Location, Location, Location

Although you might be familiar with the phrase "location, location, location" that's frequently used by realtors when you are searching for the ideal spot to live or work, but did you know it's equally applicable for organizing your workspace to be another tool in your productivity toolbox? It is with this mantra that you can be certain each item in your office is assigned a home that works for your needs.

In real estate, "location, location, location" applies to finding a home that's close to what amenities or destinations you want to easily access for an ideal life or finding a business spot that's in close proximity to your clients. Alternatively, when it comes to organizing your workspace, this refrain applies equally well to prioritizing the space within arm's reach from where you spend most of your working hours, assigning homes to what's in your office based on how frequently you use each item.

The second Monday of January each year is recognized as National Clean Off Your Desk Day, making today the ideal opportunity to begin your new year with a clean and organized workspace. Whether in a private or shared office, in your home or in a cubicle, having a desk that is uncluttered and designed for your success helps you work more efficiently, making today the perfect time to consider the "location, location, location" of what's atop your desk.

Step one is to evaluate anything atop your desk and make sure you need or want to keep it there. Retain only what is accurate, applicable, useful or bringing you joy. Decide what to trash, recycle, donate, move elsewhere or keep in your space. Remember that the less you have in your office then the less you need to sift through to quickly find what's needed.

Step two is to determine how often you utilize each item you are planning to keep. Physical items, papers, files or tools that you use more frequently earn a higher priority and can be kept closer to where you sit; alternatively, anything used rarely can be moved farther away. It is by knowing how often something is used that you can proceed through the organizing process.

Step three is to use those determinations in assigning homes for what's to remain. When something is assigned a home, you can more seamlessly return it to that location after each time you use it, meaning assigned homes can save time while lessening the stress of decision-making. When possible, group related items together, and position items near where they will be used. Anything used more frequently should be assigned space closer to you while less frequently used items move further away based on how much often less they get utilized.

Step four is to replicate the same process you used in cleaning off your physical desktop to clean off your computer's desktop. Those same principles that I mentioned previously apply to your technology; plus, when your computer home screen is cluttered, it slows down how well your laptop or desktop works, particularly if you use a PC as opposed to a Mac.

Pause for a moment to celebrate all the desktop you can now see and, then, schedule time to maintain the systems you created. Maybe you'll schedule time at the end of each day to put away what items have found their ways atop your desk. Maybe you'll commit to getting caught back up at the end of each week. Choose a maintenance system that works for your specific workflow and personality, but make sure to select some method of keeping that desk cleaned off so you continue to reap the benefits of greater organization and enhanced productivity.

Is Your Office Organized as a Tool for Your Success?

While many people focus on team members, processes and technology as the best tools for driving desired results, the space in which you work can be another tool in your productivity toolbox. Just as important as "what" you keep is "where" you keep it all, and there are key concepts to keep in mind as you organize your office for your greatest success. In celebration of today's National Organize Your Home Office Day, let's look at manageable steps you can take to organize your workspace.

First, retain only what's accurate, applicable, useful or bringing you joy. That rule of thumb applies to paper, electronic files, email and physical objects alike. The less you retain then the less you have to dig through in order to find what's needed, which makes it easier to get things done more quickly.

Second, be strategic about the placement of anything and everything to remain in your workspace. Assign homes to what you will keep. When everything has a home and everything is in its home, it's easier to quickly put your hands on what's needed when it's needed. Likewise, group like items together, assigning homes that place any paper, electronic files, email or physical objects near where they will be needed or used.

Third, contain what you retain in appropriate storage tools to create applicable limits. Physical items can go in bins, baskets and boxes. Paper can go in files and folders. Electronic files can go in cloud storage solutions... The key is to train yourself to purge or divide once the storage tool gets full.

Remember that labels and color enhance the effectiveness of your organizational solutions. For example, adding a label to anything helps you more easily determine what it contains and where to put what is newly arrived in your workspace. In the same way, assigning color drives behavior, particularly when you associate a color you like with contents for an action you avoid.

Utilize the mantra "horizontal is hidden; vertical is visible"... Whether you choose a vertical file holder for your desktop or baskets with labels on the front to fill your shelves, focus solutions on avoiding piles. Plus, consider how you can best utilize the walls and door of your office for additional storage space, making it easy to see at a glance what belongs where.

