Papers, papers, and piles of papers everywhere, help! Does this sound familiar? If so, you are not alone. The typical U.S. executive spends six weeks a year trying to find missing papers. Piles of paper are typically a result of one of three issues: procrastination, avoidance or indecision. The easiest way to get rid of your piles and take charge of your 'muck' is to delegate a space for each type of aggressive paper that enters your office or desk area and take action as they arrive.
Here are four simple solutions to begin mastering your papers:
• Schedule a regular time every week to enter business card and new contact information into your computer database. If you don't use a computer, file these cards weekly either by category or alphabetically into an organizer or binder. If you use a computer and can't seem to enter the data quick enough, consider purchasing a business card scanner. These little $100 scanners are huge time savers with built-in programs to enter the data into your email or Excel program for easy retrieval.
• Skim through the publications that you wish to read as they arrive and either tear out the important articles or earmark them with sticky notes. Remove these papers from your desk area and place into some type of a "to go" basket. Once mobile, you can read during lunch, at home, or whenever you have a free moment. Make sure to toss the information immediately after reading unless it needs to be archived for future reference. If this is the case, file it as it re-enters your office area. Do not let it land back on your desk!
• In most professions, every client should have a space within a filing system. Clients will be represented by either active or archival files. If you several active clients at one time, consider creating an easy access desktop vertical file folder system. As clients become inactive, file their folders either alphabetically by last name or if you have different types of clients, by category and then alphabetically.
• Mail should be sorted, separated and conquered before it enters your office and hits your desk. Consider auto-paying bills online to eliminate or reduce your daily mail deluge.
Learn more about these and other organizing tips at How to Master Your Muck, a workshop from 8:30-11:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 21 at the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce. For more information and to RSVP, visit www.carlsbad.org or call 760-931-8400 ext. 230.
Instructor Kathi Burns is a board certified professional organizer and certified paper flow specialist. Her book, "How to Master Your Muck," teaches entrepreneurs and corporations how to work more efficiently and increase their productivity with simple and easy to implement solutions.
Here are four simple solutions to begin mastering your papers:
• Schedule a regular time every week to enter business card and new contact information into your computer database. If you don't use a computer, file these cards weekly either by category or alphabetically into an organizer or binder. If you use a computer and can't seem to enter the data quick enough, consider purchasing a business card scanner. These little $100 scanners are huge time savers with built-in programs to enter the data into your email or Excel program for easy retrieval.
• Skim through the publications that you wish to read as they arrive and either tear out the important articles or earmark them with sticky notes. Remove these papers from your desk area and place into some type of a "to go" basket. Once mobile, you can read during lunch, at home, or whenever you have a free moment. Make sure to toss the information immediately after reading unless it needs to be archived for future reference. If this is the case, file it as it re-enters your office area. Do not let it land back on your desk!
• In most professions, every client should have a space within a filing system. Clients will be represented by either active or archival files. If you several active clients at one time, consider creating an easy access desktop vertical file folder system. As clients become inactive, file their folders either alphabetically by last name or if you have different types of clients, by category and then alphabetically.
• Mail should be sorted, separated and conquered before it enters your office and hits your desk. Consider auto-paying bills online to eliminate or reduce your daily mail deluge.
Learn more about these and other organizing tips at How to Master Your Muck, a workshop from 8:30-11:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 21 at the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce. For more information and to RSVP, visit www.carlsbad.org or call 760-931-8400 ext. 230.
Instructor Kathi Burns is a board certified professional organizer and certified paper flow specialist. Her book, "How to Master Your Muck," teaches entrepreneurs and corporations how to work more efficiently and increase their productivity with simple and easy to implement solutions.