Click Here To Get Organized and Relax.
Entries Tagged 'Office, Paper & Productivity' ↓
Not enough time in your day? Are you struggling to get everything done in a day, feeling rushed, feeling frustrated, feeling like you need just a few more hours? Well, I encourage you to improve productivity in your office today by getting real about how you are spending your time every day. As it turns out, you may be playing FarmVille just a little bit more than you realize…
Try out any of these productivity tools to analyze your computer habits and recapture some extra time!
Rescue Time: There’s a free version to find out where you are spending your time on your computer and for how long. RescueTime is a web-based time management and analytics tool for knowledge workers who want to be more efficient and productive.
Time Timer There’s a timer that you can physically set next to your computer or you can download software to use your timer directly on your computer screen. This is a great way to set a goal to work for a specific amount of time and set your timer. Or to place a limit on how long you will play FarmVille-timer goes off, game goes off!
Use the Time Timer at work to:
- Keep meetings on time and on track.
- Meet deadlines without compromising quality.
- Deliver presentations that are succinct and focused.
- Accomplish tasks efficiently.
Time Timer to improve productivty
Toggl Toggl is a timesheet killer and a way to increase income by not leaving hours on the table. If you haven’t tracked it, you can’t bill it. Toggl is popular with freelancers, groups, and small companies. It’s internet-based and can be up and running from scratch in less than a minute. It has desktop widgets, an iPhone app, and an iGoogle gadget for even faster access.
Give any one of these time trackers a spin to improve productivity and efficiency; when you’re done with your work you can treat yourself to extra FarmVille time!
Your Home Organization Expert-Monika
Tags: DIY organization, efficiency, FarmVille, Home Organization, Home Organization Blog, home organization expert, improve productivity, office organization, productivity tools, Rescue Time, time management, Time Timer, time tracking, Toggl
Home Organization Myth #4: Touch It Once
OK, this is one that I have never totally understood. Sure, it sounds great and everything, just touch something once and be done with it. But is that really practical? When my mail comes in, I process it and then it goes to my office and then I touch it again when I pay the bills. But it has a flow, I know where it needs to go and it isn’t causing clutter. Now, I suppose I do make “touch it once” decisions on the spot when I go through my mail and come across something to shred or recycle. I throw it straight into the recycle bin or I set it on top of my shredder. Well, there you go, I already blew that one because I don’t shred it on the spot, I go back and shred it when I have a decent pile of shredding to do.
I know there is definite value to making quick decisions about whether or not we keep something and where we want it to ‘live.’ This prevents stuff from piling up and forcing us to make lots of decisions later as we wade through piles which feels overwhelming. But it is not always practical to say you can just touch something once-that’s too much pressure!
Don’t take home organization myth #4 too seriously and just process your stuff as quickly as you can! 
Tags: Home Organization, Home Organization Blog, home organization myth, home organization myths
Organized Tax File
Death and taxes-guaranteed. Stress at tax time does not have to be guaranteed! Tax season is often a tough time of year as people search for important documents, receipts, checks and missing papers. This is a new year, a year that you can organize your tax documents so you can find the papers that you need quickly and decrease your stress level at tax time.
Follow the following 5 home office organization tips to beat tax time stress:
1) Create a folder labeled “Taxes” for your file cabinet to place all tax documents & information that you receive throughout the year. An example may be a letter you receive from your accountant.
2) Label a large envelope “Charity” and place all charitable receipts that will then be stored in your “Taxes” file.
3) Create a template on your computer listing all of the tax documents you need every year. This will give you a checklist to make sure you have everything you should have at tax time.
4) Create archive files for old taxes in case you are ever audited or if you just need to refer back to something from a previous year. Read more about how to organize your archive taxes.
Organized Archive Taxes
5) If you have a lot of receipts to save, such as for a home based business, stash them in labeled envelopes or use an accordion file labeled by category. This will separate, label and give receipts a home until you need them.
Each one of these home office organization tips only take a few minutes to implement and it’s well worth your time and energy now to save time and stress later!
Tags: archive taxes, home office organization, home office organization tips, Home Organization, Home Organization Blog, organize, tax documents, tax file, taxes
Magazine Clutter
Magazines=lots of words, lots of pictures, lots of products, lots of knowledge, lots of C-L-U-T-T-E-R… Yes, clutter.
