Topics include:
-Productivity tips
-There’s more than one way . . . to file a paper
-Hot files and workspace layout
-E-clutter and email management
-Launch pads to get you out the door sooner

Use the space and the resources you have to the fullest. To efficiently use space, think up! Look at the vertical space you have at your disposal such as the space under your desk and consider ways to stack things on your desk top.

Buying pretty containers and boxes is the fun part of organizing...
...but this is the last step. You need to sort through everything, then, once you see what you have left, you can buy any supplies you need. It's your reward!

What we often call multitasking is actually serial-tasking, moving from one task to another to another and back again. This has a negative impact on efficiency even though you may feel like you are getting a lot done. Focus on one task at a time.

Switch of distractions such as Outlook email alerts and close unnecessary programs such as internet browsers. If you aren't using the computer, don't sit in front of it. Consider scheduling a meeting with yourself, perhaps even book a room so that you can focus.

Use the OHIO rule - Only Handle It Once. If you pick up a paper or open an email, then you have to deal with it right away. We can waste a lot of time shuffling through things we don't feel like dealing with right away.

Let's play a game...

Sort:
-Numerically
-Alphabetically
-Chronologically
-By subject (project)
-By use (one duty/aspect of your job)

Whatever makes sense to you, there is no right way to organize.

Papers don't necessarily need to be stashed in a file cabinet.
Consider using:
-envelopes/interoffice envelopes
-bulldog clips
-boxes
-trays or racks
-binders
-magazine holders
-portfolio folders

Get creative and repurpose something!

These are frequently accessed files that you want to keep close at hand. You can keep your hot files laid out on your desk, in a wire rack or in trays. They could also be kept in the front of your file drawer.

Color coding helps you pick out the correct file quickly. Use colored files or stickers or glue colored paper to the front of plain files. Red could be your action items, green could be financial. Whatever makes sense to you.

Think of your workspace as prime real estate. Think about the items you have and ask is it valuable enough to take up the space it does?

Keep items use use most often closer, within arms reach. Minimize the number of drawers you need to open in a day. Group items by use so that you only have to open one drawer in order to complete a task. For example, mailing supplies kept in one location. Keep files you use for meetings together, keep personal and lunch items in a separate place.

How you layout your desk depends on if you are right- or left-handed. I'm right-handed so I keep my hot files on my right. I keep my telephone on my left so I can keep my right hand free to jot down notes.

Whatever system you use to organize your physical files, it should be mimic on your computer. Call files by the same name for example "Events" not "Conferences and Events". Choose whichever name makes the most sense to you so you can find it quickly. Set naming conventions such as capitalization and including a date in file names. Try to follow these rules every time.

Your desktop is also prime real estate. Limit what you put on there. I recommend putting shortcuts to frequently used files and folders to save time opening files.

Clear out old versions and duplicates. If you have both a physical copy and an electronic one, consider recycling one. Keep the few latest back-ups and delete the rest. Of course, follow any laws that govern how long you must hold on to files.

Have a launch pad at home and at work.

This is a place for things that need to go out the door. At home this could be library books, things to return to a friend, items for goodwill, signed homework and completed forms. You can have one for each family member.

At work, this could be a kind of outbox with mail and interoffice mail you need to send, items for errands and items you need to take home as you declutter your workspace. It could be a drawer or cabinet, a Banker's Box or a place on your desk. You may want to keep some extra shopping bags in here so you will have no excuse not to carry things out. Look in everyday and see what you can deal with.