As if you were considering a real estate purchase, think "location, location, location" when organizing your office. The space in closest proximity to where you are most often working should be utilized for what you use most frequently. As you move away from that space, you should start with current, active files and move towards archive files that are less frequently accessed.

Finally, always remember "the power of one". While many folks say that one is a lonely number, I contend that one is a very powerful number when associated with productivity. This means one calendar, one running list of tasks to be done, one daily to-do list, one "data dump" for all your information, one address book, one weekly strategy session and one system for all your filing.

What techniques do you utilize for keeping your workspace productive and how do you maintain your organization?

Top 10 Ways To Make Email a Better Productivity Tool

Did you know that the average business professional gets at least 150 new emails each workday? I have clients that can easily reach 300 or 400 new emails on any given day, and many of them feel strongly that handling email is a very time-consuming aspect of the workday... Wow! It can make you wonder how any real work gets done amidst simply reading all those messages.

While there are countless tools and techniques that'll help you use email to organize for success while getting more done in less time and quickly finding what you need, here are a few solutions I have found to offer the greatest results:

1. Shift your mentality from "checking" to "processing" your email so your email inbox is no longer a holding zone:

• Tasks taking less than 5 minutes should be done when the message is received while tasks taking longer should be added to your running to-do list
• Appointment requests should be moved to your calendar
• Reference emails should be quickly moved to personal folders
• Trash is not really junk and should be moved to the trash

2. If the average person needs anywhere from 3 to 8 minutes or more to really refocus after any distraction, don't make email a distraction; think of OHIO and "only handle it once" for each message, including reading and processing each email.

3. It is easier to quickly find what you need when you need it if you aren't searching through electronic clutter; therefore, there is no need to hold onto whatever is no longer accurate, applicable, useful or bringing you joy. Further, when determining what to save or delete, consider what can be easily located online later... There's no need to take up valuable space on your computer when you can easily find that information online whenever it is needed.

4. Send fewer emails to get fewer emails back. Although it sounds simple when stated like that, we are in a society trained to quickly shoot out an email when we need to tell or ask someone something. This can be excellent for having documentation of your communications; however, one simple phone call can element quite a bit of back-and-forth when the topic is more complex or when you need an answer to included questions.

5. Unsubscribe from eNewsletters you aren't reading; otherwise, consider culling subscriptions you maintain and stay up-to-date reading in a daily "roll-up" or "bundle" via Unroll.me.

6. Master the art of creating reference folders by having enough that each email to be kept has a home while limiting the number of folders so no one email could appropriately fit in multiple. If you struggle with where to file a message upon its receipt, how will you ever be able to locate it again later?

7. Utilize automated rules to sort email into folders... Highlight what needs time-sensitive attention by directing it into a folder designated to that particular sender or subject line topic. Cull together what can be attended to more conveniently on a later date and time, setting messages from that sender to bypass the inbox and go to a separate Personal Folder all their own.

8. Better employ all the features offered by your email management tool, like Delay Send, Send Again, Meeting Requests and renaming your received emails' subject lines.

9. If you have been emailing someone back and forth, each subsequent email contains all the content of the prior emails so keep only the most recent message in a conversation; in newer versions of Outlook, clear such clutter with the "clean-up" button on Outlook's home ribbon.

10. If an out-of-date email address keeps populating when you are trying to send a message, there are options for removing an erroneous email address. As you start typing in Outlook's "to" field, press the down arrow to highlight the erroneous address and, then, hit DELETE; in Mac Mail, populate the erroneous address in an new email message and, then, click the arrow on the far right to select "Remove from Previous Recipients". Problem solved!

I'm working on an eBook about how to "Use Email to Organize for Success and Get More Done in Less Time" and could use your input... What techniques have made it easier for you to management your email?

Is It Time To Re-Start Your New Year's Resolutions?

