Stop Shuffling & Start Organizing ; Secrets of Simplicity

Take the time to invest in setting up systems to make your life easier. Have you ever felt like you don’t have time organize? Some say they are just too busy to work on getting organized. As a result they work in cluttered, crazy, paper infested environments. Big mistake. What they don’t realize is they will be able to get twice as much done with less stress and enjoy life more when they get organized. It’s time to stop shuffling and start organizing.

You know the saying, ‘A cluttered desk means a cluttered mind?’ I say an empty desk means an empty mind.” – Michael Scott, “The Office”

Start by blocking off one hour a week strictly for organizing, setting systems in place or automating; not for doing actual work. Your mission is to set up a process to handle the tasks which you do on a regular basis. Set up direct deposit and auto debit to free up your bill writing time.  Revamp filing drawers in your home or office.The time you invest during this block of time will pay big dividends with time saved and stress relieved. FYI… you will  not get it all done in one hour. It’s ok, keep at it.- one hour at a time, each day for a week. You will be AMAZED at the progress and how great it feels to see your long-lost desk top.

Spend 15 minutes filing papers, tossing out old papers, or just clearing off your surface. The more you automate, systemize and organize, the more time you will regain for creativity, focus and investing into what matters most to you. Use technology in a way that fits for you. Some may be techno-gurus and others find it a necessary evil.

See your In-box and make it mind you. One of the monsters which often rears its ugly head is your “In-Box.” Your’s may be the inbox of an email program overflowing with more than what you can conquer in a lifetime. Some may have a physical inbox filled with advertisements, unread newspapers and past due bills. Regardless of what your nemesis looks like, you need to stand tall and face the facts.

• its big
• its ugly
• its yours

We are told we can be paperless. We can store it in the cloud and we can have it all wherever we are, whenever we want it. This may be true… for those of your who are techno gurus. Not all of us are, I know I am not. I often tell my friends and family, when it comes to technology, I know enough to be dangerous, but not enough to really grasp the how and why of what I call the tiger. The battle is real, and you must win.

One must live the way one thinks or end up thinking the way one has lived- Paul Bourget

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If you allow the tiger to rule you, within a short time you will be back to the messy desk, messy counter and messy mind where you allow it to overtake your virtual or physical space. After you have cleared your desk, your office or your kitchen counter top,wherever the paper lives in your space- you now must use the systems you put in place to keep them there

My personal tool-box consists of a few essentials which I have found to work well.

• I use Evernote for my virtual filing system; you can explore how easy it is here
• Another favorite is Dropbox , one program I have found indispensible. Both are easy to use and have free versions available.
• Moleskines are my favorite paper notebooks which I use with my favorite pen  ( I love love this fabulous pen!)
• The filing cabinet in our home is a simple two drawer unit- I have a file for each member of my family , including the dog. Each car has its own file for repair bills, and one also for tax records I may need at the end of the year. All warranty manuals or other household records are filed in a simple alphabetical fashion.
• My goal is to handle each piece of paper which passes through my hands ONE time. Review it,do it, file it (circular or otherwise!)  Important papers; marriage,birth and death certificates,vehicle titles and social security cards are kept in a small locked fire-box in our home for safe keeping.

Today’s Challenge- Face your tiger. Schedule a one hour time block and begin to sort, toss and organize your in box and paper piles. Set a timer so you know when to stop. Step back , smile and congratulate yourself for taking charge of your corner of the world.

If you are gutsy in a big way- take a picture of your paper piles before and after and post it on the Facebook page . We learn from each other. At this very moment I have an overflowing virtual inbox which needs a fall cleaning. Advice from all how you keep your virtual boxes in tip-top shape would be appreciated! Share in the comments what is working for you!