Adopt OCI-OGO

1. Decide to adopt OCI-OGO in your life. This means One Comes In – One Goes Out: every time something new comes into your home, car, handbag, briefcase, closet or life – something old goes out.
2. If you like, place a note saying OCI-OGO inside your closet, on your credit card, or wherever you need reminders.

And you’re done!

OCI-OGO is a great way to enjoy new things while avoiding clutter and overwhelm.

Remember: 1. Move fast. 2. Don’t overthink. 3. Feel great about getting organized!

Start the 5-minute timer now.

This 5-minute organizing action is from the Organize in 5 e-program.
It’s the quickest, easiest way to organize your life!
Only $4.95 a month for a limited time. Learn more…

Related posts:

1. 30-Day Organize-athon | Day 29: Get Organized Mindset Shift #1: Adopt OCI-OGO
2. Get Organized in 5 Minutes: Trim Your Toolbox
3. Get Organized in 5 Minutes: Batch Birthday Shopping

Here’s a round-up of some good articles and ideas I’ve found recently.

Creativity

A bunch of stuff from Lifehacker on getting organized to get more creative:

• Embrace Organization to Foster Creativity

Tough times

Good tips for avoiding chaos when dealing with tough times from Lifehack:

• How To Stay Organized When Life Throws You a Curveball

False beliefs

How to tap the strange power of being overoptimistic– a fascinating article from Scientific American:

• You Have Superpowers: Scientific American

Happiness

‘Don’t speak!’ Some wise words – to be wise and use fewer words – from Gretchen Rubin:

• Stop Talking, Or, a Happiness Lesson from Sex and the City 2.

Organized workspaces

Post-holiday office tidying tips from Unclutterer:

• Five simple uncluttering tasks

Parenting

The WSJ tells us that good parenting is less work and more fun than people think:

• The Case for Having More Kids – WSJ.com

Impact of donating

You know all that stuff you’re decluttering with 52 Organizing Missions? You can calculate the impact of your donated stuff via the new Donate/Goodwill Movement:

• Calculate your impact

By the way…

I post interesting and useful links on my Facebook Page as I come across them.
Please come and join me there!

Image: Mr. T in DC

Related posts:

1. Procrastination, Productivity, Moving and More: Links & Resources
2. Personal Organization Web Watch [11 October]
3. Get Organized Advice For Messy Teens

If you wish you could vaporize your paperwork, then you’ll love this mission.

We’ll organize those towering piles of paper and help you get back on top of all your paperwork tasks.

Remember: you only need 30 minutes for the basic mission. Extended Options are below.

If you’re new, you might like to start here -> 52 Organizing Missions.

Get Organized Mission #36:
Organize Your Paperwork

Step 1: Make Three Piles (15 minutes)

First, create three piles for your papers.

You don’t have to do anything with the piles in this step, just divide your papers into these three categories. Move quickly.

Pile 1: Flick

Include in this pile:

• Anything you don’t need to keep or action
• Anything out of date – invitations, notices, etc
• Reading material you’ll never realistically get to – which probably means all of it, since newer, more up-to-date stuff is constantly available
• Anything you can get later if needed – info that’s available online, archived, kept by someone else, etc
• Random unsorted scribbled papers and notes – you may suspect there’s gold in those notes, but the truth is you’re unlikely to have the time to find it. So issue a note amnesty and let it all go. More gold will come.

Pile 2: File

Include in this pile:

• Anything you don’t need to action but do need to keep – eg tax receipts, financial records, etc.

Pile 3: Action

Include in this pile:

• Anything you need to action – eg reports to write, tasks to complete, bills to pay (you won’t have any of these if you’ve completed Get Organized Mission #3: Organize Your Bill Payment and Get Organized Mission #12: Organize Your Accounts & Credit Cards).

Step 2: Flick Pile (5 minutes)

Now, let’s deal with the first pile.

This one’s super-simple: just get rid of everything.

Shred sensitive or identifying papers, recycle the rest.

Step 3: File Pile (5 minutes)

Next, let’s do the second pile.

Unless your filing pile is huge, you should be able to quickly file everything using the filing system we developed in Get Organized Mission #9: Filing System Nirvana.

If it is huge, check again for items that belong in the ‘flick’ pile.

Step 4: Action Pile (5 minutes)

Finally, let’s turn to the third pile.

We’ll need to schedule time to process this pile. There’s a trick to this.

