July Quick Links
TOTALLY TOP ORGANISING TIPS
“It’s not about how things look; but rather how they work that’s important” says productivity specialist, Tracey Foulkes of Get Organised. “You want to be able to find your things in the fastest possible time with the least amount of stress, make quick decisions and get things done.”
These top tips will help you get and stay on track:
- A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE
Putting something away is so much easier when you know where it belongs. Once you have assigned everything a home, resist the temptation to just put it down – rather act immediately and put it away. BONUS: you will always be able to find what you want, when you need it.
- FILE, DON’T PILE
According to Richard Swenson in his book “The Overload Syndrome” The average desk worker has 36 hours of work on his or her desk and spends 3 hours per week sorting piles trying to find the project to work on next”. Knowing this, and that paperwork is the single biggest contributor to clutter in homes and offices – it is no surprise how quickly the paper piles.
By placing a simple finding system (labeled in/out tray or drawer system) on your work surface and using it regularly; by making immediate decisions with your paperwork as to what needs to happen to it (file, action, delegate, discard) and by making sure you only leave active folders out, you can minimise your paper piling. Make sure your filing system is simple and easy for you to maintain and put time aside to file whenever your drawer/tray is full.
- QUALITY OVER QUANTITY
It is better to have fewer items – all of which you need, use and love than a home or office filled
with things that have no meaning to you.
- FIND EVERYTHING YOU NEED WHEN YOU NEED IT, GET EVERYTHING DONE WHEN IT IS DUE.
Being organised is not about being neat. Rather, think of it as about grouping like items together and storing them in a place and in a way that is easy for you to access when you need it. Keep looking for new ways to change the things that are not working – and leave the things that work well for you, no matter how they look to others.