 This year was going to be different, right? Yet, now that we are a few weeks into the new year, are you struggling with your new year’s goals? Might you be backsliding a bit? Have no fear… You can restart at any time! Take a moment to check out my “Apps, Websites and Tech Tools To Move You Towards Your Goals” post at http://wp.me/p3M0SC-2h8 for tech tools that can help you veer back onto the right path for your resolutions. Meanwhile, there are additional steps you can start this week to be more efficient, waste less time and open space in your life for achieving the goals and resolutions you set for this new year. Here are a few ideas:

•          Streamline your calendar system with (a) one place for all your time commitments, (b) all activities documented and (c) starting the habit of regularly reviewing that planner to start as well as end each day.

•          Schedule your weekly strategy session as a repeating event on your calendar, giving you the opportunity to outline your game plan for attacking each week’s to-do items, appointments and opportunities for personal / professional growth.

•          Organize your paper and electronic filing solutions with (a) a purge of outdated contents or overstuffed files and (b) a verification that everything in your workspace has a home as well as that each item is in its assigned location.

•          Systematize your “drop zone” upon entry and exit of your home and office so you aren’t scrambling to find your car keys as you’re running out the door.

•          Consolidate your contact system into (a) one address book, (b) updated information included for each person’s record and (c) starting to build a foundation for your system of continually inputting updated / additional contact information as it is brought to you by your contacts.

•          Make certain you have a tax folder easily accessible to hold incoming documentation for the year that recently ended; then, create another file for tax-related items coming in for this new year, too. 

While all of these action items in one list might seem a bit overwhelming, think of how you can break them into bite-sized portions to do each one throughout the remainder of the month. Alternatively, is there someone to whom you can delegate any of these items? Or is it time to pick which one is most relevant to your needs and bring me back in for a “check-up from the neck up” on that particular area of focus? No matter which path to productivity you choose, take time to act now because you can make a difference.

What did YOU resolve for 2014? Have you had success? If not, which of these techniques can you implement this week to open up time for moving you towards your goals? I look forward to our dialogue with your comments below.

Location, Location, Location!

In real estate, there's an old adage of "location, location, location", highlighting the importance of where you choose to buy or rent. Well, organizing your office places the same importance on "location, location, location". Here are a few things to keep in mind when organizing your space:

- Make it easier to find what you need when you need it by limiting what is kept in your space... Purge what's unnecessary, and remember that "I might..." does not count as a reason to retain something.

- Keep the mantra "like with like" in mind to group like items together, making it easier to find what you need when you need it.

- When assigning homes to what you keep, store items closest to where you'll be using them, creating "stations" for each function of your job.

- Determine if your personality is more "out of sight is out of mind" or "in view creates visual clutter" so you use appropriate storage tools.

- Every item you retain should be assigned a "home" so it's easy to locate when needed and easy to put away when finished working with it.

- Once homes are assigned, be sure to clearly label what goes where... Label each file or container with terms that enable you to find what you need. There's no "right" or "wrong" verbiage to use when labeling each home.

- When creating your storage solutions, remember that "horizontal is hidden and vertical is visible" so you can easily see labels and know what you have.

- Separate "active" items from those you consider "archive", keeping actives closer for easier access while storing archives further away.

- Use color to group related items... Things you like less placed in files or containers that are of colors you prefer make those items less of a negative and drive actions.

- Move shared files / tools into a common space for team members to easily access in a timely manner whenever they are needed.

- Don't forget about walls and backs of doors... Often, these areas are wasted space, but they can provide a plethora of storage options.

- Remember "a place for everything and everything in its place" to stay organized for the long haul, particularly as new items arrive.

Are any of these tactics you are currently utilizing? Could any of them be implemented for your greater productivity?

May is Revise Your Work Schedule Month

In honor of National Revise Your Work Schedule Month, here are tactics to get the ball rolling on evaluating (and, hopefully, implementing) alternatives to your daily commute:

1. Research how flex-time and telecommuting opportunities can be an alternative that would be mutually beneficial for both you and your company, focusing on how an employee who doesn't use company office space but fulfills all of the job's responsibilities is more cost-efficient without all the office-related overhead, has less down-time since work can be done more easily amidst life activities and, often times, will get more done in less time without office or commute distractions.