1. Estimate how long it will take to action all the items. A small pile might require only 30 minutes, a large one several hours.
2. Choose a time when you’re likely to have the energy to power through your paperwork. An afternoon early in the week, a weekend morning when it’s quiet, or even a long lunch by yourself in a cafe could be good choices.
3. Schedule the time in your diary or organizer. Make an appointment with yourself – and keep it.

TIP: Batching paperwork rather than doing it in dribs and drabs, and choosing the right energy state in which to complete it, can significantly reduce the time it takes to get through your paperwork. You might even end up with bonus time.

Now that your paperwork is organized, keep it that way!

Dos & Don’ts

• Do weigh up the cost of feeling cluttered and stressed by piles of paper that may one day have some use, against the immediate gain of freeing your mind and space for greater productivity, creativity and progress.
• Don’t be a slave to reading piles and notebooks. If they aren’t serving you today, consider letting them go.

Extended Organizing Mission Options

Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?

• Include the family. If your partner wants to tackle his/her paperwork piles, and your kids want to handle their school papers, do the mission together.
• If you have more time available, start straight away on your action pile. Simply making a dent in your paperwork tasks will motivate you and feel great.

Ready, Set, Go!

Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.

Start The 30-Minute Timer

Before You Go: Check In!

Please add a comment to say you’ve completed this week’s Get Organized Mission and you’re keeping your commitment.

And see you back here next week!

Track Your Progress: 52 Organizing Missions Workbooks

Same great missions, now in lovely printable workbooks. Each mission includes a fully interactive:

-  Planning Worksheet
-  To-Do List
-  Success Journal.

Learn More.

Related posts:

1. 30-Day Organize-athon | Day 14: Organize Your Paperwork
2. Organize Your Office [Mission #19]
3. Organize Your Computer in 7 Simple Steps [Mission #18]

[Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/62904109@N00/ / CC BY 2.0]

Hoarders on Oprah

Oprah has yet another show about hoarders this week. It got me thinking about the lies we tell ourselves to avoid letting go of the stuff that fills up our homes and lives.

Of course extreme hoarding can be associated with psychiatric disorders. More commonly, though, we justify mounting mounds of matter with the little lies we tell ourselves.

Here are 7 of the most common self-delusions I hear, along with a decent dose of reality.

1. I don’t have time

I have no doubt you’re time-poor – nearly everyone today is.

But how much time do you lose each day to:

• feeling frustrated
• shopping for things you already have, but can’t find
• feeling bad about your home and inventing excuses to stop people coming over
• searching the rubble for papers, sunglasses, your youngest child
• being unproductive because your office is a mess

Think about all the time you lose over a year. You could gain more than that back with just a little daily decluttering.

Take 10 minutes to get rid of stuff you’ve been hoarding today. Don’t be surprised if you gain 30 or more minutes in productivity right away.

2. It will be awful, horrible, painful; did I mention awful?

The pain of taking action is over quickly, but the pain of living in clutter can be yours to love and cherish for the rest of your life.

The truth is, the anticipation of decluttering is far, far worse that the decluttering itself.

Don’t believe me? Take a look at these comments from people who, like you, dreaded the deed. They sound happy, don’t they? Hmmm…

3. It’s too hard

If you’re talking about organizing your entire home, car, and office all at once then yes, it is. You wouldn’t catch me doing it, no matter how much chocolate you offered me. (Just how much chocolate are we talking about?)

Don’t even try to organize everything or tackle a lifetime of hoarding all at once. Start with something small – a drawer, a paper pile, a mound that’s starting to evolve its own ecosystem. Do a little each day. It might take you a month, or three months, or a year. But it won’t be too hard at all.

4. I’ll do it later

Um, no you won’t. You know it, I know it, your husband/wife/best friend knows it. Let’s move on.

5. I like it this way

If I had a dollar for every But-I’m-happy-this-way person who, after finally getting rid of things they’d been hoarding, admitted they’d been kidding themselves big time – well, I’d have a lot of dollars.

This is the mother of all clutter self-delusions. Bust yourself on it, start releasing things that don’t enhance your life, and enjoy denial-free happiness.

6. It’s not that bad

It could be worse, that’s true. But please, dear reader, don’t choose that as a yardstick for your life.

If excessive stuff is costing you serious time, money and peace of mind, it is that bad. Start letting go of things you don’t need or love today.

7. I can keep it if I want

This is a completely reasonable assertion – if you’re 4. Otherwise, a more helpful one might be ‘I can be happy and feel good about my space if I want’.

