Category: Paper Management

Your Command Center: Knowledge is Power

2 Comments

Every home needs a Command Center.  Your Command Center:

  1. Is one (and only one) centralized location to manage all information (paper and electronic) that enters and leaves your home or business.
  2. Is often a part of your Landing/Launch Pad (next blog topic!).  Command Centers are all about information, Landing / Launch Pads are all about stuff,

 Why do you need a Command Center?

  • Because life is complicated!  And lack of communication, resources or information complicates it further (“Houston, We Have A Problem”)!
  • Command Centers are all about information.  Knowledge is Power.
  • A Command Center makes life simpler, easier and better.  It
    • Keeps you informed and guides your actions.  Where to go, what to do, who is going, etc.
    • Keeps you informed as a family, with everyone working off the same information.
    • Keeps you prepared for whatever life may throw your way.
    • Helps you make good and informed decisions.
    • Enables you to act on your action items, like school papers, bills to pay, forms to complete, errands to run, etc.
    • Saves time, money and peace of mind by keeping vital info on your day-to-day life easy to find.

 What belongs on a Command Center? 

  • Communication or Message Boards:
    • Contact Lists, like soccer team rosters, phone trees and our permanent one with doctor’s numbers, neighbors, family members, poison control, school, etc. (I have all the info in my phone, but it is nice to have a reference for everyone else!).
    • Lists everyone’s use, like grocery lists, task or chore assignments, homework reminders.
    • Notes to each other:  “Band Practice After School”, “Late Meeting – be home by 7 pm”, etc, keeps things running smoothly around here!
  • Calendars
    • Menu plan for the week
    • Travel plans and itineraries
    • Schedules, like Band and sports teams
    • Reminders for upcoming events.  Our event reminders, like invitations or fliers from school, are clipped together in chronological order.  As soon as an event is completed, the reminder comes down and the next event reminder is now on top.
  • Paper (just some suggestions here!):
    • Shopping lists
    • Grocery lists
    • Receipts
    • Bills to pay
    • Errands to run (receipts for returns, mail to mail, papers to drop to other people)
    • Other to-dos, like calls to make
    • A folder for current house projects, to collect bids, contact information for contractors, etc.
  • Note: Many of my Command Center functions are on my smart phone and laptop in MS Outlook.  However, I want other family members to participate, so the same info is also available in my Command Center, accessible and visible to all family members.
    • There are great websites and apps out there, like www.Rememberthemilk.com, TaDalist.com and Todoist.com to manage tasks and schedules, and multiple members can have access.

What does a Command Center look like?

  • Let Function dictate your Command Center.  Make sure there is a place for communications, calendar and paper management, and perhaps an inbox or board for each family member.
  • Google “Command Center” and see what is available.  There are some ultra cool ideas out there, but resist the Racoon Response (don’t jump at something just because it is shiny and pretty!).
  • Surf around, grab some ideas and put together what works best for you.  Make sure your ideas work before investing $$.  Pre-fab or complicated Command Centers are not necessarily better tools, they are just more attractive.  Here are two cool examples, from Real Simple, easy to implement and not too pricey:
  • The kitchen or your family entrance are the most successful places to set up your Command Center.  It needs to be centralized and convenient or it won’t get used.
  • The refrigerator door seems an obvious place for a Command Center, but beware, magnetic clips can slide down the front if they get overloaded, and strongly shut doors can send everything flying (trust me on this one!).

So, spend a little time this week and think about what you want on your own Command Center, where you want it to be, and who should use it.  Then get creative!

National Clean Off Your Desk Day!

2 Comments

    The second Monday of January is National Clean Off Your Desk Day (Yes, it’s real, I am not just making that up!).  So embrace the day, and clean off that desk!  Set yourself up to succeed:

  1. Clear an hour on the schedule, grab a trash can, a couple of recycling bags and a shredder.
  2. Designate a box for old electronics that need to leave (check my recycling guide for destinations), and a bag for items that need to go to someone else.  
  3. This is not “Get Everything Done Day”.  The goal for today is to set up your Desk and space to succeed.  Stack work to be done to one side and note your To-Dos as they occur to you on a pad of paper at hand. 
  4. Set up some empty vertically held file folders, either in a hanging folder file drawer or in a holder on your desk.  Files standing up are ready to receive info, instead of piling them flat.  As soon as files fall flat, they start to pile up.

