, in your own words if the printed sentence is not yours, and put it where the zone is. A standard nobody signed is a preference.

Ninety seconds, if that is what you have

  • Check the paper bin against its min line, and add paper to today's list if it is close.
  • Move anything sitting on top of the printer lid off it, right now.
  • Sort the scan tray into its to-do side and its done side before you leave the room.

Supply Cabinet

ZoneHOZ-006

SUPPLY CABINET

Zone 6 of 6 · Home Office

ONE OPEN PACK. ONE SPARE BEHIND IT. NOTED ON THE SHELF.

●●○○○

Hold the consumables this office genuinely burns through in a year, and no more.

How it works

Done looks like: One open pack of each consumable at hand height with its backstock directly behind it, reams of paper on the bottom shelf, min and max written on a card at the front edge of each shelf, and a step stool standing in the corner of the room.

Six things to check

  1. One open pack of each consumable at hand height
  2. Backstock standing directly behind the open pack
  3. Reams of paper on the bottom shelf
  4. Min and max noted on a card at the front edge of each shelf
  5. A step stool standing in the corner of the room
  6. Nothing stacked above shoulder height

Fall Reaching the top shelf from a rolling office chair. The chair moves under you the moment you shift your weight, so bring a step stool into this room and keep it here.

Fall, cut, or crush Reams of paper and boxes of envelopes stored above shoulder height, where a slipping box lands on your head and shoulders while your arms are up.

The deal you got. The bulk box of 500 envelopes, the multipack of sticky notes, the case of paper bought because the price was good. The genuinely hard part is that you were not wrong about the price, and admitting the surplus was a mistake feels like throwing money away twice. It is not: the money left when you bought it, and the shelf space is being paid for now. Count the true stock and divide it by your honest annual use, out loud. Six letters a year against 500 envelopes is a lifetime supply and then some. Cap it at one open plus one spare of anything you use monthly, and a single year of use for everything else. The surplus goes to a school, a charity shop, or a neighbour this week. Not to the top shelf, and not to a box in the garage.

What it uses

  • Neutral pH multi-surface cleaner
  • Compact vacuum with attachments
  • Small detail brush set
  • Color-coded microfiber cloth set
  • Portable cleaning caddy

Three frictions, then the fix

FrictionHOF-016

THREE PACKS OF THE SAME THING, AGAIN

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. THEN WHY.

●○○○○

“I buy something and find three of it at home.”

How it works

Why does this happen here?

  1. Backstock is stored where the open pack cannot be seen → POOR VISIBILITY
  2. There is no max written down for anything → MISSING STANDARD
  3. Supplies are split across several rooms → NO ASSIGNED HOME

Pick the answer that is true in your home office, then turn to that root cause card. If two are true, take the one you could change this week.

FrictionHOF-017

OUT OF STAPLES WITH NO WARNING AT ALL

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. THEN WHY.

●○○○○

“We run out of something with no warning.”

How it works

Why does this happen here?

  1. Nothing shows a min line to reorder at → POOR REPLENISHMENT
  2. The last person to take it does not tell anyone → UNCLEAR OWNERSHIP
  3. The list to add to is not where the supplies are → EXCESS MOTION

Pick the answer that is true in your home office, then turn to that root cause card. If two are true, take the one you could change this week.

FrictionHOF-018

REACHING THE TOP SHELF ON A ROLLING CHAIR

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. THEN WHY.

●○○○○

“Reaching into this cabinet is awkward or unsafe.”

How it works

Why does this happen here?

  1. Reams of paper are stored above shoulder height → SAFETY CONSTRAINT
  2. The step stool lives in another room, so a chair gets stood on instead → WRONG LOCATION
  3. Shelves are so deep things get lost at the back → POOR ACCESSIBILITY

Pick the answer that is true in your home office, then turn to that root cause card. If two are true, take the one you could change this week.

ActionHOA-011

CONSOLIDATE TO ONE OPEN PACK EACH

15 MINUTES. 1.

●●○○○

Bring every consumable together and consolidate to one open pack of each at hand height.

How it works

A dozen packs of sticky notes look like nothing until they stand side by side, and backstock nobody can see is backstock that gets bought again.

You need

  • a card and marker for the min/max note

Steps

  1. Bring every consumable together, move reams to the bottom shelf, put one open pack of each at hand height with its backstock directly behind, and write min and max on a card inside the door.
  2. Line up the true count of each item where you can see it before deciding what stays.
  3. Recycle dried glue sticks, dead markers and cracked folders now.

Victory. One open pack of each thing visible at hand height, nothing heavy above your shoulder, and a card that says when to buy.

