5 Items to Remove From Your Desktop

   

Flat surfaces seem to be magnets for piles of miscellaneous items.  Kitchen tables, tops of dressers, that chair in the foyer, and even your desk (!) can accrue "stuff" that really doesn't belong there.  Since it's my mission to help people organize their office spaces, here are 5 simple suggestions to help you get started on yours.
Begin by removing unnecessary items from your desktop, such as:

1. Things you do not use on a daily basis.  Keep the phone, computer, planner, stapler, a couple of pens, etc. but remove the rest.
2. Junk mail.  If you're not in the habit of sorting through your mail on the day you receive it, then get in the habit!  Immediately throw away any ads, coupons, credit card offers you know you won't use.
3. Outdated materials.  This includes notes from seminars or meetings, old brochures, ancient business cards, etc.  Anything with an expiration date that's passed, throw it out!
4. Knick-knacks and other companies' promotional items.  I know, you need the stress ball with your insurance agent's logo on it, but do you really need 6 of them?  I think not.  The ceramic angel you don't want to get rid of because your co-worker gave it to you 2 Christmases ago--remove it from your desktop!  You probably don't even like angels.
5. And finally, trash.  So obvious, I know, but I wouldn't have this on the list if it wasn't happening.  Don't leave empty candy and snack wrappers on your desk.  Throw away the mostly empty Starbucks cup from last week.  Same goes for any half-eaten food (ick.).  Throw the trash away.

Take a moment to really look at your desktop now.  Are there any of the items from the list on it?  A cleared off desktop is a wonderful thing!  There will be less to distract you so you can focus on doing your best at work.  Short on time?  Tackle one of these a day and you'll have a "new" desk in only 5 days!  Get started, and good luck.

Five Uncommonly Known Causes of Disorganization

Many people who struggle with chronic disorganization feel bad about themselves because they think they should be able to get organized easily.  Some believe, or think that others will believe, that they aren't smart, or that they're just lazy and that's why they're struggling to get organized.  Not so at all!  Here are 5 reasons why you or someone you know may struggle with disorganization...so be understanding of yourself and others.  You may not know what others in your life are dealing with.

1. Life crises: health emergency, death of a loved one, job loss, trauma
2. Transitions: frequent moves, birth or adoption of a child, divorce
3. Beliefs/Attitudes: "I am a procrastinator--always have been, always will be", fear of being judged harshly by others
4. Mental Health Issues: depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive, hoarding disorder
5. Ineffective Beliefs About Possessions: valuing objects unrealistically, associating possessions with one's identity

Source: National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization, Facts by Phyllis Flood Knerr

5 of My Favorite Organizing and Productivity Websites

I visit a lot of websites in an ongoing effort to find useful, relevant, and interesting material to use in my newsletter, social media efforts, and communication with my clients.  While I'm always interested in finding new sources, I find that when I'm in a hurry or just don't feel like spending a lot of time looking for new material, there are a handful of sites that I know I can count on for what I need.  Here are 5 of them--check them out when you get a chance!

http://www.43folders.com/
http://www.dumblittleman.com/
http://www.sortingwithstyle.com/
www.evancarmichael.com/productivity
www.organize.com/office.html

Are You Visual? Try This Calendar...

I recently purchased one of these large calendars and I love it!  Many people have it on their desktop, which is a fine way to use it, but I hung mine on the wall right next to my desk and chair.  I use my iPhone calendar for when I'm out and about, and to keep track of personal and business obligations, and this has been very effective for me.  I love the large wall calendar since I can see the whole month at once--I didn't realize how valuable that would be until I actually experienced the convenience!  If you don't have one and you find yourself struggling to keep up with and remember appointments, or if you are a visual person and would like to see what your whole month ahead looks like in order to more effectively plan, I say go get one now!  Bonus: since it's already March, they're on sale!