Getting It Done:

  1. If you have the space and time, clear everything off the desk and put back only what you really want to keep. 
  2. If time and space don’t permit clearing your desk top entirely, then Start at the Left side of your desk, and work to the right.  That way, if you get distracted, you can pick back up where you left off. 
  3. Clear clutter.  Work through each pile, deciding to “Keep” (for example, To-Do’s, file, long-term storage, keep but put in a different room or desk) or “Toss” (options may include recycle, shred, reference for other people, just plain garbage, donate).   And wipe off your desk at some point, it is amazing how dusty it gets!
  4. Do not get distracted by other tasks to be done, just jot down those other tasks, and focus on clearing clutter and restoring your work space.

 Things to Remember:

  1. Your desk top is prime and valuable real estate, like beach front property.  Dedicate your desk top to work, not to clutter. 
  2. Use Horizontal space for work space, and Vertical Space for storage.  The more you can store close at hand above your desk on shelves or in cabinets, the more desk top space you will free up for work space.
  3. Move electronics off your desktop, if possible.  Stack your printer or scanner on a shelf or stacker to open up desk space.  I have my All-In-One on a stacker, and store my project baskets beneath the stacker

 What Does and Does Not Belong on your Desk:

  1. Does:  Lap top / Computer
  2. Does Not:  Out-dated data storage, un-identifiable computer or accessory cords or connectors, non-functioning electronics of any kind.  Beach front property, remember?
  3. Does:  Papers / files / binders for projects you will work on today and this week
  4. Does Not: Books or reading materials you are not currently reading 
  5. Does: Today’s coffee cup or water bottle, in a tip / spill proof container (voice of experience here!)
  6. Does Not:  Any beverage or food item older than a few hours.  And certainly not a Candy Dish (mainly because it will be tempting to eat the whole thing!)
  7. Does:  Pens / Pencils / scissors / stapler / letter opener that you use regularly. 
  8. Does Not:  More than 10 of any type of pen, pencil or tool. 
  9. Does:   One useful container paper clips or binder clips.  Just one.  And it has to actually be functional, not just cute.   And maybe one useful container for spare change.   Just one.
  10. Does Not:
    1. Shoes, unless you are a cobbler (yes, I’ve really seen this)
    2. Houseplants.  Move them to a shelf or a table near by.  The water overflow and dirt dump potential make these bad desk-top choices.
    3. Candles.  Shifting piles of papers, open flame, yikes.
    4. Photos.  Hang these on the wall or on a shelf nearby.  Desk top space is at a premium, and I can see photos on the wall better, anyway.
    5. Legos, Matchbox Cars and Goldfish, living or crackers (or maybe this is just my desk)

Ways to Maintain that lovely clear desk space:

  1. Make it Easy for things to leave:
    1. Leave the garbage and recycling cans and shredder nearby.  Make an appointment with yourself to use them, and to empty all of those receptacles once a week (Thursday morning for me).
    2. Leave a Donate Bin (for example, for books or old and obsolete electronics) and an Errand folder (for mail to mail, bank deposits, etc.) nearby, to help things leave your office in a timely manner.
  2. Plan to convert subscriptions for professional journals or magazines to an on-line option, and purge all the old ones, since many are available on-line for free or as part of your subscription price
  3. Cut down on your paper consumption.  If you have a paper Filing System that you like, duplicate the system and file names on your computer hard drive (and back-up often, of course!!).  For example, instead of printing an email with a marketing idea and putting it in a folder for later, I can save the same email to a “Marketing Ideas” subfolder on my laptop.  This makes it easier to retrieve, convenient to cut and paste info as needed, and my desk stays neater. 

Here’s to a cleaner desk!  Have fun!

The Last Ten Minutes

2 Comments

I’m not talking about the past ten minutes, any 10 minutes, or your last 10 minutes on earth.  Nothing as deep as that.  How you spend the last 10 minutes of a work activity can greatly impact your entire day tomorrow or week this week.

We are taught from a young age to put our toys away when we are done with them.  We do this because the teacher or mom told us to, and so that the play room looks nice, and our toys won’t be stepped on and we’ll be able to find the toys again the next time we want to play with them. 

