Guidelines for an Organized and Productive Life

1.   If you open it, close it. 2.   If you turn it on, turn it off. 3.   If you unlock it, lock it. 4.   If you break it, admit it. 5.   If you can't fix it, call someone who can.

6.   If you borrow it, return it. 7.   If you value it, take care of it. 8.   If you make a mess, clean it up. 9.   If you take it out, put it back. 10.  If you wait, it won't get done.

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How Much Time Are You Wasting In Your Cluttered Office?
By Carleen Eve Fischer Hoffman, The Clutter Doctor, Inc.

Start the New Year off right with tips from The Clutter Doctor!

Did you know that a moderately disorganized person loses about two hours every day due to disorder? Multiply that by 260 business days and you get 520 hours of wasted time each year! How about multiplying that by a hypothetical rate of pay of $50 per hour? You’re losing $26,000 each year!!! Get where I am going with this? Ok then, read on and get moving!

Organizing your office can be one of the most daunting tasks. It seems like it takes forever to go though everything, it can be very frustrating because you're finding all those items you were looking for ("So THAT’S where it was"!), and you don't always get "instant" results. But don't worry, there is hope. Breaking it down into smaller, more manageable tasks will help you reach your goals faster. And what are your goals anyway? Do you have a specific process that you have trouble with, say filing? Maybe your goal is to organize your financial files. Where's your checkbook and last month's bank statement anyway? Follow these easy steps and you will soon be able to put those feet up on your desk wondering why you didn't get started sooner!

First and foremost, don't go running out to the local supply store to purchase products to use for organizing. Why? Because it can be a waste of time and money! Wait until you have finished sorting through EVERYTHING. This way you can better determine, for example, whether you need a two drawer file cabinet or a five drawer file cabinet.

Start at one end of your office and work towards the other. Don't jump around to different areas in the office. Why? Because you will never get a sense of accomplishment. Imagine walking into your office and looking at the left hand corner and thinking, "I already finished that corner!" Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was the mess in your office! So don't expect to reach your goals immediately.

Obviously, clutter comes from somewhere. The major source, INCOMING MAIL! Mail has to be sorted daily. While looking though your mail, decide what each item is (i.e. bill, something to respond to, reading, or recycling). Once you have done that, then take action accordingly. Bills should be placed in an area that is easy to find. I would suggest an accordion file stored by due date. Items to respond to should be kept separately in a file folder entitled "To Respond" (how original!). This file should be addressed weekly. Reading should be kept in one area, be it office or home, preferably close to where you would actually do your reading. Recycling, well I think you know what to do with that each day!

The next important item: TO DO LISTS! Do you have one? Do you have two? Do you have three? Wait, three? Yes, three! I do and so should you. Separate lists should be kept for your work items, short-term personal items (i.e. errands for the ride home, telephone calls to make), and long-term personal items (i.e. paint the house, clean out the garage). To Do Lists should be reviewed each day and should be kept with your calendar. I feel I should mention at this time, you should only be using ONE calendar for EVERYTHING. Yes, business and personal together. Each time you think of something that has to be done or you would like to do, it should be written down on your To Do list. Get those ideas down on paper and off your mind so you can think clearly! Remember, there is nothing like the satisfaction of crossing items off!

Now, lets take a closer look as to what specific things you can do in the office.

Gather all paperwork together. While reviewing, decide whether the item should be kept or tossed and then sort into piles by topic. Then, create file folders for each topic and file in a cabinet alphabetically. Should you use colored file folders? No. Should you use alternating tabbed file folders? No. Keep everything simple and labeled on the left. If you have a computer and your feeling adventurous, then type out the labels. If not, "print" (as opposed to cursive) labels in a black felt tip marker so the label will be easy to read. Personal items should be kept separate from business items. Also, don't postpone any decisions, just tackle it and get it done. Don’t rely on the "I will figure it out later" method. That makes it more work for you in the long run. While we are on the subject, ideally filing should be done daily. If you can't, then make sure its no less frequently than once a week. This should be "scheduled" time, meaning, get it down on your calendar. Waiting for it to pile up only causes frustration later.

Gather all your personal items (photos, mugs, etc.). Decide how much you really need to have at your office and bring the rest home. Too many personal items are not only a distraction, but clients may wonder what you really do in your office, work or think about outside stuff. The remaining items should be stored on top of a bookshelf or within it. Having items on your desk decreases the amount of "working space" you have.

If your office is especially small, a "SoHo" desk may be right for you. These desks typically look like a hutch, but open up into a nice workspace. Using a closet is also helpful. Who says closets are just for clothing! Bookshelves fit in just fine, and imagine all the space you could have!

All current and relevant work should be kept close at hand for easy retrieval. Pens, etc. should be stored in a fashion that doesn't look cluttered and remains easy to find.

At the end of each day, make sure everything is back in its place so it is ready for you when you arrive the next day.

This is just a snapshot of the kinds of things you can do to relieve some stress in your busy profession and create more time to have for your clients, or even your family! Good luck with your quest for a more organized office!

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Now That the Holidays are Over . . .
By Carleen Eve Fischer Hoffman, The Clutter Doctor, Inc.