Please tell me that you know rationally that you will never, ever have time to catch up with piles and piles of magazines. Magazines on the the couch, on the table, the floor, on the nightstand, in the bathroom too.
What do you do if magazines are multiplying in your sleep, getting you further and further behind? Try any and all of these 10 Decluttering Tips to lighten your load:
1) Reduce volume by being picky about what you allow in your home, discontinue all magazine subscriptions that you are no longer reading.
2) Do a major purge to give yourself a clean slate. Let all of the unread magazines go so you can read only the new information coming in.
3) Recycle, recycle, recycle.
4) Share a subscription with someone else. Read only what you want and pass it on knowing your friend won’t want outdated info.
5) Take magazines to your local library, libraries will often sell them to raise a little bit of money for programs.
6) Read magazines in your local library, sit and read what peaks your interest and go home without them.
7) Check out your favorite magazine websites for articles & recipes.
8) Just say no to magazine fundraisers instead of trying to be nice by ordering something you don’t want.
9) Donate old magazines to a local hospital.
10) Donate old magazines to a local doctor or dentist.
You will let go of a lot of guilt when you let go of a lot of magazines, just do it, trust me! Click here for more helpful home decluttering tips.
Tags: clutter, home, home decluttering tips, Home Organization, Home Organization Blog, magazine clutter, magazines, recycle, subscriptions
I seem to always be a little slow catching up with technology, I think it started in my teen years when my dad and I were the last people on the planet to get a VCR. When cell phones came out I thought, “Why would I want someone to call me in my car or at the store when I want to be alone?” Then facebook came along, “I don’t have time to type what I’m doing, and who will really care anyway?” Eventually I finally embrace new things-DVD players, texting, facebook and even twitter. And then fall in love with them and could never “live” without them! I just donated my VCR to charity by the way…
But sometimes these technology love affairs go a little too far and suddenly you may be at the whim of every little buzz, bing, ding, and vibration. This can turn into a serious time management issue. Recently, I’ve turned off my text tone and it’s actually been kind of a relief. I will look at my phone from time to time to check in, but I don’t have that automatic response of jumping on it every time my phone makes a noise. I really did it because I thought I was messing with my phone too much around my kids. Sometimes I would have a couple of friends shooting texts at me like lasers as I tried frantically to keep up. Attention to my phone means it is taking attention to everything and everyone else who needs my attention.
If you find you aren’t getting everything you need to get done in a day, I highly encourage you to turn off the tones for 3 days and see what happens. You can still check your email, you can still send a text, but you can do it on your time not at the whim of a tone. Click here for 10 ways to say “No” to help you balance your time.
Your Home Organization Expert-Monika
Tags: Home Organization, Home Organization Blog, home organization expert, technology, time management
Organized File Cabinet from Storables
When I am teaching classes on home office organization or working directly with clients, I often suggest keeping the file cabinet as close to their work area as possible. Ideally there would be a letter tray on top of it for “To File” items as well. The thinking is that the closer you are to the file cabinet, the more likely it is that you will reach over and file your papers. Sounds good doesn’t it?! If you store your file cabinet out in the garage, it’s likely that papers will sit in piles because the file cabinet is too far away.
Letter Tray from Storables
But there are exceptions to every rule. Some people need to get up and move around throughout the day to get the wiggles out! And that’s OK! If you need to get up and move around more than the average bear, than place the file cabinet across the room. Get up and place papers into the letter tray throughout the day. Get up and file a few papers throughout the day. I still don’t really recommend placing the file cabinet out in the garage though-you don’t want to forget that you have it!
Organized File Drawer
If you need to get the wiggles out during the day, wiggle on over to the file cabinet throughout the day to stay on top of your home office organization goals!
Tags: file cabinet, home office organization, Home Organization, Home Organization Blog, letter tray, Storables
Organized Desk
And I don’t mean cookies… But I say you can have a cookie while you work if you so desire-I know I do! When you finish your cookie and you’re ready to work on your home office organization tasks, you should concentrate on doing tasks of the same type together. This will keep you on track and avoid jumping around causing your brain to have to continually switch gears. Our brains can truly only focus on one task at a time. Our brains can only multitask when it comes to activities like our hearts beating and breathing at the same time.