2. Determine if you are able to stay on task and maintain daily structure for yourself, with the assistance of task-focusing technologies or by using an accountability partner, particularly since individuals who telecommute do not have management around to regularly enforce productivity. This can be easier for some than others, and it is important to be aware upfront as to your limitations.

3. Talk to people you know who are currently working flex-time schedules or telecommuting, even if they are only doing so from time-to-time or very irregularly. Find out what works well with what they are doing as well as what they would change, and ask about how they got to their current situations.

4. Tweak your current work schedule a bit for greatest productivity and optimum efficiency. Know during which time of day your energy is at its highest and determine which tasks can be shifted into that time of day. Group like tasks together to process through each grouping more quickly, like all your calls together or all your emails together. Such in-office successes can set the stage for even greater success in flex-time or telecommuting scenarios.

5. Plan how to address any questions your boss might raise about a flex-time or telecommuting alternative, including what might be your work schedule, equipment requirements, accountability measures and how your work will be monitored.

6. Finally, muster up your courage and ask for your work schedule alternative... The answer will be "no" to 100% of the questions never asked so it is important to present your idea along with all the supporting data you collected and, then, work with your boss for how to make it happen successfully.

What have you done already to take charge of your work schedule? Are you currently utilizing flex-time policies or telecommuting? Please share your thoughts in the Comments section below.

Confused By Options For Document Storing, Sharing & Syncing?

As new technology is created, there are more and more options, and it can be very overwhelming... I mean, have you seen all the cloud options for storing and sharing data?!? Wow! The key, though, is how each tech option makes your life easier, more organized and more productive. Read on for a little clarification about various available tools and what differentiates them...

Notes-Keeping Options:

Although Yojimbo and Growly Notes are Mac-only while OneNote caters to the needs of PC users, Evernote works in both the Mac and PC realms, making it easy to organize all information in one, reliable solution. Plus, whereas there is a fee to use any form of either Yojimbo or OneNote, there is a fairly robust option for Evernote that is absolutely FREE... Such a beautiful word, eh? With each of these tools, you can store text, images, PDFs, checklists and more, organized with tags, by labels or in groupings / notebooks and easily searchable. Access your Evernote or OneNote account via the Internet, on your computer's desktop or on your smartphone and access your Yojimbo or Growly Notes account anywhere data is synced through MobileMe.

Options to Aid in Creating a Paperless System:

Both Shoeboxed and OfficeDrop offer mail-in scanning services, where you package your papers in pre-paid shipping for those companies' employees to coordinate scanning your documents into an organized, electronic format for you. However, if you prefer to scan your own documents for yourself, there are several other options... The Neat Company offers NeatReceipts as a portable option and NeatDesk as a desktop scanner, allowing you to scan your business cards, receipts and 8.5" x 11" documents into a digital filing system. Both Canon Document Scanners and Fujitsu ScanSnap Scanners offer mobile, personal, sheet-fed and network options to scan your documents. Although each self-scanning device integrates differently with collaborative solutions, like Evernote, the option for you may depend most on current pricing so it's recommended that you research online before buying.

File Collaboration, Sharing, Syncing and Back-up Options:

If you are looking for a tool that relies solely or primarily on you manually moving a document from your computer to the cloud or web-based solution, there are plenty of options available. A free account through Dropbox gives you 2GB of storage for life, but a paid account will increase your Dropbox storage capacity; any file can be shared from Dropbox via the appropriate URL. Windows Live SkyDrive is very similar but is limited to PCs and bumps the storage limit up to 25GB with a 50MB cap for each file. A free account through Ge.tt gives you quicker, real-time storing and sharing of files for 90-day intervals. Furthermore, MediaFire has no restrictions except that files be smaller than 200MB. A free account through Box.net gives you 5GB of storage with a 25MB cap for each file, including a collaboration "holtlink" for any shared files. And the very popular option of Google Docs can be found at Docs.Google.com to upload files from desktop, access them from anywhere and do real-time collaboration with others.

