Walking into a clean, efficient, well-organized office allows you to spend more time building your business, being productive and doing what you love! If your other tasks have run away with you and your office is becoming a barrier to getting things done, it’s time for a little house-cleaning. I’ll show you how with a few easy steps to begin.

Do you step into your office only to find yourself surrounded by a sea of papers, stacked knee deep as far as the eye can see? Instead of swimming through all of the piles just to get to your desk, why not start cutting back, filing and throwing things out now? Because today is as good a day as any. Watch my video below to see how you can start to cut the waste and feed your recycling bin and shredder some much-needed paper pulp.

It takes four simple steps to create a filing system that will work for YOU and YOUR business.  Check out the video below for tips that will help you get started today.

Is your filing system supporting your biz or leaving you flustered? Do tell!

I have worked with a lot of great clients over the years (lucky me!). No matter what I’m initially called in for, I’d say at least 90% of my clients have an issue dealing with paper. So, if you’ve got paper monsters chasing you, no shame! You’re not alone.

Check out the video below. In it, I discuss the top three mistakes I see people making when it comes to their papers – and what you can do to correct those mistakes if you’re currently making them.

Did you tackle your paper monsters? What worked for you?

I read Mashable often to find out some of latest news in social media.  Be still my beating heart – just the other day they reviewed a new product called Plug Hub, which helps you clean up those cords and cables that cause so many of us the blues.

I think it’s another great new option for cable management. No more tangles. Check out the article on Mashable to get more insight into this new product. If you already like what you see, you can head over to Quirky.com to pre-order the Plug Hub.

What’s your take on the Plug Hub? And how do you deal with messy cables around the office?

Any business owner knows that there are many moving parts to keeping your business running smoothly. Having an organized office is a valuable asset. Not only will an organized office help you keep a clear head and be more productive, but it gives you one less thing to stress out about!

This post will cover one of the most important things you can do to work your way to a more organized office.

Clear off and reorganize your desk!

If you do only one thing, keep a clear desk! As I always say, physical clutter most often contributes to mental clutter.  If you sit down at your desk and immediately feel overwhelmed before you’ve opened your calendar or turned on your computer, you’ll want to take this advice. If this sounds like you, you’ve probably noticed that you become incredibly inefficient and unproductive. I’ve had some clients who avoided their desks like the plague because just the sight of it wanted to make them pull their hair out. Don’t get stuck in that place.

Yes, there IS a desk under there.

If there’s one space to keep clear, again, it is this one. If you work in an office, your desk is most likely your hub. If you’re an artist, this is your drawing table or the space you lay photographs on. Whatever that zone is for you – it’s important!

Here’s how to turn that disaster zone into a sleek money making machine:

Start by taking things off your desk an item (or pile) at a time. Sort them into categories – trash, file, and store for example. Trash should go immediately into the trash can or recycle bin. No sense in handling it multiple times. Filing should be done a regular basis (we’ll tackle that later. You can also read this post). Organize remaining items in to homes that make sense (all office supplies together, gadgets in the same drawer, manuals compiled in the same bin or binder, etc).

Only place things on your desk that you use every day – or several times per week. Your desk should not be a dumping ground – the items easily accessible should be the ones you use most often. The only things on my desk are my laptop, phone,  Master To-Do List (with pen attached), catch-all notebook (also with pen attached),  and my daily checklists. I don’t even keep my printer on my desk. I selected a wireless printer (love it!) that hides nicely in my closet.   Yep, that’s it!

As for files on your desk, I suggest only keeping immediate action items – things coming up that day or that week – at your fingertips. Keeping a stack of papers on your desk becomes a hindrance when you don’t know what’s what and can’t find the immediate action items. If you are worried about the “out of sight, out of mind” factor, consider keeping track of to-do’s on a master list, or use a cork board, magnetic board, or wall pockets for the important stuff.

Once you’ve cleared off your desk, respect your hard work by keeping it clean! Pretend there is a force field around your desk – if something comes your way that isn’t important, it doesn’t get a home on your desk top – trash it, file it, or put it in it’s home. Your desk is now a reverse magnet for clutter.

You’ll feel 100% better each day when you sit down at your desk and can find what you need when you need it.

Coming up: how to handle your paper and how to organize the rest of your office space.

Did you catch ABC’s Nightline last night? If not, you missed a great segment they did on the issue of hoarding.

I am fascinated by hoarding, hoarders, and the psychology behind it all. Many Professional Organizers would prefer NOT to work with hoarders, which I can understand. It might not be where they thrive, they might not have the patience for it, or any number of other reasons. I love working with hoarders. And honestly, they’ve been some of my best clients – ready to make a change, open to having a professional come in to help, grateful for the changes that are made. And I love seeing the impact that each little cleared space can have in a hoarders life. It’s a process. No doubt about it.