Tasks will be done more efficiently and faster if you block off time to stick to one task at a time. Examples of tasks you can focus on:
1) Filing papers
2) Making phone calls
3) Checking e-mail (this is an important one to do in batches vs. checking it frequently throughout the day)
4) Organizing your work area
5) Social media updates (Hootsuite is a great site to post updates to multiple sites)
6) Blogging (good to create several blog posts in one shot)
7) Processing receipts/budgeting
Invoicing
9) Shredding documents
10) Ordering supplies
Get organized and do it efficiently by doing your “like” tasks in batches so you aren’t zigzagging!
Tags: home office organization, Home Organization, Home Organization Blog
Have you ever had to come up with some new ideas for a work project but just sat there in front of your computer stuck? Nothing, nothing, nothing new coming to your mind… It’s not a good feeling. To increase your productivity and creativity, sometimes you just have to break away from your computer. Get out of your office and enjoy a change of scenery to clear your mind. It’s amazing how the thoughts and creativity will flow when you aren’t trying so hard. I often find that I come up with my best ideas for blog posts on a run/walk or when I’m out in the yard pulling weeds (and, yes, there will be a post tied in with weeding coming soon). Sometimes a household chore will even spur a new blog post.
What can you do to get out of the office and get the ideas flowing? Try one or all of these ideas!
**Go for a walk in your neighborhood
**Soak in the tub
**Work in the yard
**Sit on the beach and look at the water
**Lay on a blanket in the grass and look at the sky
**Go to the park and sit on a bench watching people
**Go on a bike ride by yourself
There are lots of ways that you can get out of your office to get the creative juices flowing and come back more productive then ever!
Your Home Organization Expert-Monika
Tags: Home Organization, Home Organization Blog, home organization expert, office, productivity
Paper to Declutter
Grab a recycle bag, set a timer for 13 minutes and see just how much you can get rid of-you may be amazed! If loud music helps, then turn it up!
1) Start with one room and stay in that room until you are done. If you finish before 13 minutes, move on to the next room.
2) Have your recycle bag with you so you don’t leave the area.
3) Be in a positive frame of mind that you can let things go!
4) Set your timer for 13 minutes.
5) Ready, set, go!!
Recycle:
1) Old newspapers-it’s old news, let them go!
2) Expired coupons.
3) Outside envelopes from bills.
4) Inserts from bills.
5) Expired advertisements/flyers.
6) Magazines over 3 months old, if they are that old, you don’t have time to catch up.
7) Junk mail.
Things you will never actually read-out goes that investment prospectus!
9) Invitations from events that have passed.
10) At least some of your child’s old homework sheets & art-you don’t really need to keep it all. Pick the best and part with the rest.
11) Sign-up sheets for activities that you know your kids don’t want to sign up for. Make quick decisions. No basketball? Then let it go.
12) Recipes you aren’t really going to try. Either try them out or let them go.
13) Books you have already read unless you know you will read them again or use them as a reference.
Decluttered Desk
Just think, with just a 13 a minute decluttering session, you may see the top of your desk, table or counter again!
Tags: books, declutter, desk, Home Organization, Home Organization Blog, homework, paper, recipes
Home Office Organization-Archive Tax Files
Can you get to your old taxes in 30 seconds or less if you had to? Yes, it is possible, it’s even easy to set up! Just follow these 4 steps to home office organization for your archive taxes:
Step #1: Gather all of your old tax documents so you can see just how much you have.
Step #2: Decide how many years of back taxes you feel comfortable keeping. Here are some tips from the IRS for record retention.
Step #3: Decide where you have the space to store your taxes. They really don’t have to be at your fingertips, you probably won’t access them often at all. Old taxes can be kept in the bottom drawer of a file cabinet or even in a labeled banker’s box in a closet.
Step #4: Use hanging file folders labeled: Taxes 1, Taxes 2, Taxes 3, etc. Place the most recent tax return in Taxes 1. Every year move them all back one and place the newest return in Taxes 1 and shred the return that was in the back folder that got booted. This is an easy way to store old taxes without the need to change the labels on the outside according to the year. You will always know that you can find your most current return in the front.
Keep your home office organized and have peace of mind that you have your taxes easily accessible should the IRS come a callin’! Let’s hope that never happens. 
Your Home Organization Expert-Monika
Tags: archive taxes, banker's box, file cabinet, files, hanging file folders, home office organization, Home Organization, Home Organization Blog, home organization expert, IRS, tax return