On the other hand, if you are looking for a tool that will move documents from your computer to the cloud automatically, the available options are a little different. With these options, you simply install the technology on your computer (PC or Mac) and, at different intervals when your computer is connected to the Internet, your selected data will automatically be encrypted and securely backed up to the cloud, allowing you to restore or remotely access as-needed later. In February of this year, Mozy replaced its unlimited backup plan with a tiered storage plan of 50GB or 125GB, allowing users to purchase additional storage in increments of 20GB each. If you are looking for an unlimited option, Carbonite offers such a solution for $59 a year while the unlimited solution from Crash Plan is $49.99 a year, but Crash Plan has smaller storage options for less money, too. And there's good news... In addition to the aforementioned manual option, Windows Live Mesh's SkyDrive also offers an automated sync for PCs, too!

Finally, Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud is a web service that offers a customizable, pay-as-you-go option for storing in a cloud environment, allowing you to quickly scale capacity up or down and pay only for the capacity that you actually use. For details on this new and different option, I recommend visiting http://aws.amazon.com/ec2/.

Options Enabling Remote Access to Paperless System:

Now that you've created all these electronic documents, some will be accessible via Internet access through cloud technology; however, sometimes, you just want to work with them on your own computer. If you travel a good deal, options for accessing your own computer via the Internet from a remote location might be very helpful, and there are several options for accomplishing that goal. LogMeIn and GoToMyPc allow you to access, support and manage devices (including Windows-based PCs and iOS-based Macs) at any time from any location via a secure, Internet login. Or you can use Windows Live Mesh to work on your PC from another location, running programs or browsing PC files remotely. Finally, if you have an iPhone or iPad, use Mocha VNC to connect to your Windows PC or Mac OS X and see your files/programs exactly as you would sitting in front of your computer itself.

Smartphone Solutions for Working with Documents:

Although many of the aforementioned tools enable access from your smartphone, a growing number of people elect to work via smartphone, rather than focusing on use of desktop and laptop computers. Quickoffice Connect and Documents to Go - Office Suite are options to create, edit and share Microsoft Office documents on your iPhone, iPad, Android technology or Blackberry.

Do you utilize cloud technology and, if so, how do you upload data to "the cloud"? Are you backing up data automatically or adding it manually? Which tools do you prefer most? Please share in the Comments below.

February is Archive Your Files Month

When working on Paper File Management, my clients and I typically establish three "zones" within the office space: DAILY USE or CURRENT PROJECT items get the "prime real estate" in fingertip files on your desk or in your immediate work area; ACTIVE FILES that are used regularly but not daily would be stored in a nearby file drawer or cabinet; ARCHIVE FILES that require reference rarely are stored further away from your work area. February is National Archive Your Files Month since it's an ideal time to focus on these three Paper File Management zones.

Why February? Well, by now, you should have received most (if not all) year-end statements and documents for the prior year, enabling you to prep your income tax return with plenty of time left to track down any missing documents. Plus, since the new year is well underway, last year's active files can be removed completely or moved into archive space, enabling you to open up space for the new year's files to be added.

Utilize this time for purging to prevent overfill of your filing solution so you can locate needed documents and find room for new ones... Using sorting options of KEEP, RECYCLE, SHRED and SEND TO OTHERS, do you know what really needs to be kept and for how long? Establishing specific records retention guidelines that apply to your unique situation can be vital. Furthermore, as you purge your paper documents, think about what are you really using and, for those not used now but that might be used in the future, whether the document be easily recreated or retrieved elsewhere... For details on what tax-related documents need to be retained, visit http://bit.ly/5m34JB.

It is imperative to stash the following items in your safety deposit box or fire- and flood-proof home safe: birth certificates, adoption papers, Social Security cards, citizenship papers, passports, marriage certificates, deeds, divorce decrees, insurance policy papers, lease agreements, loan documents, mortgage papers, personal property appraisals, stock / bond certificates, vehicle titles, copies of wills, powers of attorney papers and death certificates.

Also, as you remove old files and add new files, remember that there is no "right" or "wrong" way to set-up a filing system. The system that will work best for your unique needs & specific personality will depend on the way you categorize information, the type of information you keep, the volume of information with which you interact regularly and whether others in your office will need to access files in your absence.

Finally, make sure those files that you're keeping are labeled clearly and correctly. It can be a balancing act to make sure you have enough files for all your necessary papers while not having so many that it's hard to find what you need, but an effective filing system can significantly improve productivity and efficiency.