One of my very first clients was a hoarder. No one had been in her home in about 10 years because she was too embarrassed to let anyone in. When she contacted me, she was finally READY for her life to change for the better. We had to start off very slowly at first, but once she grew more confident, she was really on a roll! If you aren’t a hoarder, you might not understand the power of this – but the day we could see what color the living room carpet was – it was  BIG day.

I’m glad Nightline covered the topic. I hope more people become aware about what hoarding is and I hope that hoarders get the help they need – whether it’s from friends, family, or professionals. Honestly, I think a professional is often needed at that point, but I think if you live with others, they should be involved in the process too so that EVERYONE is part of the major shift and massive life change.

You can check out the segment on Nightline here: Hoarders Trash Homes – ABC News

Are you a hoarder? Do you know someone in your life who is impacted by hoarding? What did you think of the Nightline segment?

With a growing number of people working from home, those who are leaving the traditional office setting (at least part time) are realizing the importance of creating a dedicated workspace at home.

If you have decided to make the transition to work from home, I strongly suggest creating a space in your home that you use only for work.  There are many important benefits to creating this space including increased productivity and separating home life and work life – which benefits both you and the people that live with you. Find a place that can be all your own – if not permanently, at least temporarily. Pick a place that is low traffic during the day, setup shop, and have a place for storage nearby that you can neatly store things in at the end of the day.

Read the full article at Chicaholic.net

Everyone has flaws. No one is perfect. NO ONE (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!). Beating yourself up for every little thing you do wrong is not going to help your situation. Most of the clients I’ve worked with have very similar thought processes, regardless of the fact that they range in age, gender, socioeconomic background, nationality, and ethnicity. The clients that just need a little jump start to get the ball rolling are different from the ones who struggle and trudge along in one major way – the way they talk to themselves.

I can usually tell by someone’s “self-talk” and the way they explain their situation how they are going to approach the project they’ve hired me to help them with. Client’s who tend to say the following tend to have more success with their efforts:

“I know my situation isn’t terrible, but I am not happy with it. I know it could be better and I just need some help to get it done.”

“I used to be organized but __________ happened and things got hectic. Things have settled down now and I just need to get things back to normal.”

“I’m ready for things to change. I know they can be better.”

Clients who express things in the following way also tell me immediately after that any attempts they’ve made at organizing go awry and they are back at square one:

“This is just too hard. I can’t do it.”

“I don’t know how to be organized. It will never work.”

“I don’t even bother anymore because I know it won’t do any good.”

Though I don’t think it is appropriate in all situations, I think in this one, the “fake it ’til you make it” method can work.

Rather than saying:

“I can’t….” say “I can…” even though you are struggling.

“I don’t know how to…” say ” I will learn how to….” even if you don’t have the answer now – because you can find the answer.

“I wish I had…” say “I will have….” to motivate yourself to accomplish your goal.

“I would like to, but….” say ” I will achieve that, and I will do it by….” and think of things you can do to help you get what you want.

It’s very rare that anyone accuses me of being an optimist. I actually tend to label myself a “hopeful pessimist.” But I have noticed that when I say:

“I can knock those dishes out in a few minutes,”

“I can sort through all the clothes to figure out what to donate with no problem,” or

“I can get everything under control,”

I’m much more likely to get through those projects, even though they are things I really don’t want to do. When I tell myself I don’t have the time, or it will take too much effort to try everything on to see what still fits – well, you would be amazed at how long it takes me to get around to doing those things.

Get a picture in your mind of what you want, and then stop telling yourself you can’t have it. If you want an organized house, picture it – and then get real. Tell yourself you can have an organized house, but don’t stop there. Take out a piece of paper and list when, where, how, and why you can have it. When you start to come up with some solutions, you can change your situation. Don’t settle for “I don’t know how….” If you don’t know how – who does? Take a class, call your mom, hire an organizer. Get help and change that “I don’t know” into “I’ll learn how to.”

While the suggestions seem simple, their application isn’t so easy. If you struggle with negative self-talk and notice that it hinders you from achieving what you want, I invite you to try these things. Be deliberate. Give it a shot – it can’t hurt.

One of the top complaints I hear from clients is about paper. They have too much paper. They don’t know what to do with all the paper. Their filing system is a disaster or non-existent. For those of you dealing with the same issues, here is a brief guide to organizing your papers, setting up a system and taming the madness. Apply to home or work life as needed.

Prep

1. Gather all papers together. Know what you’re dealing with. Don’t dump EVERYTHING out of their folders and create a big mess for yourself, especially if you will be doing the project over the course of a few days. Gather everything you can find – from inside the filing cabinet, your desktop, the pile in the corner, all of it. Note: Keep an eye on the most recent active files. Put them in a folder of a different color than all the rest or leave them on your desk. You don’t want to get active files mixed in with the madness – again, especially if you aren’t starting and finishing this project in one day.

