“Out Where I Can See It” is an understandable need, but the problem is if everything is important, then nothing is important. If the front page of a newspaper appeared solid gray with unbroken text, you probably wouldn’t bother with it. It’s too overwhelming. Not only would it take time to prioritize the most important articles, it would take time just to see them!
If your shelves are overrun with binders and they’re busting at the seams it may be time to rethink your use of binders. Binders have their place, but like so many things, they will serve you better if used within limits. Here’s how:
Want to make your home more inviting? The dining table is usually a great place to start. If it’s piled with mail, schoolwork, and crafts then it’s not very welcoming. To keep your table clear and inviting, it helps to think of it as a runway at the FedEx “Super Hub” at Memphis International Airport. The most valuable organizing tool is a clear surface for processing.
One of the most insidious pieces of paper that regularly litters my clients’ homes is the receipt. Alone it may look small and harmless, but it can be powerful in its importance or unimportance. Let me explain the latter. One piece of tax advice I hear is “keep everything!” Really? This 2004 receipt for “Beggin Strips” from Petco is going to help me save money on taxes? Unless you run a kennel, this piece of paper is probably not going to help you.
An associate of mine joked the other day about how I was so organized that I had my sock drawer alphabetized. Naturally I took the joke in the spirit of good-natured ribbing it was intended, but for many organizing systems I believe alphabetizing can do more harm than good. Now don’t get me wrong,if you have items like old client files or CDs that are all the same type of thing, filing alphabetically makes the most sense, but...
Envelopes are necessary to help deliver mail, but mail stops being mail the second it comes out of your mailbox. At this moment envelopes are not only unnecessary, they are a natural enemy to staying organized. Envelopes help in the sending of paper information in three ways. First, they conceal the information from outside eyes.
Effective organizing begins with assigning basic categories, but "important" is NOT a category. It may be tempting to think, "I'll just keep all my 'important stuff' together in one safe place and take my chances with the rest of it." This is not a safe practice. Here are 5 reasons why. 1. "Important" changes with time. If this is the one system that makes you feel safe then the odds are very good that you don't have a system for disposing of once-important items
The number one habit to stay organized is to sort the daily mail DAILY. If your clutter is so overwhelming you don't know where to begin, start with the daily mail. This may seem insignificant next to more monstrous organizing challenges, but the act of sorting your daily mail EVERY day encompasses some of the most fundamental organizing principles. 1. CIRCULATION PREVENTS ACCUMULATION.
Originally from Matt Baier’s Organizing Works Newsletter, July 2008
TWO SIDES OF A Read More
Originally from Matt Baier’s Organizing Works Newsletter, June 2007
Focus On Filing, Part Read More
Originally from Matt Baier’s Organizing Works Newsletter, May 2007
FOCUS ON FILING, PART Read More
Originally from Matt Baier’s Organizing Works Newsletter, April 2007
FOCUS ON FILING, PART Read More
