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6 Best Ways To Keep Every Day Organized

1/7/2018

Do you ever feel like the whole day got away from you? Here are a few simple tricks to help you make the most of your busy day.

Get started with a quick review.
Every morning review your to-do list and prioritize.

Have an action plan for paperwork.
If it requires action, act on it. If it needs to be filed, file it. If it's not needed, throw it away.

Check email only a few times a day.
Establish set times during the day and turn off visual or audio cues.

Stay focused and avoid multitasking
When you focus on one task, you're more accurate and efficient.

Make the most of technology.
Use your computer's calendar function to alert you to meetings and deadlines.

At the end of the day, make a list for tomorrow.
Check today's list and start a to-do list for tomorrow.

Look out clutter—it’s time we put you in your place

1/10/2017

There’s a reason why we keep those loose receipts, notes to self and random doodads. But without a proper place to put them, these items soon turn into clutter, sprawling over counters, shelves and desktops. What’s an efficient way to take control of clutter and reclaim our space, once and for all?
Start the year off right by getting and staying organized. Avery offers smart solutions for filing, storing and organizing to help you stay on top of your responsibilities and make life run more smoothly. Our friends at Avery have a number of products that are sure to help you minimize clutter and simplify for life. Pair the products with Avery customizable labels and you've got this covered!

Save Time & Organize

10/3/2016

Invest time in personal organization, and save time in the long run. You’ll be more productive when you make organizational habits part of your daily routine!

Office On The Go

9/15/2016

The workplace has changed radically in the past few decades. It’s hard to believe that my father had a huge roll-top desk in his office. It was as big and as hard to move as a piano! He knew he would work at that desk in that office for his entire career. Same job, same office, same desk. Imagine?

Today, people switch career streams and employers regularly. Most people work in a variety of locations. I am self-employed and am regularly on the road for speaking engagements and workshops. I work from home, on commuter trains, in hotel executive business suites, at off-site office pods, and even from my car. As a society, we are always on the move with laptops, smart phones and data filled USB sticks.

This generation is also more likely to integrate our working hours into our personal life. Who doesn’t take work home? And that means we also integrate personal activities into our workday too.

Keeping ourselves organized when we don’t have a “home base” can prove challenging, but I have created systems for myself that allows me to move information with me by using Post-it® Full Adhesive Notes which I can affix to the lid of my laptop and the back of my phone. The full adhesive surface means they won’t peel off when I pull my computer in and out of its case, or when I toss my phone in my purse.

The great thing about Post-it® Notes with adhesive backing is that I can grab the grocery list that is stuck on the fridge and stick it on my computer so I remember to stop at the store on the way home. I then grab the list from my computer and re-stick it to the handle of my grocery cart. The note goes where I go.

Thanks to hands free technology, I use my driving time to return phone calls. I write the names and phone numbers on a full adhesive Post-it® Note on back of my phone. Today I had a call that I knew I needed to ask three specific questions so I scribbled those on my phone’s Post-it® Note and adhered it to my car’s dashboard as a way to jog my memory.

he great thing about Post-it® Notes with adhesive backing is that I can grab the grocery list that is stuck on the fridge and stick it on my computer so I remember to stop at the store on the way home. I then grab the list from my computer and re-stick it to the handle of my grocery cart. The note goes where I go.

Thanks to hands free technology, I use my driving time to return phone calls. I write the names and phone numbers on a full adhesive Post-it® Note on back of my phone. Today I had a call that I knew I needed to ask three specific questions so I scribbled those on my phone’s Post-it® Note and adhered it to my car’s dashboard as a way to jog my memory.

Guest Blogger: Inspiration That Sticks

Color Me Glad!

5/19/2016

Our Favorite Products to Help You Stay Organized This Year

1/6/2016

You might remember my interview with my friend and professional organizer for Chicago Anytime Assistants, Hannah. She gave some tips on how to cut through the initial clutter in your work space. But how do you stay organized throughout the year? Part of it is buying the right organizational tools and products that you feel good about and that you actually want to use, like products by My Pretty Office.

My Pretty Office is a unique collection of pretty desk accessories and decorative office supplies. You'll find anything from cute mini notebooks and pens to chic staplers and pretty paper clips. These products will make you love getting--and staying organized.

Kick 2016 Off To A Good Start!

1/4/2016

Organize & Update For A Productive Year!

The new year is the perfect time for fresh starts, and 2016 is no exception! Get your office in order with all the best in organization, and update with the latest new products to make work more efficient.

You know the old adage, "Time is money"? An organized office saves both. When your workspace is filed, labeled and beautifully organized, you know exactly where to look for everything. There's no wasted time digging for those meeting notes from last week or that invoice that was supposed to be paid yesterday. With the proper organizational tools, there's a place for everything. Check out the Twist January Work - Life flyer, you'll find lots of ideas you'll want to put to work! There's new products and technology to help you get more done in less time and make the most of your workday!