2. Go through everything file by file, paper by paper. Take stock of what you have. Write down some general category ideas that come to mind as you go through everything.

3. Route as necessary. If you no longer need the paper in question, send it back to where it belongs – to your boss, husband, teenage daughter, co-worker, or the recycle bin. Don’t create more work for yourself by filing things that you don’t need to keep.

Set Up

If you took notes on some category ideas, review your list. Notice any common themes? Can certain categories be combined? Figure out what kinds of documents you are dealing with before you start labeling folders.

How does your brain work? If it is easier for you to file everything from A to Z, go for it. This is the fastest, simplest method of filing, and it definitely gets the job done. If you can handle categories, with the files within them alphabetized, follow that system. Example: Kids – Subcategories: Medical Records, Report Cards, Summer Camp Info.

My Filing System

• Personal
  • Car
  • Car Insurance
  • Health
  • Taxes
  • Unpaid bills
• One Organized Life
  • Administration
  • Advertising/Marketing
  • Banking
  • Blank assessment forms
• Los Angeles Small Business Owners Group
  • Agendas
  • Marketing
  • Receipts
  • Rosters

That’s just a snippet. I don’t have a ton of categories, so I was able to make each one a different color as well. Pick a system that works for you.

Note about filing supplies: It’s always good to have supplies on hand so that once you get started, you have everything you need. With other kinds of organizing projects, I tend to wait until we’ve sorted and purged before purchasing any supplies. For organizing paper, if you will be using a traditional filing system, it is a good idea to have plenty of manila folders and hanging files on hand. If you prefer to write on labels instead of directly on the folder, pick up some filing labels.

If a file is overflowing ask yourself: Do I need all of this? Can this be broken down into subcategories? Make sure papers are easy to find within their respective files, or else the system is pointless.

Help yourself. You can write notes on the front of file folders indicating what is inside. In my assessment form folder, I have four sets of forms, all paper clipped. On the outside of the folder, I wrote which forms are inside. Same for the former client folder. I have a list of names written on the outside. Write information on the outside of the folder that saves you from having to open it up and search.

Maintenance

Ask before you file. Do you need a hard copy of this document? Why? Where does it fit in your system? Do you need to create a new file? Is there any way to eliminate the need for this? If possible, can it be scanned and saved on your computer? Don’t worry – you can usually get the answer to these questions within a second of looking at the document. Our brains work incredibly fast.

File immediately. If you have a system in place, it does not take long to drop a piece of paper into its home.

Send emails instead of faxes and snail mail when possible. Sometimes when we send something via fax or snail mail, we’re tempted to keep a hard copy “just in case.” I always ask people if I can email invoices to them. When they prefer faxes, I have to print the invoice (which I do not normally do), fax it to them, and then wonder if I should keep it, since I went to the trouble of printing it out. Faxing creates two pieces of paper for each one sent – the one you put in and the one they take out. Try online fax services like eFax instead.

Ask people to send you emails instead of faxes and snail mail.

Avoid printing things whenever possible. “Well, I used the ink – I should probably keep it.” Just say no.

Purge regularly. If you purge on a regular basis – at the end of the month, when summer camp is over, when someone else takes on the account – you won’t have to find the time to spend a day doing this all over again.

Keep electronic copies of documents whenever possible. And please, if you are doing this, back up your hard drive on a regular basis. The less paper that hits your hand, the less you will have to file.

Remember

Avoid piles as much as possible. Unless you are working your through the pile in front of you, right now, piles are pretty inefficient. If someone opens or shuts the door quickly, a breeze comes in through the window, or you accidentally knock the pile over, you have a mess on your hands. Finding papers in a pile can be time consuming – have you ever looked through a pile several times, saying to yourself, “I know I put that piece of paper in this stack”? After a couple of look tries, you find it. Wouldn’t it have been easier to go directly to it’s file.

If you land a new client or start a new project, don’t wait until you’ve amassed a ton of papers to create a file. Do it now and you’ll be ready to handle each new document as it comes in.

Avoid creating “To Be Filed” folders – especially if you know you won’t go through it.

Avoid creating a “Miscellaneous” file to avoid forgetting what you put in it. Having a miscellaneous file is like having a junk drawer. It can be handy to a certain point, but eventually it is just a mess.

Review

• Gather everything you need before you start.
• Get rid of anything you don’t need to keep.
• Create a simple system that works for you. You won’t use a system you hate.
• Cut back on hard copy creation – save electronic copies, send emails, avoid faxing.
• File what you need, get rid of what you don’t – immediately.