If this keeps happening

Part of: SUPPLY CABINET and SUPPLY CABINET STANDARD

Next: SUPPLY CABINET STANDARD

ActionHOA-012

MOVE THE WEIGHT DOWN AND BRING IN THE STOOL

30 MINUTES. 1.

●●●○○

Move reams and heavy boxes below shoulder height, and put a real step stool in this room.

How it works

A rolling chair is not a ladder, and a slipping box from a shoulder-height shelf lands on your head while your arms are already up.

You need

  • a step stool
  • nothing else beyond thirty minutes

Steps

  1. Move every ream of paper and heavy box down to the bottom shelf.
  2. Bring an actual step stool into this room and leave it standing in the corner.
  3. Confirm nothing heavier than light supplies sits above shoulder height.
  4. Check the deepest shelf for anything lost at the back now that reach is easier.

Victory. A step stool stands in the corner, and nothing heavier than light supplies sits above shoulder height.

If this keeps happening

Part of: SUPPLY CABINET and SUPPLY CABINET STANDARD

Next: CONSOLIDATE TO ONE OPEN PACK EACH

StandardHOS-006

SUPPLY CABINET STANDARD

WRITE IT. SIGN IT. PUT IT WHERE IT HAPPENS.

●○○○○

One open plus one spare of anything used monthly, with min and max written on a card at the front of every shelf.

How it works

Trigger: When you open the last pack of something.

Write on

  • Who agreed this: ______________ and ______________
  • Date: ____ / ____ / ______
  • Where this card lives: ______________________________

This is a write on card. Fill it in with a pen, in your own words if the printed sentence is not yours, and put it where the zone is. A standard nobody signed is a preference.

Ninety seconds, if that is what you have

  • Count the open packs of one consumable; if more than one is open at a time, close and shelve the spare.
  • Check the min and max card on one shelf still matches what is actually sitting there.
  • Confirm the step stool is standing in its corner, not a chair being used in its place.

Whole room

Three cards that are not one zone’s job: following one real piece of paper from the door to a folder, sweeping out anything that is not actually office work, and the reach-behind clean and safety walk to do before any rebuild.

ActionHOA-013

FOLLOW ONE PIECE OF PAPER FROM DOOR TO DRAWER

30 MINUTES. 1.

●●●○○

Pick one real piece of paper that arrived today and walk it through every decision point in this room until it lands in a folder or the bin.

How it works

This room's whole job is unmade decisions about paper living in one drawer, and no single zone can be judged in isolation from the others it feeds.

You need

  • one real piece of paper that arrived today

Steps

  1. Pick up the newest piece of paper that arrived in this room today.
  2. Give it a verdict at the desk: act, file, or recycle, the same test the inbox tray uses.
  3. If it needs filing, carry it straight to the cabinet and give it a folder named for the question you would ask.
  4. If a step along the way stalled, note which zone stalled it: that zone is today's real job, not this one.

Victory. The one piece of paper reaches a folder or the bin, and you can name which zone, if any, slowed it down.

If this keeps happening

Next: THE HOLDING PEN SWEEP

ActionHOA-014

THE HOLDING PEN SWEEP

15 MINUTES. 1.

●●○○○

Walk the whole room and carry out anything that is not actually office work.

How it works

This is the room with a door that closes, so it quietly becomes the household's holding pen, and anything that is not office work becomes permanent furniture if it stays past today.

You need

  • nothing beyond fifteen minutes and somewhere else in the house to carry things to

Steps

  1. Walk every surface and the floor, and name each object: office work, or not.
  2. Carry anything that is not office work to the room it actually belongs in, right now.
  3. If nothing else in the house claims it, box it for donation rather than setting it back down here.

Victory. Every object left in the room is genuinely office work.

If this keeps happening

Next: THE QUARTERLY REACH-BEHIND CLEAN AND SAFETY WALK

ActionHOA-015

THE QUARTERLY REACH-BEHIND CLEAN AND SAFETY WALK

30 MINUTES. 1.

●●●○○

Clean the spots this room hides behind its furniture, and walk it once checking for the four things that hurt people here.

How it works

Dust settles behind the printer and the bookshelf where nobody looks, and water, electricity, a fall and a tipping cabinet are the four risks in this room that only show up if you look on purpose.

You need

  • nothing beyond thirty minutes and a working set of hands

Steps

  1. Ease the printer, the bookshelf and the filing cabinet out or reach behind each with the crevice tool, and clear the dust and any stray paper.
  2. Check every charger cable and the power strip for a frayed lead or a cable crossing where the chair rolls.
  3. Check the filing cabinet and bookshelf are both anchored, and that nothing heavy sits above head height on either.
  4. Check the scissors and letter opener sit point-down in their own slot, and that the printer has clear air behind it.
  5. Fix anything you find right there, or write it on a card in the inbox tray if it needs a tool you do not have to hand.

Victory. You can name, out loud, that behind the printer, behind the bookshelf, the cables, the cabinets and the sharp tools have each been checked today.

If this keeps happening

Next: CLEAR THE DESK AND HOOK THE STRIP UP

Root causes, the shared deck

Every friction card in the home office points at one of these 14, the same vocabulary the Kitchen, Entryway and Laundry Room decks use. Pull one when a friction card sends you here.

Root CauseKC-001

EXCESS

SORT FIXES THIS ONE.

●●○○○

More things are kept here than the zone's job needs.

How it works

Confirm in 30 seconds: Count what you used in the past month. If the honest number is a third of what is stored here, the space is not too small.

This is a Sort problem. Draw one of the action cards listed and do it now, at the length you actually have.

Draw one of these

Root CauseKC-002

NO ASSIGNED HOME

STRAIGHTEN FIXES THIS ONE.

●●○○○

The thing has no single defined destination, so it lands wherever the hand opens.

How it works

Confirm in 30 seconds: Ask where one specific item lives. If two people answer differently, or nobody answers, it has no home.

This is a Straighten problem. Draw one of the action cards listed and do it now, at the length you actually have.

Draw one of these

Root CauseKC-003

WRONG LOCATION

STRAIGHTEN FIXES THIS ONE.

●●○○○

It is stored somewhere, just not where it is used.

How it works

Confirm in 30 seconds: Stand where you use it and count the steps to where it is kept. More than two is the wrong cabinet.

This is a Straighten problem. Draw one of the action cards listed and do it now, at the length you actually have.

Draw one of these

Root CauseKC-004

EXCESS MOTION

STRAIGHTEN FIXES THIS ONE.

●●○○○

Getting it out means bending, lifting, unstacking, or moving something else first: too many steps.

How it works

Confirm in 30 seconds: Fetch it once and count the movements. More than two and the storage is charging you rent every time.

This is a Straighten problem. Draw one of the action cards listed and do it now, at the length you actually have.

Draw one of these

Root CauseKC-005

POOR VISIBILITY

STRAIGHTEN FIXES THIS ONE.

●●○○○

You own it, but you cannot see it, so you buy it again or forget it.

How it works

Confirm in 30 seconds: Open the door and, without moving anything, name what is at the back. If you cannot, that stock is invisible.

This is a Straighten problem. Draw one of the action cards listed and do it now, at the length you actually have.

Draw one of these

Root CauseKC-006

POOR ACCESSIBILITY

SAFETY FIXES THIS ONE.

●●○○○

The people who use it cannot reach it safely, or at all.

How it works

Confirm in 30 seconds: Have the shortest person who uses this zone fetch what they need daily. If they climb, reach overhead, or ask for help, the height is wrong.

This is a Safety problem. Draw one of the action cards listed and do it now, at the length you actually have.

Draw one of these

Root CauseKC-007

INSUFFICIENT CAPACITY

SORT FIXES THIS ONE.

●●○○○

The right storage exists and genuinely cannot hold what belongs in it.

How it works

Confirm in 30 seconds: Put back only what belongs here. If it still will not close, or still stacks four deep, the capacity is the problem, not the habit.

This is a Sort problem. Draw one of the action cards listed and do it now, at the length you actually have.

Draw one of these

Root CauseKC-008

MISSING STANDARD

STANDARDIZE FIXES THIS ONE.

●●○○○

Nobody agreed what good looks like, so everybody is right.

How it works

Confirm in 30 seconds: Ask two people what this surface should look like at bedtime. Two answers means there is no standard to keep.

This is a Standardize problem. Draw one of the action cards listed and do it now, at the length you actually have.

Draw one of these

Root CauseKC-009

MISSING TRIGGER

SUSTAIN FIXES THIS ONE.

●●○○○

The reset is a good intention with nothing to attach it to.

How it works

Confirm in 30 seconds: Name the moment it happens. If the answer is "when I get round to it", there is no trigger and it will not survive a bad week.

This is a Sustain problem. Draw one of the action cards listed and do it now, at the length you actually have.

Draw one of these

Root CauseKC-010

SAFETY CONSTRAINT

SAFETY FIXES THIS ONE.

●●○○○

The current arrangement can hurt somebody, and that outranks tidy.

How it works

Confirm in 30 seconds: Look for the four: a blade your hand would meet, weight above shoulder height, heat beside something that burns, and an unsafe placement near a child's reach.

This is a Safety problem. Draw one of the action cards listed and do it now, at the length you actually have.

Draw one of these

Root CauseKC-011

POOR REPLENISHMENT

STANDARDIZE FIXES THIS ONE.

●●○○○

Consumables run out unnoticed, and stock ages out of use unseen.

