From: beae
Date: 12/20/2005
Time: 7:16:08 AM
Remote Name: 222.212.83.248
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From: Peggy Duncan, Atlanta GA
Date: 12/1/98
Time: 1:09:12 PM
Remote Name: 207.69.248.145
You’ve invested in computer technology, bought fancy day planners, and attended time management seminars. But somehow you still end up working too long and too hard to get the job done. What’s really going on? Why do you still feel overwhelmed?
In our efforts to manage time better, we often overlook improving the one thing that eats up most of our time—inefficient work habits (a cluttered workspace, a useless filing system, inefficient use of technology, and more). All this leads to missed deadlines, having little free time, and unnecessary stress. The culprit, in large part, is our having too much STUFF and having no systems in place for dealing with it. This causes us to waste too much time. Eliminating clutter reduces stress, so let's do it NOW!
GETTING STARTED
Eliminate clutter one pile at a time (get some oversized garbage bags so it will be easy to throw things out). You’ll have to make very brutal decisions about every piece of paper in those piles on the desk, on the floor, in the cabinets, and every other place you found to pack something. In deciding what to keep and what to throw out, a good rule of thumb is if you haven’t referred to a document in six months or can get the information somewhere else, or don't need to keep it for legal reasons, dump it. Trust me, 80% of all that paper you insist on keeping just in case will probably never be referred to again. STOP KEEPING ALL THAT STUFF!
When tackling the junk drawers, empty one at the time out onto your desk. Take your time; do one drawer a day if you feel overwhelmed. Applaud your efforts every step of the way. Go through everything and throw out as you go, including all those condiment packs you've collected over the years, ink pens that don't write, dusty paper napkins, and the many doodads you've collected at different events. To keep everything tidy, purchase drawer organizers—they create a place for everything.
CREATING A GOOD, LOGICAL FILING SYSTEM
Once you’ve purged the excess, you’ll have to do something with what’s left. A filing system should be logical so there is never any doubt about where you might have filed something. Also, anyone else needing something in your files should be able to find it. Here’s how to do it:
1. Create main, broad categories (use nouns). Use a unique colored tab to distinguish the main categories.
2. Subcategorize each main category (as in an outline), keeping like subjects together (alphabetize within categories). Use the A-Z system only when it’s a vendor- or client-only file, or something similar.
3. Test your system to see if others can find what they need.
4. Create a simple index, and leave it in front of the file drawer (do this especially if others have to access your files, and they're large reference files).
5. Purge often! STOP KEEPING JUNK!
While a document is in your hand, file it—don’t pile it! Taking two seconds to put a document back into the file will save you minutes and perhaps hours later when you go to look for it again. And spend the last 10 minutes before closing to clear your desk. Having a good filing system makes this easy.
CREATING A COMPUTER FILING SYSTEM
You need to create a filing system for your computer files that is very similar to your paper filing system. Create main folders (or directories) and subfolders using the same outline format described above. Use descriptive titles so you always know exactly what the folders contain, and create logical sequences so you don't have to guess where you may have filed something.
Getting organized is exhausting. But you can do it. If you feel overwhelmed, call in a professional to help you. When it’s over, you’ll experience an awesome sense of control. You can see! You can think! It’s exhilarating!
___________________________________ Peggy Duncan is CEO of Duncan Resource Group, Inc., in Atlanta GA. Her company works with small businesses as well as corporate employees to help them become more efficient by getting organized, streamlining processes,and by using computer technology better. Peggy is also the host of the TECHsupport TV show (Atlanta cable), and a columnist with the award-winning Atlanta Tribune. For more info, visit her at http://www.duncanresource.com.
From: Jan Jasper (www.janjasper.com)
Date: 1/4/2004
Time: 2:17:05 PM
Remote Name: 68.161.144.54
What To Do With All Those Business Cards? **© Jan Jasper; 2001-2003** ---Get Rid of Those You Don't Need--- Everyone collects lots of business cards, and nobody really knows what to do with them. We're afraid to throw them out. But there's little benefit in saving them in a jumble in your drawer. There are a variety of containers available, from plastic to electronic. But to think first about storage misses the point. Before you think about "What's the best place to put them?" ask "Would I really need this again, and if so, why - and when?" Be firm; get rid of cards from people you are not likely to contact in the future. If you have a great many business cards, it can actually backfire - the more cards you have, the harder it is to find a specific one when you need it. Less is more-- It's easy to keep them in order, and easier to find when you need them. And remember, the point isn't to collect the cards, but to keep them in a way that makes it easy to use them. --Add Useful Details -- Once you've decided which cards are keepers, jot a note on back of each card stating where you met the person and what you might contact them about. This should be done as soon as possible, especially if you return from a networking event with a pocketful of cards--otherwise when you come across the cards later, you'll have no clue as to who these people are. --Different Ways to Store Your Cards -- Now that you've culled your cards and made notes on them, you're ready to think about where to put them. Don't use plastic business card books with a dozen or so slots per page - it's impossible to keep cards alphabetized. If you insist on staying low-tech, use a Rolodex with alphabetical tab dividers. The alphabet's easy for people whose names you'll recall later, but what about service providers who are recommended to you that you're merely keeping in case you need them later on? Let's say your friend Jane Smith recommends a great cyberlaw attorney named Joe Moon. If you file it under Moon you won't remember the name. File it instead by category --under Lawyer, under L in your Rolodex. Do the same for plumbers and accountants and anyone else you might do business with. --The Power of Software-- But the old fashioned Rolodex is limited. It's much more effective to use contact-management software (Outlook, Act and Goldmine are some popular brands). This gives you the best of both worlds -- if you tag Joe Moon's record with the word "lawyer," you can locate him by looking up "Moon" or "lawyer" and find him either way. If you also note that Jane Smith recommended him, you can look it up this way too. Such software does more than automatically alphabetize your entries by contact name, company name, and type of business. It also provides almost unlimited room to type notes on each contact. You can record when you last talked to them and about what. It can also save a record of e-mails you sent to or received from them. Used fully, contact management software keeps a record of all your dealings with each person. This does more than supplement a faulty memory. It permits you to slice and dice your data in a variety of ways. You could search for all referrals who were sent by a certain person, all the prospects who phoned you in July, all clients in a certain zip code, all clients who spent over a certain dollar amount, etc. --Should You Buy a Card Scanner? -- If you have a great many cards, you may not want to type them all into your software. There are small, inexpensive scanners made specifically for business cards that capture all the text information on the business card (name, company name address, phone, fax, and e-mail address) and feed it directly into your contact management program. This could save a lot of time if you collect tons of cards, for example if you attend trade shows and plan to follow up by doing a big mailing. But I've heard mixed reports about the accuracy of the card scanners. They are often thrown off by graphics, unusual fonts, speckled paper, and so on. It can take time to get the hang of it. Card scanners probably aren't worth the bother if you only have a small number of business cards. ***About the Author*** Jan Jasper has been training busy people to work smarter, not harder since 1988. She is the author of “Take Back Your Time: How to Regain Control of Work, Information, & Technology” (St. Martin's Press). Jan helps clients streamline their systems and procedures, form optimum work habits, use technology efficiently, and manage information overload. Her specialty is helping people who've already worked with professional organizers and coaches and are still not able to get it all done. Find more free tips at www.janjasper.com.