Yes, you certainly can – and all it will take is big dose of reality and a little time most days to chip away at your clutter.

Be happy and feel good about your space. That’s my wish for you.

Your say

What lies have you been telling yourself to justify hoarding stuff that doesn’t enhance your life? And are you ready to bust yourself on it? Share your story in the comments.

Related posts:

1. How Clutter Can Hold You Back – From Love, Success & Health
2. 7 Ways To Clutter-Proof Your Life
3. Are You, or is Someone You Love, a Hoarder?

This week I had the pleasure of being interviewed about organizing your office on the Small Business with Prue MacSween show on Sydney’s Radio 2GB 873AM.

We chatted about:

• How to avoid piles of paper and inbox overflow.
  Solution: make quick decisions.
• How to organize your desk for better productivity.
  Solution: use my ‘real estate’ model of office organizing.
• Whether you should start again when your backlog is too overwhelming.
  Sometimes starting afresh can be a good solution.

You can listen here:

I’d love to know what you think! Or feel free to share your own office-organizing or productivity tips in the comments.

To leave a comment: A comment box is waiting for you at the bottom of this post.

Did you like this post? Please social bookmark it using the buttons below.

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregoryjameswalsh/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Related posts:

1. Home Office Productivity: Let Your Goodbye Be Goodbye
2. 7 Productivity Tips For Your Home-Based Business
3. Get Organized for Better Productivity: Design a Productivity Ritual

If you want to increase productivity, motivation and mental clarity, one of the best things you can do is to create an effective workspace.

So in this mission, we’ll follow 3 steps to transform your work zone into an organized office.

Remember: you only need 30 minutes for the basic mission. Extended Options are below.
If you’re new, you might like to start here: 52 Organizing Missions.

Get Organized Mission #19:
Organize Your Office

Step 1: Ditch the Dispensable (10 minutes)

With only 10 minutes to spend here, my advice is to be ruthless in what you discard – you’ll get more done. But get rid of as much as you feel comfortable with.

Grab our old friends the hu-u-uge trash bag and donation basket and get to work. Items to attack include:

• School or college notes and texts – unless you just graduated they’re probably out of date
• Old paperwork, bills, receipts, mail – keep if needed for taxes or reference; shred if confidential
• Equipment you don’t use – such as a 2-hole punch if you use 3-ring binders
• Equipment for tasks you now outsource – such as spiral binders or laminating machines
• Excess stationery you won’t use this decade
• Knickknacks that provide no meaning, beauty or inspiration
• Reading piles you know you’ll never get to – and this applies to pretty much every reading pile
• Books you’ll never read
• Old computer or software manuals
• Birthday, Christmas and greeting cards – unless they’re genuinely special to you
• Outdated printers, scanners, fax machines (check for disposal info with your local council)
• Defunct phones, computers, cells, PDAs etc (ditto)
• Abandoned projects and the various accompanying supplies, storage containers, etc
• Old notebooks not needed for reference
• Old lamps, chairs and other equipment in poor condition
• Doubles of staplers, hole punches, scissors, rulers, etc
• Any item you haven’t used in the past 12 months
• Anything broken, yucky, tatty, or inconsistent with your professionalism.

Step 2: Archive the Ancient (5 minutes)

If you need to keep client, tax or other files you don’t refer to, move them out of your office. Once you’ve completed this mission, move the files to offsite storage, a garage or an unused closet.

Step 3: Re-allocate the Real Estate (15 minutes)

Organize your remaining office materials according to frequency of use. Think of the area directly around you as prime real estate, and allocate your stuff accordingly.

For example:

• Computer and diary used daily should be close at hand.
  These deserve a CBD location - like the top of your desk.
• Current files and stationery used regularly should be conveniently accessible.
  These can live in the suburbs – like desk drawers and handy file cabinets.
• Archived files and spare toner used rarely can afford to be stored out of the way.
  They belong on the outskirts of your office – like high shelves.

Some people so detest the idea of organizing their offices that they’d rather spend their whole working lives in a chaotic workspace than attempt to create order. Don’t let this be you!

If you’re willing to move as fast as you can, and follow these steps, you’ll enjoy a tremendous boost to your confidence, productivity and even your mood. And so you should. Well done!

Now, sit back in your chair and survey your office. Can’t you just feel the motivation surge?

