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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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Feb 08
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Organizing Your Bathroom

By Blog, Expert Articles, Free Articles, Home Organizing, IABO Weekly News, Quick Organizing Tips, Resources, Videos No Comments

Getting ready in the morning can be stressful when getting yourself ready and kids off to school. If you think about it, when your closet, bathroom and kitchen is organized and you can easily find what you need when you need it and you’ll have less stress getting ready in the morning. On the other hand, if your bathroom, closet and kitchen is cluttered and disorganized, you start your day in a panic, you’re running late and speeding to drop your kids off at school.

Let’s start by getting your bathroom organized so getting ready in the morning is less stressful. I want you to start your day with a sense of calmness. Watch this video to get some ideas on how I maximize space under a bathroom sink. I’m the “Queen of maximizing vertical space” and then organizing what needs to go in the space.

Get out your measuring tape, a piece of paper and a pen, write down the measurements and watch this video before you go shopping. The biggest mistake people make when organizing anything, is they go shopping first and then are disappointed when they get home and the shelf or container doesn’t fit or work like they thought it would. Stick with me each week and I’ll help you save money by sharing my favorite organizing products and solutions to organize your home, office and life.

 

organizing

Product Resources & Tips on How to Use:

The grey drawer organizing unit that I used in the video also comes in white and black.  I buy this product at Staples and Real Canadian Superstore.  Similar drawer organizing products are available at Storables and The Container Store.  Here’s my secret to making this organizing product work under most bathroom sinks – this unit comes in different sizes and you can remove or add drawers since it snaps apart.  How cool is that.  Another tip I want to share with you is to make sure the drawers don’t pull all the way out of the unit.  The Gracious Living drawer organizing unit stops drawers from pulling completely out of the unit, causing all the stuff in your drawer to fall on the floor.  When I buy organizing products, I’m always looking at how the product functions and does it simplify your life!

Give these tips a try and then come to the Facebook Fan Page and share your results!

Mar 05
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Desk Organization: 5 Tips for an Uncluttered Desk

By Blog, Business Organizing, Home Office Organization, Organizing Paper Files No Comments

Desk Organization Tips to Clear Your Office Clutter

 

It’s the time of year again when we begin moving outdoors, taking in the crisp fresh air, and feeling a real sense of renewal!

 

And having your home and workspace organized helps immensely to welcome that wonderful freshness back into your life.

 

Check in with your Goals

 

Now is also the perfect time to assess where you’re standing with the commitments and goals you made to yourself in January.

 

Did you set out to be more active this year?

Be on time for meetings and stay ahead of deadlines?

Or maybe you set out to be better organized by finding great desk organization solutions?

 

Take a close look at your workspace and honestly answer these 3 questions:

 

  1. Where are the piles accumulating?
  2. What items don’t have a home?
  3. Is your Inbox on your computer overflowing with 100’s or even 1000’s of emails?
  4. Am I still in desperate need of office organization tips?

 

Your answers to these key questions will give you the clues for where you should start with these desk organization tips for your spring cleaning.

Why Wait to Spring Clean?

Welcome in the fresh air and get a head start this year
with our free Ultimate Spring Cleaning Checklist!

Download Here!

With these tips below, I recommend tackling one or two per day as to not overwhelm yourself right off the bat. It may start to feel really easy and freeing but remember to ration your energy so you can keep motivated and get your organizing done all week!

 

Most people only use 20 percent of what they have, 80 percent of the time. So with that in mind, let’s get moving and clear up your workspace!

 

Desk Organization Tips in 5 Easy Steps

 

Tip 1: Start with the Visible Piles First!

Period.

We can’t get to what we can’t even reach yet!

With our goal being to make a dramatic, visible result, we need to start with the visible things first.

 

Tip 2: Always Work in One Area at a Time

The goal here is to clear Command Central and create dramatic, visible results immediately. Starting with the top of your desk first.

What most desk organization tips won’t say is that people usually start with hidden piles in boxes or drawers, then after 2 hours they find themselves having not accomplished anything.

So to avoid this, grab 2 boxes and put every single piece of paper on your desk into box #1. Use box #2 for other desk things like pens, office supplies, books, and whatever else you have on your desk.

Now pick up the top piece of paper from box #1 and use the F.A.S.T. Principle™ – File it, Act on it, Schedule it, Toss it.

Handle each piece of paper in less than 60 seconds. Get rid of any decor items that you no longer love or that clutter up your desk.

 

Action Tip: Play your favourite music and set a timer for 1-2 hours.

 

Try to imagine when you walk into your office the next day. How will it feel to have a clear desk?

Likely like you’ve lifted 100 pounds off your shoulders!

Now let’s continue this desk organization process by tackling the piles on the floor using the F.A.S.T. Principle™.

Remember our time constraint for pieces of paper. There’s no time for lengthy evaluating here. The object of the game is to get this done as fast as possible.

Getting organized is a clarifying, cleansing way of connecting to what’s really important to you. You should enjoy the process and reward yourself along the way for all of your hard work!

 

Tip 3: Create Zones in Your Office

Action Tip: Beware of the hidden costs of clutter. It costs your time, money, and space to take care of the things you don’t use. Now play your favourite music, set a timer, and get down to work for a couple hours!

 

Think of your work area as having different activity zones. Consider how you move things across your desk, what items you use most frequently, and what relationships certain materials have with different desk activities.

 

Command Central zones could be:
  1. An In Tray for incoming mail
  2. An Out Tray for outgoing mail
  3. To-File Tray for papers to be filed
  4. Project file zone
  5. Reference file zone
  6. Resources zone

 

Action Tip: While advancing through these desk organization tips, group like activities or functions together, then label them and their areas for quick, easy access.

 

Tip 4: Conquer the Email Traffic Jam

Mismanaged incoming emails can become a significant drain on productivity. The more emails pile up, the less useful it is to the user and company.

On the other hand, an empty Inbox is a delight to look at!

It reminds us we are fully caught up.

Did you know that the real purpose of an Inbox is to serve as a temporary resting location for information and requested actions BEFORE they are read by you?

Our Inboxes are not a catch-all for everything we’ve ever received, and they’re also certainly not a replacement for our information filing systems.

Apply the F.A.S.T. Principle™ here with each email.

 

Tip 5: Organizing is a Process, NOT a Destination

Action Tip: Only keep what you love and currently use on a regular basis!

 

Congratulate yourself for taking action on these desk organization tips this week and for clearing off your desk!

You’ve made some serious changes and that is definitely something to be celebrated.

Do keep in mind though, that organizing is a continual process of re-evaluating. You still need to evaluate what your goals are, what activities you currently enjoy, and what you don’t enjoy anymore, then edit accordingly.

 

Continually ask yourself these questions:
  1. Does it work?
  2. Do I like it?
  3. Does it work for others?

 

Action Tip: Be willing to adjust your systems as your professional and personal lives evolve. Don’t worry about mistakes along the way, it’s just important to keep learning!
 

 

What desk organization tips were your favorite? Comment below!

 

 

 

 

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