Clutter Busting

Dealing with Business Card Clutter

May 2, 2009 by clutterbusting Leave a Comment

Do you have piles and piles of business cards? Are you feeling guilty that you haven’t called any of the people you met at that meeting last fall?

We all start out with the intention at business events of connecting with those we meet for potential beneficial relationships. We go into the meeting with the thought of collecting everyone’s card, but with no real plan of what to do with them once we have them.

Open yourself up to the opportunity of your next networking event by: [Read more…] about Dealing with Business Card Clutter

The Care and Feeding of Your Paper Piles (How Do Your Piles Grow?)

April 18, 2009 by clutterbusting Leave a Comment

Do you have papers piles that seem to grow over night? Do you get one pile cleared only to have other piles double?

The way to conquer the chaos of papers piling up is to have a system for paper management. But you have to start somewhere so here are some tips for the care of your paper piles: [Read more…] about The Care and Feeding of Your Paper Piles (How Do Your Piles Grow?)

Creating Your Filing System

April 14, 2009 by clutterbusting 1 Comment

Why filing systems don’t work:
• You are trying to adapt someone else’s system.
• You have set up a very complex system (maybe color coded and too many small categories).
• Your file cabinet is not in a convenient location.
• You are trying to keep too much to start with (records versus references).
• You have not set up time on a regular basis to manage and maintain the paper flow in your life/office/business.

Here are some tips to set up a file system that you will use: [Read more…] about Creating Your Filing System

Records Versus References

April 11, 2009 by clutterbusting 1 Comment

I am sure you have heard the statistic that 80% of what is filed is never looked at again.

Do you know the difference between papers that are references and those that are records? Learning the difference can save a lot of work and maybe a few trees in the process.

Records are papers that you need to keep for legal or business reasons. You can check with your accountant, lawyer and/or the IRS for a list of these documents and the recommended retention for each type of record. [Read more…] about Records Versus References

The Home Office of Your Dreams

April 7, 2009 by clutterbusting Leave a Comment

I recently posted about handling your papers as they come into your home as a way to conquer paper clutter. In thinking about what information I wanted to provide next I went through a long laundry list of potential topics. And the winner is setting up a home office.

Once you have a handle on the paper coming into your home, the next best thing is getting a handle on the place that you will process the paper and do your “at home” work….the home office.

But before we pick up a filing pile, before we straighten the desk or rearrange any furniture I want you to imagine the home of office of your dreams.

Find a quiet spot and close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths and envision the home office of your dreams. What functions happen in the room, who will need to use the room, how does it feel, what does it look like and what outcomes will you reap in your home office?

Starting at the vision you have for your home office can be the first and biggest step in creating a calm, productive and workable space for yourself and others in the household.

So write down the vision, clearly picture it and then create an action plan to set up the physical space for creativity and success….then we’ll tackle those files.