Now, let’s translate this into big-people terms, in the home or office.  The next time you spend an hour at your desk or the table paying bills, spend the last 10 minutes actually filing the paid bill stubs in the right month or category, so the space looks tidy, the papers are protected and you can find them if you need them again.  If you pay your bills on-line, spend those last 10 minutes printing your receipts to paper or PDF, and filing those and / or your email notices of payment in the appropriate sub folder on your computer (you can do categories or months on there, too!).     

If I am working with a client, the last 10 minutes of our session is spent:

  1. hauling trash and recycling out the door;
  2. loading up donations of clothes or electronics to leave the house or office, and delivering the “Going elsewhere in my home” pile;
  3. reviewing what we learned during this session;
  4. determining and discussing client homework; and
  5. scheduling our next appointment and what we want to do at that session.

We wrap up today, clean up our mess and look at our new organized space, then set up the plan for next time.  I am looking at my desk right now, and if I were my own client, my last 10 minutes would be spent:

  1. shredding the small shred pile accumulated today;
  2. filing stuff that needs to be filed for future retrieval (that is the only reason to keep anything, by the way); and
  3. Tossing the recyclable stuff in the bin in the kitchen.
  4. Then there is the “Going Somewhere” pile.  Today it all goes in my purse, and it includes both personal and professional items:
    • the note to go to the principal tomorrow about the Recycling Drive;
    • the campus map I need to find an office at a nearby university;
    • a check received against an invoice, which will be deposited;
    • a handwritten Get Well card to a friend; and
    • mail to be mailed.
    • Other example of “Going Somewhere” could be items I need to keep, but put elsewhere in my home, like bills to pay, calendar items, receipts, etc. 
  5. Now for my plan for tomorrow.  Tomorrow’s pile is actually in a Day of the Week folder, Tuesday to be specific.  It includes things I did not get finished today that I am moving ahead to tomorrow, and it also has things in it for Tuesday that I have added since last week.  Clients to call, work to do, classes to schedule, bills to pay, etc.   I can leave myself a note on urgent items, or even email it to myself as a reminder.  If I scout out these things today, it helps me to plan my day tomorrow and foresee any challenges to resolve.

So I shut the door on an office that is cleaned up and ready for tomorrow.  Imagine how much more productive my day will be tomorrow, spending those Last 10 Minutes in a useful way today!

Taking Care Of Business Tuesdays

4 Comments

Last week, I mentioned my Monday Charger Morning.  It is Monday morning, I just got back from my 45 minutes of aerobic exercise, and put my house back together after a busy and fun weekend.  My stuff is charging and I am mostly caught up.  So I consider my Charger morning a success.  So on to Taking Care of Business!

I had a wonderful client (actually, all my clients are wonderful) who kept a “Take Care of Me Tuesday”.  Our 2 hour paper management session was part of that day, as was a thorough housecleaning and an appointment for something relaxing like a pedicure or massage. 

I use that idea still, in my business, as Taking Care of Business Tuesday. 

I love being a professional organizer.  It’s a great way to spend my days, helping people make their worlds work better.  I am also blessed because the same skills – excellent time, paper and clutter management – are necessary to run a business.  The drawback?  I feel compelled to be the organized person in every relationship.  It is up to me to follow-up, check in, and generally be on the ball all the time.  That is not really a problem, I am just always aware of it. 

 So, I carved out a morning to Take Care of Business.  On a typical Tuesday I could some or all of the following:

  • I look back at the past week and
    • Account for time spent with clients
    • Write up my banking deposit
    • Pay bills and create invoices for services rendered
    • Balance my check book and put info into Quicken
    • Check client appointment notes and follow-up on any Tasks I have (e.g., “forward article on closet organizing to K.”, “find place to recycle used TVs”)
  • Then I look at this week and
    • Post my blog and send my newsletter
    • Make sure my class bag is ready to go to class with handouts and visuals
    • Check in with my coaching clients
    • Confirm client appointments for this week
    • Follow up on any lingering emails from the weekend
  • Then I look ahead and
    • Back up my computer
    • Generate and post advertising flyers
    • Post upcoming classes on my Face Book page
    • Send out letters and emails to generate new classes at new sites

I like doing these things on Tuesday.  I read an article that said that Tuesday is the most productive day of the week, and from experience, I concur  (Accountemps, February, 2008).  Monday is for catching up, Tuesday is for action.  It also provides flexibility, if someone needs me on a Tuesday, I can move my TCB activities later in the week and still get it all done.  The day is not the point, though.

