Archive for filing

The 80/20 Rule is Your Friend

80/20 RuleOne of my favorite concepts in life is The 80/20 Rule.

What is it?

The 80/20 Rule, a.k.a. the Pareto principle, stems from observations made by Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto in 1906, including the fact that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population. Or, generalizing to other situations, roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of the causes.

But why do I like it so much, and why it is your friend?

Because it can help you make decisions…and not worry so much…and get stuff done!

 

(more…)

Six Organizing Systems Everyone Needs — System #4: Paper Flow

overflowing paper inboxHow well are your organizing systems working for you?

In the introduction to this series I shared the following:

What is a system?
What 6 organizing systems do I think everyone needs?
What 5 questions can you ask yourself to see if your systems are still working for you, or if they need tweaking?

Now let’s take a closer look at each system…

(more…)

Busting the Top 10 Organizing Myths

P1030244As part of my 10-year celebration of being in the organizing business, I thought I’d revisit this old blog post and see if I still agreed with myself. I do.

Don’t believe everything you think!  Here are the top 10 organizing myths, along with the truth and some helpful links to related blog posts and  flow charts.

Organizing Myths #1 & 2:  Neat equals organized.  &  Messy equals disorganized.

Truth:  Not necessarily! 

(more…)

Getting Things Done (GTD)

200px-Getting_Things_Done GTDHave you ever procrastinated doing something because you were afraid it might take a long time,  or lead to even more work, or make your brain hurt? And then, when you finally did it, it was easier and faster than you thought it would be, and you wondered, “Why didn’t I do that sooner?”

I just read Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (affectionately known as GTD by legions of followers), by David Allen. No, I hadn’t read it before, although I had certainly heard about it and seen his flow chart. When clients ask me what I think of it I say, “Um… it’s very popular…and it’s compatible with what I am going to teach you.” And then I hope I’m right. (more…)

3 Steps to Falling in Love with Your Home Office

Home Office AFTER

How does your home office make you feel? If you have the sort of business where you have clients in, are you embarrassed to let them see it? One of my organizing and redesign clients said, about her cluttered, drab room, “I feel like I’m going to prison every morning.” Oh no, that’s terrible! Depending on how you use it, you might be spending more time in your home office than you do sleeping in your bedroom! (Which, by the way, is the other most neglected room in the house for décor, but that’s another story.)

So, what can you do? Here are 3 steps to falling in love with your home office:

  1. (more…)

How to Live and Work by Design, not by Default

Living and working BY DEFAULT means choosing the easiest path, either by unconsciously resorting to bad habits, or by maintaining the status quo. Sometimes we seek to avoid the conflict that can come with making a change. Sometimes we feel we have no choice in the matter. But I’m with Henry Ford, who said, “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you are right.”

Those who live and work BY DESIGN notice when things aren’t going well, and make adjustments accordingly. They live more calmly, purposefully, and mindfully.

Here are some examples: (more…)

How to Create Your Own Simple Filing System

No two people are alike, and no two filing systems need to be either.  Create your own unique filing system using the S.P.A.C.E.* method: (more…)

Mystery Piles & Action Files

action fileHave you ever heard the organizing rule, “Touch each piece of paper only once”?  (a.k.a. OHIO — Only Handle it Once) Well, it’s a myth. But the kernel of truth inside the myth is this: If you sift through a pile of mail, or other type of papers, and if you don’t decide the first time you touch it what ACTION needs to take place NEXT, you will just have to sift through the pile all over again later. Pretty soon you will end up with what I call a mystery pile. It keeps growing, and who knows what’s in there?

So, what is the easiest way to vanquish mystery piles – and the missed deadlines and opportunities they usually represent? By using an action file!

 

(more…)