Coping with Holiday Stress

11/23/2015

This blog post was originally posted on the Smead Organamics blog

Coping with holiday stress is a huge concern for many people. Many people try to pack months worth of activities into just 6 short weeks. Most individuals admit to having stress directly related to this time of year. For mental and physical health reasons, coping with holiday stress is very important. In fact, there are four holiday stress-inducers that you can try eliminating to make your holiday season actually feel like a holiday:

Doing too much in too little time. It’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to do more in the same amount of time. Unfortunately, the holiday season doesn’t grant us any more hours in our days. This year consider putting on hold some of your family’s activities during the holidays in order to accommodate the increases in your schedule. Things like your child’s piano lessons or your book club will easily resume after the holiday.
Having unrealistic expectations. Do you try to address greeting cards, do all your baking and finish up your shopping in just a few days? To quote Dr. Phil: “How’s that workin’ for you?” Instead, start your holiday preparations early. Things such as addressing greeting cards, stocking up on groceries for the holidays or doing the majority of your baking can be done in October or November.
Going into debt. Keep a close eye on those credit cards. Spending money you already have in your checking account will help you avoid additional debt and those January blues that come in the mail in the form of credit card statements.
Sticking to traditions. If truth be told, some traditions bring on stress and aren’t even enjoyable anymore. Maybe this is the year you choose an artificial tree versus cutting one down yourself or maybe you decide to decorate your home with only half the decorations you normally do.

Strategizing against the causes of stress will bring more order, calm and peace into your day. Just by coping with holiday stress you’ll have more enjoyable memories of the entire holiday season.
By: Audrey Thomas, Certified Professional Organizer®

Don't Choose Between Your Outlook and Paper Planner.

11/17/2015

Written by Day-Timer Spokesperson Jeff Doubek.
Originally posted on blog.daytimer.com August 22, 2012

Do you have a paper planner and Microsoft Outlook but can’t decide which to use?

The good news is, you don’t have to give up one for the other – you can successfully combine Microsoft Outlook with your paper day planner for a dependable and productive planning solution.

Here is some practical advice for making them work together:

KNOW YOUR ROLES:
The Outlook and day planner relationship works best if you properly define the roles of each tool. Outlook should be your “master” scheduling device. You should maintain all time-sensitive data here. If it’s tied into your work network most appointments begin here already, and it offers terrific reminder features.

Your paper planner, on the other hand, should serve as your portable all-purpose tool. It works great while on the go or at your desk — just flip it open for access to your daily plan. (Outlook can be a distraction, especially while working in other computer programs.)

FOLLOW THIS DAILY ROUTINE:

Sync your day: Establish a time for planning your day ahead. Typically, I recommend the morning for this activity, however many enjoy planning at day’s end. Make it a routine by setting aside at least 15 minutes each day.
Review on paper: Run through your day planner and extract all task and appointment notes from the previous day. Input this information directly into Outlook, making certain to include start dates and due dates.
Important tip: Always reference in Outlook where the task or appointment request was found in your paper planner notes, in case you want to refer back later.
Process your email: Scan your past day’s messages and create tasks from those that require follow-up action. Simply open the message, open the “File” menu, choose “Copy to folder,” and select “tasks” from the drop-down menu.
Another Important tip: Create new task subject headings that more specifically address the action required.
Update your paper planner: If you perform this routine daily, keeping your tasks and schedules in-sync is a quick, reliable process.
- First, go to your Outlook task screen and copy into your planner the tasks you need and want to do today.
- Next, go to your Outlook calendar and update today’s appointments in your planner.
- Then, go to your monthly calendars and copy into your planner any schedule updates for the week and month ahead.

NOTES TO REMEMBER:

As you go about your day, use the tool that is most convenient. In other words, hand-write notes for new tasks and appointments if you’re using your planner for activities such as taking meeting notes, and create Outlook tasks and appointments if you’re reading email. As long as you perform the daily sync your system will be current.
Printing out your Outlook schedule is the preferred choice of many. Use Day-Timer’s Print Your Own planning pages.

A FINAL THOUGHT:
Stick to your daily plan. As new urgent tasks arise through the email and conversations of your day, you must decide whether they take priority over those that you’ve already assigned yourself.

Day-Timer Spokesperson Jeff Doubek can be reached at jeff.doubek@daytimer.com

7 (Quick) Ways to Feng Shui

8/24/2015

Infographic from The Vision Times

The benefits of feng shui are real. Click on the infographic to learn how to transform your work space from zzzzzzz (yawn) to zen. Or let's be honest, you are busy at work and don't have time to read the infographic. No worries, I'll summarize it for you:

Add family photos and/or artwork.
Get a cool lamp for extra lighting.
Add a pop of color, like a rug with a fun pattern.
Buy plants (an odd number).
Clear clutter (see previous post, Organization for Dummies).
Simplify your computer files, desktop, etc.
Placement matters. Face the door on a diagonal.

Have a happy and healthy week!

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