The Papers You Can Find May Make a
Difference!
By Barbara Hemphill
Most of us know there are important information and records we should
have readily available at our fingertips. If you had five minutes to
evacuate your home, what would you take with you? Libraries and
websites are full of recommendations about crucial records – but how
many of us ever get down to organizing what we have? Admittedly, this
is not a fun job, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here are
seven suggestions to make the job easier:
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How To Create An Organized Filing System
By Ilene Drexler
No one filing system works for everyone. In the end, the test of a
good filing system is being able to find something when you need it.
However, there are two basic recommended set-up alternatives for a
file system. They are outlined in this step by step guide to creating
an organized filing system.
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3 Simple Filing Guidelines
By Maria Gracia
One of the most basic ways to find papers when you need them is to
retrieve them from an effective filing system. A good filing system
will allow you to find what you're looking for in 10 seconds or less.
Here are 3 simple filing guidelines that can help:
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Give Your Filing System a Good
Home
By Karen Fritscher-Porter
Whether you file using an alphabetical system or a
haphazard filing system known only to you, your home or office filing
system isn't complete without its own home. These days steel file
cabinets aren't the only option for your home filing system at home or
even the office. Check out these options.
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Conquer Desktop Clutter with Action Files
Jan Jasper
Action files enable you to unclutter your desk yet still keep
reminders and current papers close at hand. Also known as working
files, these files are usually separate from -- and in addition to -
client, project, or reference files. Action files are for current or
pending activities and miscellaneous things you must act on. Here are
some suggested categories for action files...
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10 Easy Tips for Digging Out Your Desk Today
By Eve Abbott
Has your polished mahogany (or modular plastic) desk been buried for
so long that you can't remember what your desk is made out of? If so,
use these tips to clear yourself some space to work in, and stay on
top of your most urgent action items.
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Filing: How To Find What You Need When You
Need It
By Monica Ricci
Nobody enjoys filing, at least nobody I've ever met. But like it or
not, keeping track of paper information is crucial to living an
organized life or running a successful business. The biggest problem
most people have with filing isn't how to store it, but how to
retrieve it. So how do you create a filing system that works? Here are
three basic steps to get you started.
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Files vs Piles
By Cynthia Kyriazis
I recently read an article that had some interesting but not
surprising statistics. Harte-Hanks published a survey in December,
2001 which reported that 96% of businesspeople interviewed were
frustrated by their companies' information management. It's no wonder.
An IDC white paper published in August, 2001 told us employees can
spend up to two and half hours a day looking for information.
The truth of the matter is...
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Get Organized -- Every Home Needs An Office
By Judith Kirk
Yes, it is true that every home needs an office to handle the business
of running a household. There are bills to pay, health records to
maintain, an assortment of receipts, bank and financial statements all
with tax implication. There are insurance papers, contracts and
frequent flyer accounts along with addresses and telephone numbers.
The list goes on and on. It does not matter if you live in an
apartment or an old colonial home, there is a need to process
paperwork.
A home office can be a closet, a foldaway shelf, a corner of the
kitchen or an entire room unto itself. The important thing is to...
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How Long Do I Need to Keep This? - A Guide to
Receipts, Statements and Financial Clutter at Home
By Jill Chongva
In most homes, paper causes clutter. And it seems to mysteriously
multiply by itself. But just how long do you need to keep all those
receipts, bank and credit card statements and other financial papers?
Here is a handy reference that you can use for dealing with your home
paper trail.
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Lights, Camera, Action Files!
Organizing Your Office By Task
By Monica Ricci
Your desk is the most important part of your office. It is a work
space, however many people make the mistake of using the desk as a
storage space! In order for you to be focused on the task at hand, the
desk should be clear and free of distractions, such as piles of paper,
books, notes, bills, etc. How can you manage these items without
losing them, find the information you need to work on, and still have
a clear work space? You can do so with 'action files' and 'holding
files'.
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How To Organize Your Paperwork
By Lorraine Pirihi
Many people have a huge challenge coping with the incoming paperwork.
