Clutter/Time Crunch+ — My Bugaboo

[wordmuse]

I have a home office. It's loaded with paper,
books I intend to read but never quite find
the time to read, ebooks printed out and in
the same limbo as the books.

I have a few magazine subscriptions - want
to save them for reference and swipes.

It all piles up!

I try weeding things out but entropy is MUCH
faster than I am.

I have newsletters unread.

I have to say that I admire those of you who
can keep it all together AND neat!

How DO-O-O you do it?

Warm Regards,
Bal

[Lynn Terry]

LOL

You find nice neat ways to file it, organize it or display it! Unread newsletters go into their own mail folder for future reference or searches. Books on a bookshelf - or grab some nice bookends. Binders the same - and any printouts not in a binder can go in one. A small filing cabinet, or filing drawer (with hanging file folders) for paperwork & receipts. Etc.

Easier said than done, right? And much easier done, than kept done

Another solution, too, is to set aside 30 to 60 minutes a day to study or read. This will give you the time to go through the material you already have, and new material you would like to read.

[wordmuse]

Now THAT would be a killer app.

Anyone have a way to sell me an
extra 30 to 60 minutes a day?

Of course, would entropy get into that
time, too? You know it would!

I'm afraid I'm my father's son. He had
an office messier than mine! But he
could land his hands on anything he
needed within 20 seconds. I tested him,
and he amAZEd me.

Thanks for the ideas Lynn. We'll
see what I can do... It is the
other "battle of the buldge."

Regards,
Bal

[Lynn Terry]

Ahh - an "organized mess"!

I can relate to that

As for finding an extra 30-60 minutes in your day... I've been through that one. Last January, titled "the 25th hour". It took me almost a month of persistently working it in, and a lot of frustration (as with any habit you try to start/stop). But in the end, I found a lot more than an hour in my day!

[kdwells]

[Cate]

[WAHumor]

[kdwells]

[Cate]

Uh, Dan, unfortunately they do NOT let me wear the pads. My 8-year-old gets to. But I love football so much there have been plenty of times I thought perhaps the Patriots could use an extra cornerback or two.

I'm not completely organized, which leads to my next "tip":

Be happy being 80% organized. For that part of your desk/inbox that is just not going to be dealt with right away, make piles or baskets. I get to it when I can. Funny thing is, sometimes when I'm going through it, stuff that seemed important no longer is.

Anything with a due date that goes into those piles gets noted on the calendar so it's not forgotten. Otherwise, it's part of t he 20% I'll "get to later".

An example: birthday party invite along with some coupons to use--note RSVP deadline on calendar, date of party if child is attending, then toss in basket to deal with later.

At least if your stuff is in piles or baskets you don't have a huge mess.

Another benefit to labeling files, boxes, binders, cabinets is that people around you can get to your stuff. Not to be morbid, but I'm building a binder right now of our personal information. My brother is our executor, and even though it's a horrible thought, I asked myself: If something happened to Chris and I, could he come right in here and immediately begin dealing with things, mostly so the kids would have some sort of continuity in our home? The answer was no. And so, the files will be redone in a logical order, an extra safe that will hold important documents in files will be purchased, and a notebook is being completed (with info in pencil, so it can be updated) with pertinent info. Copies of pertinent info will be kept in safe. Extra key will be given to brother.

If something happened to me, could my husband run my online business, or at least figure out what the heck I'm doing? My files/systems better be recognizable to someone besides myself!

Don't forget to have adequate business and umbrella liability policies, too. You never know in this litigious society. My umbrella policy only costs $160 a year for $500k.

All of this can be done in a weekend...put on your favorite DVD or music, camp out in your office or on the floor, and just sort through all your files/papers. It feels REALLY good! Then treat yourself to a delicious dinner out.

At least, that's my plan.

Cate

[wordmuse]

Well that's a huge amount to digest! Will take my brain
more than 15 minutes and 1 touch, I'm afraid.

But I'll be printing it out and starting to implement
THIS WEEKEND. Promise.

Suggestion to Lynn: Make a reference topic where
you or any admin you designate can copy particularly
good posts for people to quickly read and use.
Don't know if this is actually practical or even doable.
Just a thought. Cate's post should be a keeper!

Thanks again everyone. Great feedback here.

Warm Regards,
Bal

[Lynn Terry]

I agree, great tips Cate!!

And thanks for the suggestion. I plan to add links to the best posts here on the forum throughout the relevant content categories on the SSWT site.

[Teena]

Dan, I had to laugh at your reply - great sense of humour! I must check out your site.

I know what your "paper relationships" are like - some I've had longer than human friends! I touch my mess over and over and over as I move bit of paper from one part of the desk to the other, and I know where everything is, until I actually *need* something haha

One system I am just starting to implement is to deal with the incoming snailmail and bills.

Buy a concertina type folder for the desk, making sure it has 31 slots in it, one for each day of the month.

Write 1, 2, 3 etc in big numbers - one on each file slot.

As bills come in and you open them, check the Pay By date. I write a number 2 days earlier than that in BIG numbers on the bill (you don't have to do that if you don't want to) and then file it in the concertina file for that number. For example, if the phone bill is due on the 15th, I file it in the 13th. Do this for all bills.

PS If you don't open mail straight away, have an intray to keep it all together. Don't leave it too long or you might miss payments and be charged fines!

The idea is that each morning when I get to my desk, I open the filing concertina on my desk and look at the slot for that day's date, e.g. the 13th.
* I take out bills to be paid and do that first.
* I write / stamp bill with date, amount, check/cheque number etc
* I *file* the bill in the appropriate 3 ring binder (you'll need a couple of these).
* as bills get filed, the concertina folder will slowly empty out, ready for next month.

If I get an invitation, and I don't have to rsvp yet, I pop the invite in the "date" slot in the folder giving me time to rsvp. Once I rsvp, I move it to the date of the event, because I'll see it that morning. [I also have a database where I track events, meetings etc]

Getting sorted - that's what I'm *aiming* for - will keep you posted!

Cheers
Teena

[theuniek1]

[wordmuse]

Hi there,

Well, I've managed a small feat.

My desk, which really consists of three folding
tables (one largish wood flat table and two
card tables forming a kind of U) is much
cleaner (not yet pristine clean) than it's been
in 6 months or more. That took me nearly
3 hours if you can believe it.

One thing I noticed: I have to turn off my
computer monitor to get this kind of work
done. Why? Because I'll come across something
and want to check it out. Where? You got
it. On my computer. Then I leave real world
time and go into "suckthelifeoutofme time"
of computer surfing and all the rest.

It's a start. Much more to do.

I've got to figure out what's next on my list
after I finish cleaning my desk. Cate's list
is a very good help. Thank you, again Cate.

Warm Regards,
Bal

[wordmuse]

Hi Teena,

Another cool idea. I'll have to do this one too.

Don't have to worry about the bills. Division of
labor has my wife managing that one. She's
MUCH better at it than I could ever be! Where
I'd be without her is something I hope I never
have to find out.

======================
Off the wall remark coming:
What would be really neat is if
someone would come out with
"spongey paper." It works like
regular paper but compresses
really well under pressure. When
released, it would spring back
to its original form without a
crinkle anywhere to be found.
Ahh... the stuff of which dreams
are made...
======================

My next real step is to store away
all the printed ebooks that I've not
read in the last 6 months. I'll need
to inventory them so that I don't
print them out again. But
once done, that should free up a
ton of space.

Keep the ideas coming folks. This is
very helpful it seems to lots of us.

Regards,
Bal