Dos & Don’ts

• Don’t make the mistake of having rarely-used items close to hand. Save the most valuable space for the items that contribute most to your work and productivity.
• Do be ruthless in eliminating anything that doesn’t support you in producing good work. Every item costs you in mental clutter and distraction, so if it’s not helping you, let it go.

Extended Organizing Mission Options

Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?

• If you want to make this into a major mission, take everything out of your file cabinets, drawers and shelves, complete steps 1 and 2, and then replace everything using the storage principles from step 3. Have some great music on your iPod to add a little fun to the exercise.

Ready, Set, Go!

Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.

Before You Go – Please Check In

Once you’ve completed this week’s Get Organized Mission please add a comment to let us know you’ve done your assignment and you’re keeping your commitment. To leave a comment: Scroll to the bottom of this post, where you’ll find a comment box waiting for you.

And see you back here next week!

DID YOU KNOW:

You can get your weekly organizing mission delivered to your inbox.
Click here to sign up for 52 Organizing Missions.

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeyparsons/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

Related posts:

1. 30-Day Organize-athon | Day 15: Declutter Your Home Office
2. Organize Your Computer in 7 Simple Steps [Mission #18]
3. Organize Your Paperwork [Mission #36]

Living an organized life is a lot easier when you have systems and tools that are themselves well ordered.

So in this Get Organized Mission we’re going to tackle that modern repository of information and entertainment – the computer. Our organizing process will make it easy to know where to save your files, give you confidence to find stuff when you need it, and create a lovely sense of order in your digital life.

Note: Email is a separate challenge and has its own mission: How To Simplify Email Management [Mission #33].

Remember – you only need 30 minutes for the basic mission. Extended Options are below.
If you’re new, check out 52 Organizing Missions.

Get Organized Mission #18: Organize Your Computer in 7 Simple Steps

Step 1: Create Macro Categories

Our organizing system has 3 macro-categories, or file types:

1. Documents
2. Pictures
3. Music

If these folders aren’t already set up at the top of your folder hierarchy, create them now. If you don’t have music or images, leave those out. If you have additional categories, add them.

Step 2: Create Document Categories

Business & Career

Here’s a simple folder hierarchy I suggest for documents on your business or work computer:

1. Current Projects
   • Project A: ____________
   • Project B: ____________
   • Project C: ____________, etc
2. Admin
   1. Marketing
   2. Accounting
   3. Legal
3. Personal (Business-related personal items)
4. Archive (For reference; not needed on a day-to-day basis)

Home Organization

Here’s a simple folder hierarchy I suggest for documents on your personal or home computer:

1. Current Projects
   • Project A: ____________
   • Project B: ____________
   • Project C: ____________, etc
2. Family
   • Family Member 1
   • Family Member 2, etc
3. Household
4. Personal
5. Archive (For reference; not needed on a day-to-day basis)

Step 3: Create Picture Categories

Create folders for your pictures according to how you like to retrieve the images.

For instance, by:

• Subject – eg family; gardens; wildlife; etc
• Event or location – eg Africa trip, Jack’s birthday 09; Sally’s 4th Wedding; etc
• Date – only useful if you remember things by date, otherwise retrieval may be time-consuming.

Step 4: Create Music Playlists

Create playlists according to how you like to listen to music.

For instance, by:

• Genre – eg 80s; classical; electronica; etc
• Mood or location – eg gym, relaxed; motivating; etc
• A combination.

Step 5: Delete Unneeded Documents, Pictures or Music

I’m a liberal deleter, and happily take the risk of missing something later (I rarely do) in exchange for the fabulous feeling of clearing computer clutter.

You’ll need to work out for yourself where you sit on the delete scale – but don’t overthink it.  Decide fast and move on.

Step 6: Archive Everything

Archive everything that’s not current. As we only have 30 minutes, we’re going to start afresh and file new stuff as we create or update it.

This approach isn’t perfect, but you’ve promised me 30 minutes and we need to take the best organizing action we can in that time. If you have more time, check out the Extended Options.

Step 7: Clear Your Desktop

Delete what you don’t need, file what’s current, and archive the rest.

Now doesn’t that clear desktop give you a lovely feeling of clarity?

Dos & Don’ts

• Don’t add a ‘miscellaneous’ category. It’s a way to avoid decision making – and you need to make decisions if you want to be organized.
• Do stick to as few categories as possible. It helps make filing and retrieving simple.
• Do customize the hierarchy of files – add, subtract or change to make it work for you. But keep the descriptions short and clear.

