Email Control

As I was enjoying lunch with friends today, one admitted to saving lots of emails, just in case she may want them later. My first reaction was to reach for my phone to schedule an organizing session with her. This inspired me for today's blog.

So let me give you some tips on managing your emails:

1. Schedule specific time each day for emails rather than reading them the second they pop into your mailbox. This is where many of us waste huge amounts of time each day. If you don't take the appropriate time to read and answer your emails, you will waste time reading a message once, twice, three times, even more before you act on it. Just read it once, reply, do whatever action is needed and file or delete the email. Complete the task and then move on.

2. Create folders for various topics or people and file only the emails that you will truly refer back to again. Keeping all of your emails in one mailbox, will again cause you to waste time searching for it amongst the thousands.

3. If you need to take more time to find an answer for someone's request in an email, then quickly reply to them that you are working on this and when you plan to have their answer. Then flag the email, so that you remember to follow through. And put it on your calendar so that you make time to complete the task

4. Delete! Delete! Delete!
Delete emails that you will no longer need. Clutter comes in lots of forms - paper, digital, stuff - and none of it is good for you.

5. If you receive emails that you no longer want, then simply unsubscribe. One or two clicks is all it usually takes.

I hope this helps you. Please let me know how you control your emails.

The Cost of Disorganization

“Mom where’s my soccer cleats?”
“Honey have you seen my keys?”
“Mom I can’t find my cell phone.”
“Has any one seen the Smith file?”

Sound familiar? Sounds like disorganization to me. Losing things and wasting time searching for them is one of the biggest costs of disorganization. According to the National Association of Professional Organizers (www.napo.net) “Americans spend over 9 million hours each year looking for lost or misplaced items.” Just for a moment consider the amount of time you spent this week looking for things for yourself, co-workers, or family members. Not only was this a giant waste of time but I bet you were extremely frustrated. And that feeling tends to last with you for awhile. It can even set the tone for the rest of the day.

What else can disorganization cost us? Money. Again according to NAPO, “The average executive spends 180 hours per year looking for misplaced or misfiled documents.” That’s costing companies a lot of money. And what about all those commonly misplaced personal items, such as cell phones, sunglasses, and wallets never being recovered? There’s the cost of replacement. Also, missing deadlines can be costly. Ever have to pay a late fine on a bill? Maybe you couldn’t find the bill or lost track of time and forgot that the payment was due. And many Professional Organizers have stories of finding money in a client’s mass of clutter; from small change to gift cards to un-cashed checks.

So here’s a New Leaf Organizing Tip:

Near to the door that you enter your home (for most of us, that is the garage door) place a piece of furniture with a drawer or a small bowl or basket. As you enter, drop off all those items in that spot that you’ll need the next time you leave the home, such as, purse, keys, wallet, sunglasses, work ID badge. And it may be a good idea to keep the cell phone charger in this spot, so you don’t accidentally leave the house without it. And if you catch yourself not leaving everything in it’s designated spot, move it there immediately. Also, should you have to take something out of the ordinary with you the next day, place it in that spot with your keys. Practice this and it will soon become a good habit.

Letting Go

"The process of clearing clutter is all about letting go. Not just letting go of your belongings - that is only the end result. The most important thing is learning to let go of the fear that keeps you holding on to them after it is time to move them on their way."
--quote by Karen Kingston "Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui"