Home Organization Archives - Page 8 of 15

How To Make Good Habits

Have you vowed to get organized once and for all?

Do you dream of impeccable time management habits?

Is this the year you will exercise, eat better, get more sleep, stop smoking or make some other positive change?

Why is it that some people can make good habits a habit and others can not?

Check out this short video on how to make good habits

And then read the Getting It Together’s Top 5 Tips on how to make good habits.

Tip #1: Visualize. In order to move forward with new habits you need to see yourself already there. Visualize yourself as a non smoker or as eating healthy whole foods. Think about how this new habit will improve your life.

Tip #2: Journal. Once you have visualized yourself already in the new habit now you will want to keep track of it in a journal. Write out all the benefits of achieving this new habit like increased energy or that you will be able to find what you are looking for in 20 seconds or less once your home is all organized.

Tip #3: One step at a time. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to organize your whole home in one day? In most cases this is impossible however if you set up small baby steps you can accomplish it. Take 15 minutes a day and work on one small area. For example your sock drawer. Take out all the odd socks and holey ones. Donate any extras if you have too many pairs and leave the rest. Easy to do in 15 minutes for sure.

Tip #4: Grab a buddy. Things are always better with a buddy. Who do you know who would like to get in better shape? Team up with them for long walk and talks. Make it a habit to meet once twice or even three times a week. Make each other accountable. Leaving a comment in the comment box below is a great way to becoming accountable. Tell us what your new habit is and we will hold you to it.:)

Tip #5: Have a plan. Know what you need to do in order to reach your goals. What daily habits do you need to instill to keep organized, eat better, get in shape, or stop smoking?

PS: Enter to win!

Getting It Together has just had a makeover and we want to hear from you. Please leave a comment in the comment box and your name will be entered into a draw to WIN a purse Organizer.

Check it out www.gettingittogether.ca/products

Share the love by sharing the link. Thank You

By donnap|2020-06-07T20:52:36+00:00October 28th, 2015|Home Organization, Organizer, Time Management|3 Comments

How To Improve Your Energy Management

Do you wish you had more time or do you wish you had more energy?

Do you wonder how some people get so much done in a day?

What if we were to manage our energy within those 24 hours would it feel like we had more time?

Time is finite, energy is not.

Please take the time now to watch this quick video on How to improve your energy management.

What are some of the things that energize you?

Some of mine are hanging out with friends, going for a nice long walk, sitting and having a gourmet cup of coffee, and an organized home.

What are some of the things that de-energize you?

Some of mine are being around negative people, chaos, unresolved conflicts, and not getting enough sleep.

Every day we wake up with our “bag” of energy. When we do things that energize us our bag gets filled up. When we do things that deplete our energy our bag gets sucked dry. We need to do things everyday to fill our bag of energy up. Increased energy means we get more done in less time. Has anyone ever called you and said “hey I am in your neighborhood and I would like to stop by in 20 minutes?” Do you wonder where all that energy comes from to quickly put things away and straighten up the house? You get it done in record time. And, if you have all day to tidy up your house you probably take all day. See how this increase in energy has just given you extra time?

Here are Getting It Together’s Top three quick tips on How to Improve Your Energy Management

Tip #1. Make a list of the things that energize you and a list of the things that deplete your energy. Love for you to share some of them in the comment box below. I’ll bet most of us have many in common.

Tip #2. Do at least one thing every day that gives you energy. It might be as simple as sitting for 15 minutes and enjoying a cup of herbal tea. It might be meditating for 15 minutes or exercising. I highly recommend scheduling these energy boosters in your calendar. They are a very important appointment with you.

Tip #3. Take a look at your list of energy busters. The things that drain you. What can you delegate? What can you eliminate? Our plates are only as full as we make them. Are there some things that can wait? By eliminating some of these energy drainers you will increase your time. How will you use this new found time? If there are things that only you can do and they are energy drainers do them first thing. Get them off the list and reward yourself with an energy enhancer activity.

P.S. Catch Rowena LIVE on this one time Blog Radio Show interview – April 18th at 10:30am PST. You will get the latest significant business secrets and more all for FREE. Click here so you won’t miss it. Just click on the reminder button to save to your calendar or have an email reminder sent to you.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:39+00:00March 31st, 2015|Home Organization, Organizer, Self Care Organization, Time Management|0 Comments

How To Organize Kids Artwork – what to keep and how to store the rest

Kids artwork Do you have the next up and coming Picasso?

Do you wish you could keep every piece of artwork your kids bring home?

Do you keep all the art thinking that your kids will want it when they are grown up?

Human nature is such that we all think pretty much the same on this topic. We feel that every piece of artwork is the BEST piece. We feel that we want to keep all the kids artwork because it would hurt their feelings if they saw it in the recycle bin. We also think they will want it when they are grown up … is this so they can show their own kids? Do you have your artwork from your childhood? What are you doing with it? How many times have you moved it? Is it filled with dust and must?

I do not know about you, but I do not have one piece of artwork from my childhood. I am perfectly okay with that as I see other children’s artwork and know that mine would have looked almost identical. Plus, what would I do with 10 plus year old artwork? I really do not feel any less than by not having my artwork.

I do have a vivid memory of a piece of artwork that I did that won me $5.00. It was of a dragon. It was big and bright and colourful. The memory is all I need.

Take a quick moment to watch this video on How to Organize Kids Artwork:

Then give these simple 5 tips a try on how to organize your kid’s artwork.

Tip#1: Designate one wall or hallway for your kid’s artwork. Hang a long piece of string on that wall that looks like a clothes line but attached to the wall. Hang clothes pins from the string.

Tip#2: Each time your child brings home a piece of artwork hang it from the “clothesline”.

Tip#3: At the end of each week take a photo of your child standing beside his/her artwork. These pictures make really cool screensaver slideshows or a Pinterest board!

Tip#4: At the end of each week take all the art down off the string. Along with your child (or not) decide on ONE piece of art from that week that you will keep. The rest can be recycled, used as wrapping paper for the next Birthday party, made into greeting cards for family and friends, or turned into party invitations. You can even send the artwork off to grandparents or aunts and uncles.

Tip#5: At the end of each month you will have 4 pieces of your children’s finest Picasso. Along with them or by yourself select ONE of your favorite to store in a keepsake box. The other 3 get tossed, or repurposed as mentioned in tip #4. At the end of the year you will have 12 pieces of art. Now it is time to get ruthless again and select ONE piece that will be saved in your child’s memorabilia box or you may choose to frame this one piece or you may choose to put it in a bound book. You can also add the weekly photos that you took to this book or scrapbook. I have seen really cool bound books of kid’s artwork. If you are interested in this please contact me and I will give you the contact information.

I would love to see your children’s artwork. Please send me a picture or two. Also, I would love to hear your comments. Please fill in the box below with your great ideas on organizing your kid’s artwork or any questions you might have.

Have you set up a Pinterest account? If not please feel free to contact me. I’ll give you the highs and lows in a FREE 30 minute phone consultation. We will discuss whether you need a Pinterest account. What you can pin and why you might like to have a Pinterest account.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:40+00:00December 15th, 2014|Home Organization, Organizer|2 Comments

Downsizing Seniors

Downsizing Seniors Are you the adult child of an aging senior?

Are your parents still in the family home? Is it time to downsize them?

Are you a senior wanting to downsize?

Seniors are our largest growing demographic. You may be one of them or you may have parents that fit into that category.

My mom is 79. Fortunately she is still able to live in the family home however that does not mean that is the best idea. Some experts have the theory that it is better to downsize while you can still make all of the major decisions and your health is still really good. I would have to agree.

All too often I work with clients who are not capable of downsizing. Their grown children are so busy with their own lives that they are not able to help either.

Check out this short video on downsizing seniors. Plus Getting it Together’s game plan.

1. Have a family meeting to decide when a good time to start downsizing is. My Aunt did this and came up with the age in which she felt was appropriate to move into something smaller. She has given herself a couple of years in which to plan for and execute the move. In the meantime when her grown children are over they work on a certain area of the house. For example, they did cookbooks the other day. This was a funny one because my cousin asked my Aunt which cookbooks she was still using to which my Aunt replied “none, I do not cook anymore”. Lol

Ok so that was easy. All the cookbooks went to the second hand book store.

Next in line were the volumes of encyclopedias. The money people have spent on encyclopedias to realize that now a day’s Google does it all for us. Off to the used book store they went.

2. Decide who will help you or your aging parents with downsizing. Chances are your grown kids have a young family of their own. Their time may be very limited. Is it best to hire a professional organizer to help with the downsizing?

3. Where do you want your items to go? This is always a tricky question. I know of people that again have a family meeting. They get each person to put their name on the back of any items they would like once the downsizing starts and/or when the aging parents pass away. Are there collections that need to be sold? Are there family heirlooms that need to be preserved? Are there other household items that need to be donated or tossed? This is where I come in. I will sell, donate, or toss items for my clients. I think if people know their items are going to a good place they are more likely to part with them.

What items will be needed in the new smaller living space? This might be a tougher question to answer until you see the new smaller living space. Once you do, you will be able to decide what stays and what goes.

4. When should you start downsizing? TODAY! If you have allowed yourself enough time you can break this downsizing project down into bite size pieces. Try not to leave this project to the last minute. Change is hard on most people. Downsizing is one of the biggest changes a person might do in their life. Embrace it.

Would you like a FREE session over the phone? Contact me today to get yours. We can discuss your downsizing situation and come up with some solutions in order for you to move forward right away.

Have you had any experience with downsizing a parent or have you yourself recently downsized? If so please leave some helpful comments in the box below.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:40+00:00November 3rd, 2014|Home Organization, Organizer, Organizing to Move, Self Care Organization|0 Comments

Things To Do With Old Magazines

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Two of our grand daughters have started selling magazines as a school fundraiser. They both want to be TOP sellers. At the beginning of the school year we get a phone call asking us to buy, buy, buy.

We could easily get caught up in the excitement and the very reasonable price of all the magazines. The TOP sellers for the school get a prize. You know my background is in direct selling so I am all for being the TOP seller.

The key is “how many magazines can one person read per month?” I buy what magazines I want and then give them sales ideas. I think it is a win-win situation.

Check out this short video on things to do with your old magazines.

Does it bug you that your Doctor’s office has magazines from ten years ago? After reading these tips I’ll bet it won’t for long.

How many unread magazines do you have sitting on your coffee table?

Would you like to have more time to read all those magazines?

O magazine I just got off the phone with a client (let’s call her Mary) who has EVERY issue of Oprah magazine. I know other people who have the same collection. Are you one of them? This is what I suggested to her.

Tip#1: Donate. The thing is you are not going to go back and reread ALL those issues of Oprah. We are talking at least 100 issues. “Mary” thought she was going to. She even had the best of intentions to cut out the very best articles and file them. Let’s get real. Who has that kind of spare time? If you do have that kind of spare time chances are you are going to be doing something else with it. I challenged “Mary” to take an arms load to her doctor’s appointment that day. She can see a seniors centre from her apartment window. She agreed to take an arm load there this afternoon. “Mary” also has every issue of Chatelaine that her mother has given her. Her intention was to keep them for the recipes.

Guess what? Every time “Mary” needs a recipe she goes to the internet! She must have read my newsletter on “organizing your recipes”!

Tip#2: Re-Gift. If you buy one issue of a magazine and a girlfriend buys a different issue of a magazine you can swap or re-gift once you have both finished reading your magazine. This will also cut your cost in half.

Tip#3: Repurpose. “Mary” has a daughter. I’ll bet most of you have kids as well. Let your kids use the pictures in the magazines for their school projects. Do you do a goal/dream poster each year? Magazines have the best sayings and photos for that poster.

The phone call with “Mary” ended with her feeling very excited about moving forward with her magazines. You might think it is a small step, however it is a step in the right direction to clearing the unwanted clutter. Think before you bring in more magazines. Will you have time to read it? Is it a magazine you still enjoy reading? Can you get it online?

Put down the magazine and contact me for a FREE 30 minute phone consultation. We will discuss your “hotspots” and any magazine challenges you might be having.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:40+00:00September 22nd, 2014|Home Organization, Organizer|0 Comments

Organizing Family Photos

Organizing family photos does not have to be an arduous task as long as you ask yourself these key questions.

What is your ultimate goal with organizing family photos?

Who would like to inherit all your family photos?

Would you like a family photo album for each family member or just one communal album?

Have you asked your family members if they would like a family photo album or is this something that you think they would like?

Do you make a hard copy or do you put each family member’s photos on a disk?

Do you organize your album by event or chronological?

Please ask yourself these questions and get clear on your outcome before starting the project.

The reason why I am getting you to really analyze these questions is because putting together family photo albums can be tricky. The upside is it can also be loads of fun and very rewarding.

I am going to assume you want to put together a family photo album for each family member. I’ll also assume that your pictures are in hard copy format not digital.

Check out this short video on Organizing Family Photos:

Use these top 5 Getting It Together tips to move forward with organizing family photos.

Let’s say you have 2 children. One we will call Tim and the other Sue.

Tip#1: Take a big white envelope and label it TIM. Take another big white envelope and label it SUE.

Tip#2: Take one small pile, small box or one old photo album. Divide the pictures between each big white envelope. Do not worry about anything else at this point. Just the sorting and dividing of prints between the 2 envelopes. If both children are in one picture you could scan it and put the photo in each envelope.

Tip#3: Take each envelope and do a ruthless purge. Toss any photos that are out of focus. Toss any where the eyes are closed or beat red. Toss any photos in which you have no memory of taking it, do not know where it was taken and or do not know who else is in the photos.

Tip#4: Next take your envelope of pictures and sort them by date or by events. For example you could put all birthday pictures together. Then all Christmas pictures together, etc. I find this to be far more effective than trying to do an album by date.

Tip#5: Put together the album. You may choose to write a little story on each page.

Once you have completed the 2 albums watch with delight as your grown children open them and devour the pages. I am sure they will be thrilled.

Still feeling a little overwhelmed by all the photos in your home. Call me for a FREE 30 minute phone consultation. We can discuss your personal needs. I’ll give you some tips and encouragement to help you move forward with this project.

Did this video and article help you with moving forward? If so, please leave a comment in the comment box below and please share the love by sharing this blog post with your family, friends and social media peeps. Thank you. 🙂

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:41+00:00June 9th, 2014|Home Organization, Organizer, Time Management|0 Comments

Time management – what percentage are you in?

How many hours are in your day?

This is a trick question. Joking aside we all have the same 24 hours in a day. It is how you use them that counts. Some people have a very high value on time while others do not. Some people seem to cram a lot in a day while others do not want to. Since we are all given the same amount of time in a day it really is up to us as to how we spend them.

Are you spending yours the way you really want to?

For sure most of you have certain obligations in a day. For sure some of you have certain responsibilities in a day. Once those obligations and or responsibilities are taken care of you can then look at the rest of your time and see how you are spending it.

Check out this short video on time management.

Did you know that 28% of our day is spent on email? YIKES!!! You have heard it from me before however it is worth repeating.

Unless you have the type of job that requires you to be on email all day only check email twice a day. For sure only check your personal emails twice a day. Check it at noon and again at 4 pm. You will be shocked at how much more time you will have. You will be surprised at how most of your emails can wait from 4 pm until noon the next day. Give it a try and let me know the results in the comment box below.

Did you know that 60% of people check work related emails while on vacation? Giving yourself a mental break actually increases your productivity once you get back to work. Our minds deserve a break. I hear people say “ya but if I do not check my work emails while I am away I will come back to hundreds of emails.” My question would be “how many of those hundreds of emails have taken care of themselves while you have been away?”

Small Bathroom Ideas Pictures Photos Images Selections This is shocking…59% of people check their emails from the bathroom!! Is this the reason so many phones end up in the toilet? There is nothing that cannot wait until you have had a few minutes of private time.

30% of people describe most days as being stressful. Well I guess so if you are taking your phone with you on holidays and to the bathroom. Having proper time management really does ease the stress.

I have found that using the weekly plan sheet eliminates so much stress and increases the number of minutes you have in the day. If you have not received your FREE copy of my Getting It Together’s weekly plan sheet please email me right away and I will send you a copy. Then in your FREE phone session I will give you the step by step methods I use to implement this weekly plan sheet into my life. I recommend colour coding along with getting real about your ideal day.

51% of people admit social media at work hurts their productivity. What about the other 49%? I guess they are not admitting it! Social media has its’ time and place. What I have found about social media is that it is so easy to get distracted and start web surfing without that being your intention. Before you know it 2 hours have gone. Never to been seen again.

I highly recommend having a set amount of time blocked off in your weekly plan sheet for social media. Stick to that plan and see how much more time you have in your day.

The average person has up to 13 different time management methods and they still forget stuff. Are you strictly an electronic kind of person or do you still like the paper method? Pick one way or the other and stick to it.

Another great tip for increasing your time is to illuminate interruptions. Did you know that most people get interrupted up to 7 times a day while working on a project? This might be at work or at home. These interruptions can add up to 50% of your day. There is nothing wrong with putting a sign on your door that says “please do not interrupt unless the place is on fire. I will be available at X time to answer your questions.”

Many people feel that multitasking will increase their time. In fact the opposite is true.

If you focus 100% on the task at hand you will get it done faster, better and with less stress. Please see one of my previous blogs about “Clutter and how it is affecting your relationships.”

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:41+00:00April 14th, 2014|Home Organization, Organizer, Organizing to Move, Self Care Organization, Time Management|1 Comment

Questions to ask yourself before buying organizing products

Save time and money.