Extended Organizing Mission Options

Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?

• Instead of archiving everything non-current in Step 6, quickly go through your files and move them to the correct folders in your new organizing system. If you’ve deleted unneeded stuff and you stay focused, it won’t take too long at all.
• If you share a computer with your kids, create a folder for each child under Family, and show the kids how to save and find their stuff in the right place.
• Now that you have a lovely, clean desktop, you may want to update your desktop background to something fresh and motivating.

Ready, Set, Go!

Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.

Before You Go – Please Check In

Once you’ve completed this week’s Get Organized Mission please add a comment to let us know you’ve done your assignment and you’re keeping your commitment. To leave a comment: Scroll to the bottom of this post, where you’ll find a comment box waiting for you.

And see you back here next week!

Get 52 Missions delivered to your inbox

Click here to sign up for 52 Organizing Missions by email.

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ayelie/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Related posts:

1. Get Organized Mission #9: Filing System Nirvana
2. Organize Your Office [Mission #19]
3. Organize Your Fitness: How To Create A Super-Simple Interval Training Playlist

I’m going to make 12 fresh starts in 12 life areas over the next 12 days.

I don’t expect to succeed at everything, but I want to give a bunch of things a try. Join me!

Day 1: Personal Development

My Day 1 Fresh Start was to raise my weights in Body Pump class for biceps and shoulders.

Report:

✔ Raised weights on days I’ve had Pump class, but with loss of form.

Day 2: Health & Fitness

My Day 2 Fresh Start was to give up Smith’s Cheese & Onion Chips – at least for September.

Report:

✔ Five days chip-sober and counting. However, there’s been a corresponding rise in chocolate consumption. Oops!

Day 3: Career & Business

My Day 3 Fresh Start was to refresh my website’s home page.

Report:

✔ Been working on a new home page this weekend. Will publish it tomorrow.

Day 4: Fun & Recreation

My Day 4 Fresh Start was to listen to more fun music – rather than only podcasts and audiobooks.

Report:

✔ Loved my all-music Friday and plan to make it a weekly treat.

Day 5: Technology & Social Media

My Day 5 Fresh Start was to promote my new Facebook Professional Service Page.

Report:

✔ I sent a Page Suggestion to my Facebook friends yesterday, and will continue to promote my Page this week. (I’d love you to join, too!)

Day 6: Home

Today my fresh start is from category 2: To get rid of something.

I have two printers in my home office because I haven’t made a decision about which one better meets my needs. Although I love technology, in most cases I’m not crazy about the way it looks – so my fresh start is to make a decision and get one of these beasts out of my work space.

I’ll let you know how I go tomorrow – when I’ll make my seventh fresh start – in the Personal Presentation life area.

What About You?

Think of your own Home goals and plans. In what area could you:

• Start something new – or try something you haven’t done, eaten, read, or experienced before
• Give up something – maybe a habit that undermines you or an obligation that weighs you down
• Do more of something – be specific about ‘more’, but don’t be overly-ambitious
• Do less of something – be specific about ‘less’, but don’t be overly-ambitious

I hope you’ll choose something and join me!

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cocokelley/ / CC BY 2.0

Related posts:

1. Fresh Start: 12 Days of New Beginnings [Day 5: Technology & Social Media]
2. Fresh Start: 12 Days of New Beginnings [Day 7: Personal Presentation]
3. Fresh Start: 12 Days of New Beginnings [Day 4: Fun & Recreation]

If you have a business or your computer contains important documents or precious photos, then you know how stressful this situation could be.

But, although I missed my cyber-friends and felt bereft without Xander (my laptop), I made good use of the time, doing research for upcoming organizing products while the motherboard was being assembled and installed.

The reason I could work happily rather than panic was that I have a regular back-up plan using 4 simple steps to back up my files. No matter how dire the motherboard situation turned out to be, I knew I’d be able to retrieve most or all of my work, research, playlists and photos.

Today I’m back online. As it turns out, I didn’t need my back-up, thanks to the excellent dudes at Dell *waves* and some smart searching of error codes. (Dell replaced the motherboard gratis since it was a ‘known error’. If only life had those.)

But the peace of mind was wonderful.

Free Computer Back-Up Planner For You

Next time I may not be so lucky – nor may you. So please, dear reader, back up!

To help you get organized to back up your computer, I’ve attached a downloadable PDF of a Computer Back-Up Planner from my Life & Goal Organizer.

