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Mar 05
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garbage can, clocks, time-wasters, wasting time, image, productivity

3 Tips for an Efficient Work Schedule

By Blog, Business Organizing, Quick Organizing Tips, Time Management No Comments

While having an organized office is essential for keeping things running smoothly, making sure you spend your time well is also vital to a successful work day.

 

Here are 3 tips for an efficient work schedule to help you make sure that your time is spent wisely:

Tip # 1: Start Your Day with a Plan

One of the biggest time wasters for most people is figuring out what to do, and when, during the day. Minutes are often wasted trying to determine the difference between what is more important and what can be shelved for a later time. Why not take a few minutes at the beginning of your day and write out a loose schedule or “to-do” list? By setting a schedule, you’ll be able to quickly see what is important, what can be delegated, and if you have the ability to deal with “surprises” that will undoubtedly come up during the day.

Full Focus Planner – Linen

Tip # 2: Designate Time for Email and Phone

One of the biggest setbacks for time efficiency when running a home office is multi-tasking. Taking a break every few moments to check emails or phone messages often eats up valuable time that could be spent perfecting your next service or project. Instead of jumping at every notification bell or dashing off to make that phone call to a client, designate specific times during your work day to communicate with the outside world. Not only will you get more accomplished by focusing on communication for those 15 minutes or so, but your clients will note that you took the time to respond to them, and that you made sure that there was enough time to address their needs.

Tip # 3: Take Breaks

Despite what you may have thought, working a straight eight hours without a break doesn’t make you more dedicated, more productive, or a better business owner. The only thing that working without a break accomplishes is making you tired, irritable, and actually less productive. So in your daily schedule make sure you schedule a few moments to get up, walk around, stretch, and take a break. It only has to be a few minutes at a time, and you’ll be surprised at the effect it has on your day!

Tip #4: Break the Project Down

If you’re working on a big project for a client, it is often better to break it down into a number of mini-projects that lead to the overall goal. Not only does this make it easier to handle, but it helps to keep you on track when distractions come your way. Think of it this way – you wouldn’t try to make a four-course meal all at the same time, would you? No, you’d concentrate on each individual part, and then bring them together at the time of serving. Use the same idea when you’re tackling that project.

 

What do you struggle with most when it comes to keeping productive on a workday? Comment below!

 

 

 

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Aug 09
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Conquering Office Clutter

By Blog, Home Office Organization, Organizing Paper Files, Quick Organizing Tips No Comments

Feeling overwhelmed by increasing clutter?

 

Oh Clutter….  So quickly it builds up.  So often it distracts.  So difficult it is to get rid of.  It is a rampant problem in our paper driven economy.  It can be found in just about any office.

Why is clutter such a problem?  For starters, just consider the mounds of paper that pass through the average office.  The sheer quantity is overwhelming! Secondly, if what’s on the paper is not immediately applicable, it goes into the ‘later’ pile.  The problem is that so often ‘later’ never comes.  Thirdly, there are the papers that for one reason or another need to be kept and cannot be disposed of.  And lastly, there are the piles that people want to keep for sentimental reasons.  They might need it someday, or it would just be a shame to toss.

Knowing how to deal with and avoid office clutter is an important aspect of office management if an efficient business wants to be run.  Here are a few tips to help you tackle your clutter:

Clear your desk.

Make room to work.  Trying to work amongst clutter is anything but efficient and will only cause frustration and stress, and it slows down progress.  In effect, having your desk piled high just makes more work.  Having a clear desk area is calming and promotes quality and satisfying work.

Use paper trays.

They come in all shapes, colors and sizes.  For those papers that you need to have on your desk, give them a home, one that is need and tidy.  You are more likely to keep things organized if you have some equipment that makes it simple.  Which leads me to my next point.

Implement an easy filing system.

The trays will work great so long as they get emptied periodically.  Create a simple system that works for you.  It doesn’t have to be fancy.  So long as it is easy, efficient and tidy, it will work.

Date things to create deadlines.

You are more likely to deal with papers if they have a defined due date.  Cycle through papers frequently and deal with those whose due dates are approaching.  Resist the temptation to procrastinate.  De-cluttering takes discipline.

Lastly, tidy your work area at the end of each day.

It is a simple task that often gets ignored when you’re rushing out of the office.  It only takes a minute or two, and it will give you a jump start on the next day.  There is a no more discouraging way to start day than coming in to a cluttered mess.

The steps are simple and quick.  The results will be invaluable.  Life at work is so much simpler when you’ve conquered the clutter!

Happy DeCluttering BizOrganizing family.

Aug 11
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organizing back to school, pencils, getting kids ready for back to school,

Back to School Organizing Tips

By Blog, Free Articles, Home Office Organization, Home Organizing, Organizing Paper Files No Comments

No matter how chaotic it gets at home, having a system for keeping track of kids’ things is essential. There’s sports schedules and phone lists, papers to sign, health records, music books, report cards, and precious keepsakes that tend to pile up around the house.

Then there’s the sports equipment, jackets, shoes, backpacks, lunch containers, homework, projects, and electronics that your children drop at the door when they come home from school each day. Times this by three to five kids and you’ve got a giant heap sitting on the floor on a daily bases.

The key to keeping your sanity and peace of mind is to create a place for them to easily hang their coat and backpacks. I love the storage locker system if you can create space for this in your home. Also, create a homework area and have all the necessary supplies handy for their projects as well.

Then gather all the sports equipment and store each child’s items in separate bins, for each sport. Store bulky equipment in a one area, sports clothes in their closet. If they play soccer and baseball, then have a small clear container for each sport and make sure to label the bins “Soccer Clothes” and “Baseball Clothes.” When you’re rushing out the door to soccer, the right socks and shorts will be in one place verses all over the bedroom or house.

Next, create a Family Reference Binder with tabs for each child. Behind each child’s tab you can file their sports schedules, music schedule and any other important phone numbers that you want to have at your fingertips! Everyone in the family will thank you for gathering all the papers and putting them in one central location!

Now to deal with all the other papers. Create a hanging file for each child and keep any awards, report cards and other keepsakes in this file for the current school year. At the end of the school year, simply take out the papers and file into their keepsake box. For larger artwork, just take a picture and store the photo in their school photo album. Or store large artwork in an art porfolio.

Be realistic about what school papers and artwork you are going to keep. The more stuff you have, the more time and space it will take up to store it. A good rule of thumb is to “keep the best of the best and let the rest go”. Ask yourself, “When was the last time you looked at your keepsake box stored in your attic?”

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Want To Use This Article In Your Newsletter or Website? You have my permission as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Sherry Borsheim is the president of International Association of Business Organizing and Simply Productive. You can visit Sherry, access her free article archive and grab lots of free stuff here. Sherry lives in Vancouver, BC Canada with her husband (her high-school sweetheart).

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