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TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATION AT WORK
The average person spends an hour
a day just looking for stuff.
That equals to six weeks worth of work a year! It is definitely
worth your time to take the time to get organized. Make an
appointment with yourself for four hours of uninterrupted
time. Bring in a large wastebasket and keep in mind the following
tips
| Today’s
mail is tomorrow’s pile.
Ignore the old papers until you set up a system that will
accommodate every new piece of paper. Then incorporate
the old into the new – or get rid of it altogether!
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Clutter
is postponed decisions™. To eliminate the
clutter on your desk and in your life, think FAT™:
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File
– For papers you may want or need in the future |
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Act
– For papers which require action or delegation |
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Toss
– For paper you can live without, or can get
elsewhere |
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Use
the Art of Wastebasketry™ and ask yourself
the following questions:
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Does
this require action? |
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Can
I identify a specific use? |
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Would
it be difficult to obtain again? |
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Is
it recent enough to be useful? |
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Are
there tax or legal implications? And my favorite: |
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What
is the worst possible thing that would happen if
I didn't have this? |
If you can live with your answer,
toss -- or better yet, recycle it! |
| Eliminate
paper from your office by simply using your calendar more
frequently. Instead of keeping the paper, put the
information (location of meeting, for example) on your
calendar and throw the paper. |
| If
there is an open basket or tray – stuff will collect
in them. To avoid accumulating clutter, eliminate
any container in your workspace that does not have a specific
purpose. |
| Keep
in mind the purpose of a filing system is not to put papers
away – it’s to be able to find them
again! Know that 80%
of what you file you will never look at again! |
| Group
papers together in their largest category –
and break them down when the file becomes too bulky to
manage. On the other hand, putting one piece of paper
in a file folder is perfectly acceptable – if it
helps you find it when you need it! |
| A
File Index is to a filing system what a Chart of Accounts
is to a budget. You need a Chart of Accounts to
manage your money, and a File Index to manage your information.
(Taming the Paper Tiger software will create the File
Index automatically!) |
| Implement
“Just in Time Reading.” Instead of
piling magazine in a corner, check the table of contents
for articles that are of interest. Remove or photocopy
them, and file them according to the appropriate subject
so you can read them when you need the information |
| Make
backing up or transferring data easier by putting
all your electronic data into one folder. |
In every organizing process there
are times when things feel worse before they get better.
This is normal, and not necessarily the best time to stop
for a cup of coffee or check your e-mail! Keep at it and the
results will amaze you.
Elizabeth Hagen
Professional Organizer/Speaker
605.357.8767
Elizabeth Hagen is a professional organizer/speaker who loves
to help others get organized and will help you Establish Excellence
in your Environment.
Contact her at elizabeth@elizabethhagen.com
or visit her website at http://www.elizabethhagen.com
and learn how you can find anything in 5 seconds or less...guaranteed!
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