(Whatever happened to the paperless office?).
Paperwork lands on your desk and somehow finds its way into your
in-tray. Eventually the in-tray becomes so high it explodes and ends
up all over your desktop. That's because you avoided taking action on
those messy pieces of paper the moment they arrived. Now you have no
option but to sort through the explosion and tidy up the pile or
actually do something with the paperwork. If only you could
organize the paper so that it would disappear! Well here are a few organizing tips
to help you tame the paperwork.
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10 Tips on Color Coding Your Paper: From
Chaos to Coherence
By Eve Abbott
Color-There Is No Substitute.
In my workshops, even at 50 feet you can see there are three different
manila files as I hold them up. It's the magic of color - that
1/8-inch wide 3-inch long strip of color on the labels is enough to do
it. It's a clear demonstration of how much difference color-coding can
make to whether you can tell one folder from another. And that makes a
big difference in how quickly you can find something.
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How to Prevent Piles of Paper!
By Rebekah Slatkin
If you have piles of paper all over your desk, you're going to love
this article.
The method is called FAT. I'm not sure who invented the acronym but it
really works.
Read more.
Busting Workplace Clutter
Getting Organized Means More Than Having A Clean Desk
By Monica Ricci
Clutter in the workplace ranges from merely annoying to nearly
paralyzing and is always detrimental to productivity. A cluttered work
environment also projects an unfavorable image to clients and
associates. When the desktop becomes a storage place rather than a
workspace, it's time to reorganize! Several factors contribute to a
disorganized workspace, but here are three ways to combat the
saboteurs.
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Just How Organized Are You? Take This Quiz
For Individuals
By Barbara Hemphill
Read the statements below and rate your reactions to each pair of
phrases. Decide where you rate on the scale from 1 (You rate yourself
low) to 10 (You rate yourself high).
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Letting Go of Clutter In Your Office
By Angie Dixon
Some people would say I’m the last person in the world to be writing
about clearing out clutter; I seem to accumulate so much of it. But I
also get rid of it, when it reaches the point of bothering me.
That’s the first thing about clearing out clutter. Everyone has a
threshold at which the clutter starts to bother them. My husband’s
threshold is much lower than mine, and when he starts clearing out, I
jump in and help him. But in my office, things go to my threshold and
no further—usually. Recognizing your threshold and working within it
is the first key to letting go of clutter.
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Simple Ideas to Conquer Paper Clutter
By Lesley Dietschy
Are stacks of papers, mail, newspapers, and growing “to do” lists
cluttering your home? Has it been months since you’ve seen your
countertops or have you completely forgotten what your countertops
look like? Paper clutter includes bills, warranties, cards, mail,
memos, sticky notes, lists, letters, advertising flyers, school
papers, etc. If any or all of these items are cluttering your home and
countertops, follow the simple ideas below to organize your papers and
gain control over the clutter.
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Conquering Paper Mountain
Six Steps To Freedom from Paper Clutter
By Monica Ricci
Information is power. But unless you can find the information you
need, at the moment you need it, you're powerless. Consider all the
books, magazines and articles you save. You may be saving them "to get
around to reading", or if you've read them, you are afraid to throw
them away "just in case" you'll need to access the information again.
They pile up higher and higher. And what of the stacks of paper that
cover your desk? The following six questions will give you some
perspective and will help you organize it.
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1-2-3 Sort
By Eve Abbott
Every time you start to clean up your office so you can work better
instead of harder—that big backlog of information is just too
overwhelming. Sorting can actually put you into a better working space
in very short time!
Read more.
Lost in a Sea of Cards
How To Stem The Tide Of Business Cards
By Monica Ricci
Have you ever attended a trade show or networking event and brought
home a fistful of business cards, only to find that weeks later they
were still in a pile on your desk? When you attend events where you
regularly meet new contacts whose names you may want to keep handy, do
you find that you don't know what to do with all of them? Here's how
to organize business cards that you receive through networking, etc.
Read more.
