1. Be sure that everyone in your household understands how the space in your home office is to be used.
2. Pick a location that is favorable to conducting business. If possible, keep this area separate from your personal living space.
3. Pick comfortable furnishings and sufficient lighting that will reduce fatigue, discomfort, strain and injury.
4. Obtain stacking trays that are labeled for the following uses and put them in easy reach of where you sit:
1. Incoming - put the mail here until you open it.
2. Outgoing - for outgoing mail.
3. To File - for papers you want to file for future reference if they don’t require any action at this time.
5. Trim the F.A.T. - File, Act, and Toss. Professional Organizer Barbara Hemphill tells us that these are essentially the only choices that we have when dealing with paper. 80% of what we receive we can toss.
6. Put a wastebasket near where you open your mail. This makes it easy to immediately toss what you don't need to keep for action or reference.
7. Create a tickler file system and place all of your "action required" items in the system according to when you plan to act on it.
8. Create a system for easy retrieval of electronic files and for filing papers so you can find anything in 5 seconds or less.
9. Create archive files for papers you are legally required to keep or for files you rarely need to retrieve.
10. Use wall space for cabinets and shelving. You can store books, notebooks, magazines, and office supplies here.

>> Quick Tip

Pick a time each week to plan your menus. It's amazing how much better each day goes when you know what's for dinner! Download the free grocery list/menu planner and make 12 copies. Clip the copies to a small clipboard and hang the clipboard on an adhesive cup hook inside a kitchen cupboard. Use this form to not only plan for each week but to keep current on what you need to get at the grocery store. Teach your family that whenever they need something to write it down. Not to tell you - but to write it down! This makes going to the store a breeze since you don't need to check your pantry or fridge – everything you need is on the list.

>> Computer Tip

Is your desktop filled with all sorts of icons? Look at them and see if some will fit into certain categories. Then right click in any open area on the desktop and left click in the box that pops up on New – then left click on Folder. Name the folder the category that you want and then left click on the icons that fit in that category and drag them into the folder. When you've categorized all the icons into folders you can make one more folder called Desktop Folders and move all the folders into that folder. Voila! A clean, clutter-free desktop!

>> Workshops/Teleclasses

See my workshop schedule at my blog – organizedresults.blogharbor.com.

For those of you in the Sioux Falls, SD area I am presenting my GO Seminar on January 18, 2006 from 9 - noon in the Oak Centre I office complex on West 57th Street. This workshop is open to anyone and the fee is only $159 which includes a GO System Implementation Packet and the book "Getting Organized". You can bring a friend or someone else from the office for only $129. Since I rarely speak for an open enrollment workshop this is your chance to take advantage of this life-changing seminar.

After attending the workshop you will:

• Improve your ability to focus and concentrate
• Gain more control over your workload
• Never have stacks and piles of paper again!
• Easily and quickly prioritize your workload
• Get more done in less time
• Increase your contribution to the bottom-line results of your organization

To register download the registration form and fax or send to me.  Act now! After January 11 the fee is $179.

I'm in the process now of booking spring speaking engagements. If your business or organization would like to start off this fall being more focused, organized, and productive please visit the Speaking page on my website.

It's time to make your life easier!