It’s interactive, so you can Type-&-Save or Print-&-Write.

Let me know if you find it helpful!

To leave a comment: click the post title. A comment box will open at the bottom of the post.

Did you like this post? Please social bookmark it using the buttons below!

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stewart/ / CC BY 2.0

Related posts:

1. Organize Your Computer in 7 Simple Steps [Mission #18]
2. Smart Goals: 5 Steps To Smart Goal Setting (With Free Goal Planner Template)
3. Organize Your Communications – And Get Better Customer Service! (With Free ‘Disputes Contact Record’ Download)

Because I have a home-based business, people often ask me how I keep myself productive despite the lure of home-based distractions. Sometimes I’m asked if I’m tempted to do housework instead of working.

Say what now?

Falling off my fit-ball from laughter aside, I thought I’d share a few of the productivity strategies I find helpful.

7 Productivity Tips For Home-Based Business

1. Have a productivity ritual for getting down to ‘serious work’.

A productivity ritual is an excellent strategy for focusing your attention and energy when you need it most – without burning yourself out the rest of the time. By saving it for serious work time, you condition yourself to associate your ritual with focused effectiveness.

2. Use smart reminders

Use smart reminders – reminders placed where you’ll see them when you need to do the reminded action – to prompt yourself about things you don’t want to add to your to-do-list. It helps get stuff out of your head fast, without increasing your to-do pile. 

3. Upgrade your phone and email effectiveness

Efficient communication in everyday phone and email interactions can save you a lot of time and energy. It’s worth the initial time investment to create smart outgoing messages.

4. Don’t let Jack/ie become a dull boy/girl

I’m pretty strict about having a little fun every day. It keeps me balanced and stops me from feeling deprived and finding sneaky ways to sabotage my work efforts.

5. Be sanguine about OPD (Other People’s Disorganization)

You can’t avoid it, so you may as well be proactive and self-responsible when it comes to dealing with disorganized people. Focus on asking for what you need, rather than on trying to change the other person.

6. Swap GTD for WSD

Detailed project management systems are great for some people, but most of us can improve our productivity quickly, easily and significantly – simply by writing stuff down. I’m a prodigious user of to-do lists, planners, organizers, mind-maps and such.

7. Keep papers off your desk

I can’t imagine feeling motivated and productive with a paper-strewn desk. Maintaining an easy-to-file, easy-to-find super-simple filing system helps you keep a sense of clarity – both on your desk and in your mind.

(Note: Creating an organized home office is the subject of an upcoming Organizing Mission).

So that’s what works for me. What are your best productivity tips? Please share them in the comments.

Did you like this post? Please social bookmark it!

Image by j3ro3n

Related posts:

1. Home Office Productivity: Let Your Goodbye Be Goodbye
2. Get Organized for Better Productivity: Design a Productivity Ritual
3. [Productivity Strategy] Improve Your Focus By Going Offline

So in this Get Organized Mission we’re going to create a super-simple filing system – one that makes it easy to put papers away, and also gives you confidence that you’ll find things when you need them.

Remember – you only need 30 minutes for the basic mission. Extended Options are below. If you’re new, check out 52 Organizing Missions.

Get Organized Mission #9: Filing System Nirvana

Our filing system is going to have 5 macro-categories – overarching, top-level categories – as well as a number of sub-categories under each macro-category. The macro-categories are little team captains, each with their team of sub-category members.

Step 1: Create Visual Filing Cues

Your fist step is to decide how you want to separate your 5 macro-categories. This is an important step, because having easy visual cues will make filing and retrieval quick and easy.

I use hanging suspension files for macro-categories and file folders for sub categories. I also color-code my folders – so each folder in a particular macro-category has the same color – that way each ‘team’ stays together in their suspension file and with a team color to unite them.

Other ways to easily distinguish macro-categories and clearly identify your filing teams include:

• Inserting a colored divider between macro-categories
• Using larger labels or stronger lettering for macro-categories headings
• Using colored markers to create color-coded labels

The enemy of action is perfection, so I suggest you keep it simple for now and upgrade your system later if you want.

Step 2: Label

Your next step is to grab a pile of folders and start labeling.

Turn folders over or inside out if you don’t have fresh ones at hand. Use post-its if you don’t have labels. If you want to make a trip to OfficeMax later that’s fine, but right now we’ve got 30 minutes and we’re going to need them to set up the baseline version of your filing system up – so no distractions!