Most people feel that if they buy baskets and rubber containers that they will be organized.

Does that sound like you?

That is like thinking that because you bought a gym membership you will get fit. Logically we know this not to be true however we wish it were true. Imagine if you had a magic wand or if you were like Bewitched and could wiggle your nose and voila!! The only magic wand you have is your own motivation. Your own “why” you wanting to do something. By taking advantage of my FREE phone session we will be able to come up with your “why.” Book yours today.

Buying organizing products is like putting the cart before the horse.

Check out this short video on “questions to ask yourself before buying organizing products” to learn what you need to do first.

Clear boxes Long before you head out to the store you will want to do all of the purging, downsizing, sorting, tossing and de-cluttering. Once you have finished all of that you can start to think of products you will need to store your belongings in.

Ask yourself these top 5 questions before you take the time to go shopping and make the purchase.

1. Will this product be easy to clean? It might look like a cool way to organize XYZ however will it be easy to clean. Does it have small corners that even the smallest of fingers could not get into? Does it have grooves that will only collect dust?
Hanging organizer
2. Will I really use this product? Do not buy on impulse or because it is “cute.” You cannot believe the number of cosmetic bags I find in people’s homes. It is because people like the look of them and think that by owning a cosmetic bag it will get them organized. Or travel organizers. Or earring holders. Sometimes items like earring holders are more frustrating than they are worth. Realistically will you take the backs off of your earrings each night and poke them through the tiny holes on an earring holder and then put the backs back on? If you do not think you will realistically do this then go with a different style of organizer. For years I used ice cube trays in my drawer to divide my earrings. Now I have a hanging earring holder. So easy and takes up so little space.

3. How sturdy is the organizing product? The earring holder I have mentioned in the above tip is sturdy however it is not going to last a lifetime. The plastic will eventually rip with wear and tear. Because they are so reasonably priced I will be able to replace it. That being said, the ice cube trays really did work the best. Due to living with fewer drawers in a smaller space I had to come up with this other method.

4. How will this product improve the visibility of my stuff? So many homes I work in have those pant hangers or skirt hangers that hold up to 4 or 5 items. These hangers seem good in theory however realistically you cannot see all of the skirts or pants you have on them. Same with those round rings that hold belts. You have all your belts in one place but each time you want a belt you have to take all the other belts off the circle. Sounds frustrating to me especially first thing in the morning when you are getting ready for work and might be running late due to disorganization in your life. In the end you might forgo wearing a belt.

5. Will the organizing product fit in the space you need it for? I carry a tape measure with me everywhere I go. When I do client shopping I have my list of measurements alongside my list of needed items. I also take photos of the area in which I am needing the organizing item to fit in to. Hey, you are getting all of my top trade secrets. 🙂

There are no organizing products that solve all of our clutter issues. All products are dependent on the behaviors and systems you are willing to do and keep up. Are you using the product as a tool?

P.S. The best compliment you can give me is to pass this article on to your family and friends. Thanking you in advance for doing so.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:42+00:00March 17th, 2014|Home Organization, Organizer|0 Comments

5 Tips to Organizing Your Photos

Disneyland When asked what you would grab if your house was on fire most people say “photos.” With this being the case, why is it that most people have photos all over their homes? In boxes, in the original developers envelopes, in piles, on a memory stick and in no order? Photos, photos and more photos.

Do you like to print all or some of the pictures you take? Since going digital I only print the occasional photo. It is usually from a trip or some of the grandkids. In my past “film” life, I printed all my photos. They are all arranged in an “organized” fashion in photos albums. I bet you would have never guessed that! 😀

Everyone loves to take pictures. Pictures of their family, pictures of their travels and pictures in general. Are you one of those people? Ever since I got a digital camera (over 3 years ago) I carry it with me everywhere. Digital cameras are so much fun. They are so easy to use and you can go snap-happy-crazy. That being said, once you have taken all those pictures I am sure you would like to learn the simple tips to organizing them. Well then read on!

Did you know that most people spend less than 7 minutes looking at their travel photos after a trip? Your friends and family spend even less time looking at them. Do you really need all of them in print?

Check out this helpful video on downsizing your photos:

Tip #1: Get ruthless.

Key question to ask yourself: “how many pictures do I need to tell the story?” The perfect example is walking down the aisle on your wedding day. Is it safe to say that one picture would tell that story? Cutting the cake, one or two would tell that story. Toss all of the photos that are duplicates, blurry, eyes closed or red-eyed. Especially toss the ones where you do not even know who is in the picture!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Tip#2: Categorize.