 The Point is that We need to set aside time for regular maintenance and progress in the pursuit of success.

Make Your Paper System Your Own

     I worked with a client on her papers for about 2 hours yesterday.  She and I have worked on various projects over the years, paper is the most recent.  She, like most of my clients, is an organized person.  Life has gotten in the way of maintenance along the way, though, and now is the time to catch up.

     She has this snazzy rolling file holder, open on top, which has been a great tool for her to use.  The portability and ease of use are both big plusses.  She has been using a Pre-Packaged paper system that is lovely and color coded and preprinted, and unfortunately, no longer useful to her.  The pre-packaged folder ” Medical Insurance” was lumped into Insurance, “Medical Records” was lumped with action folders, “Health and Fitness” was all the way at the back of the drawer in lifestyle, and “Medical Bills” were not in with Bills To Pay, so they may get forgotten.  There were no folders for “Resources” or “Dental”, so those items were floating around the house.    

     This system had Medical Information in too many places in the hanging folders.   And it was difficult to remember the rationale for all  the different places.  So we created our own Medical category.  We broke it down into 3 subcategoies: 

  • “Medical: Current”  This contained manilla folders with information on current conditions, current medication lists and allergy information, current supplements and nutrition information and pending insurance issues.
  • “Medical: Paid Bills and Statements”  This held manilla folders titled “Blue Cross Blue Shield Statements”, “Medicare Statements” and “Paid Bills” for information for 2010 medical issues (we purged and shred all the old stuff)
  • “Medical: History”  This hanging folder contained pertinent ” Test and Lab Reports”, and “pertinent” was determined by my client.  Old lab results for routine issues were tossed, but some info was kept, regardless of how old it was, for baseline purposes.  In addition, discharge instructions for past surgeries, physician contact information, etc. was kept in this folder.

     Breaking down the information into subcategories that were useful for my client was the best thing we could have done.  It helped her to realize what sorts of information she needs to purge and what she needs to keep, and all her information is current and well labeled for her and her family to use.

    We also hung all the Medical Info at the front of the drawer because these issues are very important to this client this week.   We can move them if and when we choose.     So, why am I telling you this?  To sum up:

  • Put some thought into your paper management system, make it useful to you.
  • “Personal, “Portable” and “Easy to Access” are important attributes for your paper management system.
  • Realize what is most important to you, keep that info close at hand and 
  • Purge and Shred your old papers.
  • Decide for yourself what you want to call a file.  There is no need for a prepackaged solution if you don’t find it useful.
  • Divide your categories, if you would like.  Active, Passive and Archival (history) is a great place to start! 

Today’s Mail: Proving the 80/20 rule once again!

The 80/20 rule, or the Pareto Principle, tells us that 80% of what we need is in 20% of what we have. In organizing and in life. So what we need to do is focus on that 20% of stuff that is important, and perhaps let go of some of the 80% of what is not important.

For example, These 10 Items in my big white mailbox this morning:
1. (Mine) Food and Family magazine from Kraft
2. (Mine) Beverly Review, a local newspaper

Also in the mail box, for other members of the household:
3. Puzzle Buzz magazine (my youngest son’s)
4. Rolling Stone (my hubby’s)
5. A bill to pay (to my hubby’s desk for next time he pays bills)

And for the Recycling bin:
6. and 7. 2 copies of the same advertisement I don’t need sent to both Mary and Colleen Klimczak at this address;
8. Land’s End Kids catalog (don’t need anything right now);
9. a local grocery store ad flyer (done grocery shopping for the week); and
10. a reminder about a phone call we are going to get over the weekend, asking us for money (seriously, someone really did pay postage for that).

So, I need to take care of 2 of the 10 items, and the rest is either someone else’s responsibility or no use at all. I have spent more time (10 minutes) writing about the mail than it took me to whittle away the excess and deliver the mail to the end users in the house (3 minutes). I will focus on my 20% that needs me, and let the rest go!