Home Organization

Here are the labels and hierarchy (macro- and sub-categories) I suggest for general home organization:

1. Home & Car
   • Property Documents
   • Insurance
   • Warranties
   • Car
2. Medical
   • Health
   • Insurance
   • Medical
3. Financial
   • Bank Accounts
   • Mortgage
   • Credit Cards
   • Investments
   • 401K/Superannuation
   • Personal Loans
4. Utilities
   • Electricity
   • Water
   • Gas
   • Internet
   • Phone
   • Cable
5. Family
   • Self
   • [Spouse: __________]
   • [Child 1: __________]
   • [Child 2: __________]
   • [Child 3: __________], etc

Note for Design Your Life Members:

You have a

• filing-system worksheet containing this hierarchy, plus room for extra sub-categories [Filing Categories Index (Suggested)]
• blank filing-system worksheet for creating your own hierarchy from scratch [Filing Categories Index].

Both are in the Family & Time Management category of your Library of Resources.

You have a blank filing-system worksheet for creating your own hierarchy from scratch [Organizing Document Files] in the Technology & Social Media category.

Home-Based Business

Here are the labels and hierarchy I suggest for a home-based business:

1. Admin
   • Marketing
   • Accounting
   • Legal
2. Current Projects
   • Project A: ____________
   • Project B: ____________
   • Project C: ____________, etc
3. Pending (Waiting on someone else)
4. Personal (Business-related personal items)
5. Archive (Keeping for reference)

And there you have your simple, easy-to-file, easy-to-find filing system!

Initially, it might take a little while to get your papers into their new homes. But from then, you’ll find it a breeze to keep your filing up-to-date.

Dos & Don’ts

• Don’t add a ‘miscellaneous’ category. This isn’t (only) because the word is hard to spell. It’s also because it’s too easy to throw things into a general category – and that makes retrieval difficult. It becomes a default lack-of filing system.
• Do stick to as few categories as possible – it keeps filing and retrieving simple.
• Do customize the hierarchy – add, subtract or change the macro- and sub-categories to make them work for you. But keep the descriptions short and clear.

Extended Organizing Mission Options

Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?

• Make your system pretty – with color-coded folders, attractive labels, the works!
• Ask your kids what they’d like to keep in their file, and start them on the habit of filing important papers they want to keep.
• Take the opportunity to detox your filing cabinet – shred or recycle any paperwork you no longer need.

Ready, Set, Go!

Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.

Before You Go – Please Check In

You’re now accountable to your organizing mission-mates! Once you’ve completed this week’s Get Organized Mission please add a comment to let us know you’ve done your assignment and you’re keeping your commitment. (Click ‘Comment’ at the very top of this post or scroll down to the bottom. Depending on how you’re viewing this post, one of those options will be available for you.)

And see you back here next week!

UPDATE:

You can now get your weekly organizing mission delivered to your inbox.
Click here to sign up for 52 Organizing Missions.

Image by Kasaa

Did you like this post? Please social bookmark it!

Related posts:

1. Organize Your Computer in 7 Simple Steps [Mission #18]
2. Get Organized Mission #14: Organize Your Household Notebook
3. Get Organized Mission #12: Organize Your Accounts & Credit Cards

One of the simplest ways to live a more organized life is to have less stuff – in fact, the less you have, the easier it is to get organized and stay organized.

So in this mission we’re going to get rid of 50 pieces of clutter from your home. It’s easier than you think – especially with my room-by-room, clutter-busting suggestions.

Now before you hyperventilate, please let me reassure you that you won’t have to part with anything you use and love. I promise.

Remember – you only need 30 minutes for the basic mission. Extended Options are below. If you’re new, check out 52 Organizing Missions.

Note: If you started with 52 Organizing Missions at Week 1 and Filled a Hu-uge Trash Bag, it’s been a couple of months since that mission – so now’s a good time to take another stab at stuff reduction.

Get Organized Mission #8: Declutter 50 Items

This week I’d like you to spend your 30 minutes finding 50 items to flick from your home.

It doesn’t matter where in the house they come from, as long as you can count out 50 of them.