Is your filing system meeting your current needs and have you purged unneeded or outdated materials lately?

How Do Your Files Look?

Since what goes into your files typically must come back out at some point in time, what is your retention schedule? For financial documents, individuals and businesses should keep tax returns forever, supporting items for at least 7 years and non-tax paperwork for no more than 3 years. Although businesses should consult with their accountants and lawyers for more information, individuals can visit this website: http://bit.ly/90SImT.

Just as important as "what" you keep is "where" you keep those items... Use 3 zones for filing: fingertip files for active & daily-used items on desktop, regularly used files in a file drawer nearby, rarely used files in an archive area. The items in your fingertip files should be action items in current use, keeping them visible to remind you of what needs to be done for each.

Are you keeping the right items for the right amount of time? Are you purging often to make sure things are current? Many people keep every tiny scrap of paper, but not everything needs to be kept. In fact, many items that once were available only as papers can now be found online... When evaluating what papers to keep, ask yourself, "Can I find this on the Internet?" If the item can be easily found elsewhere or easily reproduced, is keeping it worth the time, effort and space invested in doing so?

Since it's ideal to review your files twice a year, usually in April and October, feel free to contact Organize for Success, LLC if you need help creating a filing system, purging your current files or establishing a schedule for future purges.

Smart Planning Makes Quick Work of Your To-Do List

When your desk is piled high with "to-do" items, it's easy to stall if you don't know where or how to begin... Here are tips to increase your productivity and tackle projects, both big and small.

Do the hardest thing first... Instead of starting your day by checking messages, rifling through the mail or taking care of easy administrative tasks, attack the hardest, most challenging or least enjoyable task earlier in the day, when your energy level is probably higher and your mind is most certainly clearer. Carve out a chunk of time each morning to tackle those heavy-duty projects, avoiding the procrastination often associated with large jobs. In other words, plan to be "proactive" in the morning so you can be "reactive" during moments that pop-up later, knowing your most pressing projects have been handled earlier in the day. It may not be easy to start with the hard stuff, but you'll get the momentum going and feel accomplished all day long.

Know your natural energy patterns... Although being proactive early so you can be reactive later is very important, it is equally important to tackle the hardest tasks when your energy level is at its highest, which may be first-thing in the morning or may come at another point in your day. Monitor your reaction to various activities at different points throughout the day over the next week so you can schedule your day accordingly. Then, once you know the time of day during which your energy level is at its highest, schedule your toughest tasks during that daypart, and be firm about maintaining those appointments with yourself.

Clear the clutter out of your brain... Write it down! Since the average desk worker spends 3 hours per week sorting piles to find the project needing to be worked on next, you can start getting your work under control by writing down the "to-do" items and bright ideas floating around in your head. By relieving your brain from remembering tedious details, you allow new, creative thinking to develop in there. Create a running list of phone calls to make, things to discuss with coworkers, supplies to get and other small-detail tasks. Create another running list for brainstorming, creative planning, ideas to attack down the road and life-long goals. Keep all your lists in one place, like a multi-subject, spiral-bound notebook, in your planner or on your computer / PDA, making it easier to see what can be delegrated and preventing the endless search for Post-It notes scattered about. Then, as you work into this system, use that same location for meeting notes, phone messages, things to be recalled from ongoing discussions and everything else that's been needlessly filling up your mind.

Plan for tomorrow at the end of today... Take the last 15 minutes of each workday to create tomorrow's "to-do" list, but be realistic about what can be completed in one day. Focus on 3-5 priority tasks, which can be written on a 3" x 5" index card to keep in front of you throughout the next workday. This habit of planning will give you the gift of focus, allowing you to get a jump-start the next morning, particularly important when following the "do the hardest thing first" suggestion listed above. By writing down everything that needs to be accomplished tomorrow, you create a map and can prioritize so urgent needs get done. The process of putting your thoughts in writing helps you relax at home because you'll know the "to-do" items that have been scrolling through your head are now all down on paper. Plus, during the end-of-day planning process, you can reflect on the great work you accomplished during the day, enabling you to leave work feeling proud as well as excited for tomorrow.