Make next year's holiday season more enjoyable and relaxing by taking time now to make things easier for yourself. Here are some tips on storing holiday decorations:

1.	Ornaments.
	This is very important because if your ornaments are difficult to take out, you will not want to decorate.
a.	Store your ornaments in a case especially made just for ornaments. Use the kind of box that has separations that are not removable (in other words, if you take a section out, your ornaments will not roll out). Place some tissue paper on the bottom of each section for added protection.
b.	Do not wrap your ornaments in tissue paper or in the boxes they came in unless they are collectible. Storing in this manner will add to the frustration of trying to find ornaments and trying to find the particular box for each items when its time to put them away.
2.	Lights.
	Why not take the time to put the light back in a manner that does not resemble a tangled ball! What has worked out great for me is taking each strand and wrapping it around a strip of cardboard, then storing the cardboard strips in a big plastic container. Each cardboard strip is marked "tree lights" or "outside lights" so I can tell them apart.
3.	Knickknacks.
	If you are like me, you probably have a lot of knickknacks that you only use during the holidays. Why not separate them into categories and store them in handled plastic boxes. Mark each box with an appropriate name: "Grandma’s Favorites" and "Candles" for example.
4.	Holiday Wrap and Bows.
	Buy yourself an organizer especially made for wrapping paper. Place only your holiday wrap in the container and store it with your holiday items. Don’t mix your holiday wrap with your everyday wrap. Since the wrap is only used once a year, it makes sense to keep it separate.

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Why Be Organized?
By Carleen Eve Fischer Hoffman, The Clutter Doctor, Inc.

Tips From The Clutter Doctor!

Being organized saves time and money! Think about it, how much time do you waste looking for car keys, trying to put together the perfect outfit, or putting groceries away? What a pain! I can teach you some quick and easy steps to conquer these dilemmas and many more, so read on my friend!

Ok, so you are getting ready to leave for a very important meeting with a prospective client and guess what? You can't find your car keys! You spend an extra 10 minutes looking for them and hence, you are late for your appointment. Avoiding this situation is simple, have a place in your home AND in your purse that is specifically designated for your car keys only. Try placing a square plastic container in a drawer in your kitchen or near the door that leads to your garage to store your keys. For your purse, use the inside pocket.

How much time do you spend searching for the perfect outfit to wear? Try these simple steps to help maximize space and make items easier to find. For skirts, store on a tiered skirt hanger sorted by color and type. Use the same system for pants. For blouses, use thin plastic hangers (do not use the tiered hangers) and sort by color and type (short sleeves vs. long sleeves). Do not mix and match hangers because it makes it hard for your eye to follow. Store items that are not used often on the top shelf. Shoes should be placed in clear, plastic containers specifically designed for them and stacked on the floor by color and style. Another option would be a wooden holder with several "cubbies", also to be placed on the floor. Pocketbooks can be sorted by color and placed on the floor also. If you are short on space, purchase under-the-bed boxes for items that you would not use daily or to store off-season items. Purchase a small step stool to keep in your closet for those items stored out of reach.

Tack small nails into the sidewalls of the closet to hang hats. Use a belt hanger with several hooks to sort your belts by color. When cleaning out your closet, ask yourself these questions: Is this item current? Is the item of good quality? Do I have enough space for this item? Is this item really important? It IS ok to keep something you haven't worn in a year, specifically if you live in a multi-season environment, but if its 2-3 years later and you still haven't worn it, then its time to re-evaluate.

Save time at the grocery store and when you get home. When shopping, place like items together in your cart (i.e. canned items, refrigerated items, and freezer items). When you checkout, place like items on the conveyer belt and do the bagging yourself or be sure the bagger keeps the like items together. When you get home, unpacking and putting away should be a breeze! Always pack your groceries in the plastic handled bags, you can carry more than one at a time. Soda bottles should be packed lying flat.

Save time in the kitchen by arranging your cupboards according to function. Plates and flatware should be closest to the stove as that is where you would most likely use them. Place cups near the refrigerator. Stack plastic storage containers inside one another and stack. Tops can be stored upright in an unused plastic container. Store spices together alphabetically. Arrange pantry items according to type.

Keeping the house clean can be a chore, but not if you follow these simple tips. Spend 5 to 10 minutes each day picking up your home. Tackle mail as soon as it arrives deciding whether it is something to read, bill to pay, or something for recycle. Place plastic buckets in your garage for sorting recyclables and placed empty items in the containers as soon as they are used. Keep a set of cleaning fluids and a vacuum on each floor of your house so you are not lugging items up and down stairs. If you have a large house, break the cleaning down to smaller tasks and do a few each day. Always dust first, then vacuum.

For the office, tackle those items for the mail as soon as possible. Place reading in a space especially designated for reading. For bills to pay, place them in an accordion file numbered 1-31 (to correspond with the number of each day). Use left-tabbed file folders only for your file system, as they are easier for your eye to read. If you have a computer, take the time to create file folder tabs using white labels. Otherwise, use a black felt tip marker. If you have a closet in your office, remove the hanging pole and place bookshelves inside. Use the shelves for storing supplies and books to be read. If you are really short on office space, look into purchasing a hutch specifically designed to store a keyboard, monitor, and CPU.

Remember: Always store like items together and everything should have its own place.

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Want More Time For Fun in the Summer Sun? Tackle Those Unruly Piles!

By: Carleen Eve Fischer Hoffman, President The Clutter Doctor, Inc.

Clutter robs us of time for fun and family. Now is the time to tackle those unruly piles in your office, freeing up your time and giving you peace of mind. Here are a few easy tips to make this project easier:

1.	Start and work on one section of your office at a time. Working on too many things can be both Distracting and overwhelming.
2.	When going through your piles, decide whether each item "needs action", can be filed, or can be thrown away. Sorting with a wastebasket nearby saves steps and encourages quick action.
3.	Purchase either a 12 pocket (monthly) or a 31-day accordion file and place any "needs action" items in it according to due date. Choose the one which best fits your personal workflow.
4.	For filing, use left-tabbed file folders. Since your eye-brain combination is used to reading left to right, left-tabbed folders make reading quicker and easier.
5.	To save space, use just regular file folders, not hanging folders. Since you'll be filing more folders in the same space, make sure your filing system is strong enough on the bottom to handle the extra load.

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