Here are some decluttering ideas…

Declutter the Living Areas

Get Rid Of:

• Books you’ve read and won’t re-read, or will never read
• Magazines from any month other than this one
• No-longer needed magazine racks
• Newspapers
• Old coasters
• Videos, cassettes, computer floppies, camera film – any storage device for which you no longer have hardware
• Photos in frames – unless they’re genuinely special to you
• Tatty cardigans, socks and other apparel strewn around the furniture
• Knickknacks you don’t love
• ‘Displayed’ items on shelves that collect dust but hold no meaning for you
• Dead pot plants
• Threadbare or stained cushions, throws, rugs, etc

Declutter the Kitchen

Get Rid Of:

• Recipes and recipe books you haven’t used in the past 12 months
• Knickknacks you don’t love
• Anything in the pantry that’s old or not used
• Photos on the fridge – unless they’re genuinely special to you
• Broken appliances
• Old, yucky utensils
• Chipped, stained crockery
• Rusty or ancient pots and pans
• Take-out menus for places you don’t order from

Declutter the Closets,Drawers & Storage Areas

Get Rid Of:

• Tatty bed linen
• Tatty underwear, pajamas and t-shirts
• Old, yucky toys
• Junk jewelry
• Old or broken exercise or sports equipment
• Decorations and seasonal items in poor condition

Declutter the Home Office/Study

Get Rid Of:

• Bills, receipts, mail items – all paperwork not needed for tax or reference
• Birthday, Christmas and greeting cards – unless they’re genuinely special to you
• Defunct phones, computers, cells, PDAs etc (check for disposal info with your local council)
• Abandoned craft, knitting, scrapbooking and other projects and the various accompanying supplies, storage containers, etc
• Old notebooks not needed for reference
• School or college notes (unless you recently graduated)
• Old lamps, chairs and other equipment in poor condition

Declutter the Bathroom

Get Rid Of:

• Empty or old/expired toiletries and bath products
• Tatty towels
• Old or yucky make-up
• Old perfumes and lotions

Declutter the Garden

Get Rid Of:

• Rusty, yucky patio furniture
• Chipped or faded garden ornaments
• Dead plants
• Broken lighting fixtures

Dos & Don’ts

• Don’t be over-analytical about whether something counts as clutter. If your first instinct when you look at something is ‘euw – clutter!’, then out it goes.
• Don’t worry about organizing at this stage – this mission is about decluttering.
• Do let yourself off the hook for accumulating a lot of clutter to begin with. You’re changing now, so give yourself a big smile and a pat on the back.
• Do move quickly and stay mindful of your ticking 30-minute timeframe.

Extended Organizing Mission Options

Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?

• If other household members want to participate, then assign them a target number of items to declutter (based on how much clutter they have), and do the mission together.
• If you run out of time or reach 50 items and want to keep going, then do.

Ready, Set, Go!

Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.

Before You Go – Please Check In

You’re now accountable to your organizing mission-mates! Once you’ve completed this week’s Get Organized Mission please add a comment to let us know you’ve done your assignment and you’re keeping your commitment. (Click ‘Comment’ at the very top of this post or scroll down to the bottom. Depending on how you’re viewing this post, one of those options will be available for you.)

And see you back here next week!

UPDATE:

You can now get your weekly organizing mission delivered to your inbox. Click here to sign up for 52 Organizing Missions.

Image by Bern@t

Related posts:

1. Organizing Mission #39: Declutter Your Surfaces
2. Get Organized Mission #1: Fill a Hu-u-uge Trash Bag
3. Get Organized With This Declutter Mantra

If this is a problem for you, Simon Mackie at Web Worker Daily has some tips for how to  Mark the End of the Day and Finish on Time:

1. ‘Have a clearly defined end time and stick to it’

Mackie suggests that having a time goal to aim for makes him more productive.

2. ‘If you need to use the Internet after the work day is finished, don’t open your work email’

This one helps avoid the dreaded now-I’ve-seen-it-I-HAVE-to-do-something-about-it work email scenario.

3. ‘If possible, have a home office in separate room designated for… working’
or ‘Use a drop leaf-table as a desk and fold it away at the end of the day’

Physical separation helps mental separation.

4. ‘Towards the end of the day, try to get out of the house and work at a coffee shop’

That way, you can leave and ‘go home’ when you’re done.

Have home-office productivity or work-life balance tips to share?
Please comment by clicking ‘Comment’ at the very top of this post or scrolling down to the bottom. (Depending on how you’re viewing this post, one of those options will be available for you.)

Image by Nathan Searles

Did you like this post? Please social bookmark it!

Related posts:

1. 7 Productivity Tips For Your Home-Based Business
2. Get Organized for Better Productivity: Design a Productivity Ritual
3. Hear Me Talking About Productivity and Piles of Paper on Sydney Radio