How it works

Confirm in 30 seconds: Find the last one of something you use daily. If nothing tells you it is the last one, you will find out at the worst possible moment.

This is a Standardize problem. Draw one of the action cards listed and do it now, at the length you actually have.

Draw one of these

Root CauseRC-013

UNCLEAR OWNERSHIP

SUSTAIN FIXES THIS ONE.

●●○○○

Nobody specific is responsible for resetting this zone, so upkeep depends on whoever notices first.

How it works

Confirm in 30 seconds: Ask who resets this zone. If the honest answer is "whoever gets to it" or two names with no agreement, there is no owner.

This is a Sustain problem. Draw one of the action cards listed and do it now, at the length you actually have.

Draw one of these

Root CauseRC-015

UNRESOLVED DECISION

SORT FIXES THIS ONE.

●●○○○

The item is not clutter, it is a decision that has not been made, so it is stacked instead of acted on.

How it works

Confirm in 30 seconds: Pick up one piece. If your first thought is a verb (pay, sign, call, decide) rather than a place, it needs a decision, not a home.

This is a Sort problem. Draw one of the action cards listed and do it now, at the length you actually have.

Draw one of these

Root CauseRC-016

DIFFICULT TO CLEAN

SHINE FIXES THIS ONE.

●●○○○

Reaching the surface to clean it costs more effort than the rest of the zone combined, so it gets skipped.

How it works

Confirm in 30 seconds: Time how long it actually takes to reach and wipe the surface. If it requires moving something first, that cost is why it is skipped.

This is a Shine problem. Draw one of the action cards listed and do it now, at the length you actually have.

Draw one of these

Events, the day that tests it

Draw one when an ordinary hard day happens, and see whether the standard held.

EventHOE-001

THE DEADLINE ALL-NIGHTER

THE DAY THAT TESTS IT.

●●●○○

A deadline lands and you need the desk and every drawer tool ready for six straight hours of work, starting now.

How it works

Tests: PRIMARY DESK, DESK DRAWERS AND PEDESTAL

It held if: The desk is already clear enough to spread out on, and the first pen you grab writes.

If it did not: If you had to clear clutter or hunt for a working pen before you could start, the everyday reset was not being kept. Draw HOA-001 or HOA-003.

EventHOE-002

THE TAX SEASON ENVELOPE

THE DAY THAT TESTS IT.

●●●○○

This year's tax documents arrive in the post and need a folder, a shred decision, and a place in the cabinet the same afternoon.

How it works

Tests: FILE STORAGE

It held if: The new folder slots straight in at the front of this year's tabs, and the oldest year past your retention period comes out to be shredded the same day.

If it did not: If the drawer would not close for the new folder, the retention pass has not been run. Draw HOA-005 or HOA-006.

EventHOE-003

THE SCHOOL PROJECT RESEARCH NIGHT

THE DAY THAT TESTS IT.

●●●○○

A child needs three reference books from the shelf for a project due tomorrow, and needs to find them without help.

How it works

Tests: BOOKSHELF AND REFERENCE ZONE

It held if: The right books sit at an eye level a child can actually reach and read the spines of, grouped by subject.

If it did not: If a book had to be hunted for on a stool or was not there at all, the shelf is not grouped by why it gets used. Draw HOA-007 or HOA-008.

EventHOE-004

THE LAST-MINUTE PRINTING RUN

THE DAY THAT TESTS IT.

●●●○○

Fifty pages need to print and scan back in within the hour, right before you have to leave the house.

How it works

Tests: PRINTER AND SCANNING STATION

It held if: The paper bin has enough stock to finish the job, and the finished scans land on the done side of the tray without a pause to sort them.

If it did not: If you ran out of paper mid-job or the scan tray had no clear done side, the everyday reset was not being kept. Draw HOA-009.

EventHOE-005

THE OFFICE SUPPLY RUN YOU ALMOST SKIPPED

THE DAY THAT TESTS IT.

●●●○○

You are about to leave for the shop and need to know, in ten seconds, exactly what this room is actually low on.

How it works

Tests: SUPPLY CABINET

It held if: The min and max cards on the shelf edges answer the question without opening a single box.

If it did not: If you had to open boxes to find out what was low, the cards were not being kept current. Draw HOA-011.

EventHOE-006

THE DOOR-CLOSES-ON-IT WEEKEND

THE DAY THAT TESTS IT.

●●●○○

Nobody has been in this room in two weeks because the door stayed shut, and a guest is coming through the house this weekend.

How it works

Tests: PRIMARY DESK, SUPPLY CABINET

It held if: Nothing that is not office work has collected in the room, and the desk is still in its photographed state.

If it did not: If a holding-pen item had crept in, or the desk had drifted from its photo, the room's own trap caught you. Draw HOA-014 or HOA-002.