Do you like your photos by date (chronological order) or do you like them by events? Trip to Disneyland, wedding day, Christmas, etc. Whether you have hard copies of pictures or digital it is time to sort into categories. This is not a one day job, as I am sure you are like most people and have boxes and boxes of photos or files and files of electronic photos. Take 15 minutes a day and sort just a few photos into let’s say a travel category. Work on this project piece by piece.

Tip#3: Store.

Do you want to keep your printed photos in photo boxes or albums? Pick one way and stick to it. I have physical albums done by date and electronic albums done by event. This works best for me. Be sure to back up your electronic files.

Tip#4: Label.

Please be sure to put dates, names, events and any other interesting information on your photos. What is interesting is that I come across boxes of photos while working with people with their organizing and there is not one piece of information about any of the photos. If your plan is to pass these photos onto your children, then make sure they know who everyone is.

Tip#5: System.

Starting from today, get a system in place for your photos. Any pictures you take from here on in will follow this new system. You can implement this new system while you are working on your photo organizing project.

Feeling a little overwhelmed with the volume of photos? I would love to support you in moving forward with organizing your photos and preserving all your fond memories for you and your families future. For a FREE consultation to discuss how we can move forward with this project, click here.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:42+00:00January 20th, 2014|Home Organization, Organizer|0 Comments

How to Organize a Home Office: Find What You Are Looking For in 20 Seconds or Less

Are you a solopreneur? Does your home office become a dumping ground for all the family projects, junk, and homeless items? Has your home office been neglected?

How many hours a day are you in your office? Do you share it with your kids?

How do you feel when you walk into your office? Do you close the door and go do laundry? This is probably not good for business.

A home office will naturally get disorganized from time to time however what is important is to be able to get it back in working order in 15 minutes or less.

Take a minute and think of 5 keywords you would use to describe your office. For example, you might want to describe it as inviting, relaxing, tidy, creative and organized. Keep these 5 keywords in mind when purging and organizing your office.

To find what you are looking for in 20 seconds or less, I am going to share my secret with you. Below are my 5 simple tips to having an organized workspace and keeping your sanity.

Tip #1 Clear the top of your desk

It is important to have a clear working surface. This also helps with keeping your mind clear. Start by clearing off the top of your desk except for your computer and phone. Put everything in a box (you’ll use this box later so keep it handy!). Wipe your desk down. Put one or two personal items on your desk. A family photo or a souvenir.

Tip #2 Have a working system in place

Do you share your office with other family members? Is your office a makeshift room in the house? Whether you have a small working space or large one it is important to have systems in place. Ask yourself these key questions.

Do you need:

An area for files?
A place to take care of family business like bill paying or kids school stuff.
A place for incoming phone messages and “to-do’s”? (I use www.1to31.com)
A working area that’s bigger? How big?
An area for being creative?

Now set up these different “areas or places” on the top of your desk or in a file cabinet. Before you file a piece of paper ask yourself this question “do I really need this paper or could I find it on the computer the next time I need it?” The key is to have “zones” in your office. A computer zone, a working space zone, a reading zone etc.

Tip # 3 Think outside of the box (LITERALLY!)

Go back to the box you used in Tip #1 and take out one item at a time. Put that item in its ‘new’ place. Keep in mind YOUR 5 keywords you have used to describe your office space. File items that need to be filed, toss items that are no longer needed and delegate anything you can. All non- office items need to be put away in their proper place within your home.

Tip # 4 Conquer email clutter

Was life better before email? Do you wish your inbox was cleared out by the end of the day?

Take 15 minutes to organize and purge your inbox. Set up folders for areas and subject matter you use most often. If you can, your email folders should correspond with the names of your paper files. This will save you time trying to find things later. Delete emails you no longer need. Unsubscribe from newsletters you no longer read. Be ruthless.

Check emails only once or twice a day if your business can handle this. Turn your email indicator off. The little bell is like a dog with a bone. It rings and you get distracted.

Tip # 5 Take 15 minutes at the end of your office time

Take 15 minutes at the end of each work day to clear off your desk, put things back and set-up for the next morning. Make this a habit. Even schedule it in your datebook if you have to. You’ll be so excited to get to work each morning knowing everything is in its place and that there is a place for everything.

Don’t let your office become a dumping ground for you or others. Keep those 5 keywords handy. Watch how much more productive you will be.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:42+00:00January 6th, 2014|Home Organization, Organizer|2 Comments

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