Update Your Organizing Systems

Once you're "organized", it's an ongoing process that takes minimal daily maintenance.  However, if you find that some of the systems you've set up are not really helping you in your organizing endeavors, then you may need to make some adjustments.  This is fine!  I have to do this myself, and I find that as life gets busier I need to fine-tune things in my office occasionally. 
Over the weekend I did this.  I moved my filing cabinet from one corner to another (I can still reach it from my office chair), I removed everything from my desktop and put back only the items I really need on it, and I moved my whiteboard and large calendar to a more accessible place on the wall close to my desk.  Now I won't forget to write things down, darnit!  I also hung up some pretty pictures to inspire me...don't forget to include the little things that make a huge difference. 

Organize For Tax Time

It's possible you know someone who highly dreads this time of year.  Tax time.  Even though, like Christmas, it happens at the same time every year, some of us are usually still caught off guard.  What--I have to gather my receipts, update my mileage log, balance months of bank statements...already? Again?  Crap.  (Kinda like I am around the holidays--already? Again? Crap.)

Anyway, if your filing system for tax documents consists of a pile of papers stacked somewhere in your office, here are a few tips to make this year's tax time a little less painful.  Hopefully next year's, too.

• Systematically go through the papers and receipts and sort into relevant piles.  Different categories will emerge, so put like with like.
• Create a folder for each category: Income, Expenses, Receipts, Records (or use words that make sense to you so you'll know what goes in the folders and you'll use them)
• I suggest paper clipping together each month's papers inside of each folder--this way, if you need to find info for a certain month, you can do so quickly without having to rifle through the folder
• If you have an accountant that you'll be giving your info to, go ahead and add up the items in each category.  He/she will double-check your numbers anyway, but this can be a time saver for them.
• Throughout the year, use these folders!!  Don't make your life harder by procrastinating on this one. 

 You'll thank yourself next year at tax time, and you'll wonder why you waited so long to organize your tax documents!

Do You Need An Inbox?

Yes!  Many clients I work with either don't have one, or if they do, it's misused as yet another place to stack papers they're not sure what to do with.  Some inbox tips:

• It should live on your desktop.  It doesn't matter if it's on the corner or in the center--it just needs to be within arm's reach.
• Its main purpose is for gathering papers, reminders, notes from meetings, daily mail, and other info that isn't urgent, but that needs to be processed (filed, delegated, acted upon, trashed) in some way soon. 
• You must clean it out at least once a week!  That's the hard part for most folks.  But you defeat the purpose of the inbox if you just let stuff sit there.  Discipline yourself to make time each day or so to decide what needs to be done with each item in your inbox.  You'll notice an increase in your productivity--I promise!

Inboxes can be plastic trays or wicker baskets or even the lid of a cardboard box.  Whatever will work for you--just use one!  Here are some pretty ones from www.seejanework.com .

Time Management Quick Tip

Hearing the phrase "time management" should not make you groan or cringe...it's something we could all improve upon in our daily lives. Spending our time wisely and thoughtfully will only help us reach our goals in life faster. So, yay for time management!

Tip #1: Write down goals for each area of your life. Be specific! Start with annual goals, then break those down into monthly, weekly, and daily goals. Prioritize your daily goals so you'll be focused on what has to get done. Look at your goals every day so you'll stay focused on what you want to accomplish.

I Want To See Your Office!

When I meet people and I tell them that I am a professional organizer, they chuckle (sometimes groan) and often say,”Oh, now, you don’t want to see my office. It’s beyond help.” And my response to them is, “Yes, I DO want to see your office!” I am passionate about helping people experience the joys of working in a well-organized office environment. Many people—even those who ooze self-confidence in most other situations—are sheepish, apologetic even, when it comes to revealing the disorganized state of their office space. I can understand this—your office is your personal space and is a reflection of you.

Being disorganized does not mean you are a bad person…most people live in some state of disorganization, and that’s normal. The goal is to minimize the degree of disorganization so you’re not battling continual chaos, but don’t pressure yourself to be perfect. Making the firm commitment to yourself to become better organized is the first step in the process. Start small. If you find that you still struggle with taking the steps necessary to improve your organization, consider hiring a professional. It’s well worth the time and money you will spend, especially if you take into account how much time and money you waste living a disorganized life. A professional organizer can at least get you started, will provide an action plan, focus and motivation along the way. Become better organized—you’ll have more time to spend doing things you love with the people you love!