• Lighter reading – Whenever you get a magazine in the mail, take a couple minutes to skim through the issue, tear out the articles that you want to read, and toss the rest of it in the recycling bin. When you’re stuck in line at the store or on the bus, pull out the article from your purse or totebag and catch up on your reading. Don’t let those magazines pile up!
• Bag it – Have you noticed bags in your pantry with half-eaten or forgotten snacks? When you get home from the grocery store, portion snacks into ziptop bags and keep them in a basket on the counter or cupboard. It makes packing lunches easier and gives you neat portion control.
• Packaged sheets – When putting away your linens, instead of putting pillow cases and sheets in different stacks and searching for matches later, place all the coordinating pieces into one pillow case so you have one package to grab from the linen closet instead of looking on separate shelves or bins.
• Faster returns – As soon as you realize that your purchase was the wrong size, wrong fit or just wrong in general, place the item and its receipt immediately by the front door or mudroom, or put it in your car. The longer it sits in your closet or in your house, the quicker you’ll forget and the sooner it turns into pricey clutter.
• Don’t take the giveaway – There are lots of promotions and freebies out there from companies wanting your business. It feels nice to receive, but in these cases, it only takes a few seconds to say “no thank you” to avoid clutter from things you probably won’t use and don’t need.  If you do accept something like a t-shirt or hat, add them to your donation bin where it will be most effectively put to use.

Do you know how much time it takes to go through the mail, file papers or make a grocery list? Once you begin quantifying the amount of time it takes to manage any given task, you’ll be able to use that information to prioritize your activities.  Below is a quick exercise I regularly do with my clients:

- Start by setting a timer so it’s visible on a desk or countertop.
- I assign a task and let the client determine if the task can be completed in two minutes or less.
- If so, we set the timer and start the task (Ideally, we’d like to have it done in less time!)

The goal is to confirm or refute that a job can actually be done in two minutes. Sometimes we think an activity takes more or less time than it really does. With this simple process, clients can learn how much time is being spent and how much time can be saved. Being organized means being more efficient and more productive which can mean adding valuable minutes or hours to your day!

This product definitely deserves credit for an innovative little feature that turns a standard office item into a unique organizer. If you notice, there are pivoting hangers on the corners that allow you to use this as a hanging file, or when you’re on-the-go, fold them down and carry it like a regular file!

• Blue exterior with gray dividers and 6 fasteners to keep papers securely in place
• 2″ capacity
• Environmentally friendly with a minimum of 25% post-consumer recycled materials

Click here to learn more.

Is your email inbox full? Are you overwhelmed by the number of messages you receive every day? Do you spend hours just trying to catch up with all that email? This is the right seminar for you!

EMAIL MANAGEMENT 101

Friday, March 12th, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM

Bellevue Chamber

302 Bellevue Square, Bellevue, WA 98004

Click here to sign up now.

Growing your business in today’s economy is hard work.
Join Innovatively Organized, the Puget Sound Business Journal (PSBJ) and Merrill Lynch for a special business seminar.

“Maximize your Growing Business”

Wednesday, February 10th
9:30am – Noon
Mercer Island Community Center
Sign up now for only $20!

To find strong leads for your business, every sales channel needs to be explored, and the PSBJ will show you how to use print media to your advantage. Once you get that sales lead, are you set up to follow up and track prospects effectively? Being organized is imperative. I’ll teach you the best ways to organize those leads so you can close more business! As you build more wealth, are you aware of all your financing options? Learn useful tips on managing your earnings from Merrill Lynch.

I just came across another useful tool to reduce your paper clutter and help you PRINT LESS!  You’ll also lower spending on ink toner and help save a lot of trees.  GreenPrint is a simple-to-use software that eliminates unwanted pages and reduces printing by 17 percent or more.  The application lets you preview documents and has options for deleting text, copy or entire pages before you hit print.  Use it at home or at work.  Check out the enterprise version for your business.

One of my top recommended products is Freedom Filer – a self-purging system that will have you saying farewell to file clean-up day. Whether you decide to use it for organizing your personal finances or your business, this filing tool is highly functional and versatile. The system provides color-coded tabs that keep your papers sorted so you can find them in a glance. The tabs are perpetual which eliminates the need to set up new folders and re-label files each year. Unwanted documents are automatically rotated and replaced when their useful life has ended. You will never have to spend time digging through files and deciding what to keep or toss.

Files not piles! No matter your preference, there are a multitude of ways to file your documents that can work for you. It can be as simple as using in and out boxes or hanging bins on the wall – here are some of my favorite recommendations:

• Traditional File Drawers: Great for when you want to file quickly and retrieve easily.
• Accordion Files: This is best for treating papers like files and it’s also portable. Hint: Use this to file monthly receipts.
• Wall Sorters: Use this to contain mail and sort many files at once. Hint: Use one that can be easily removed when its time to pay bills.
• Paper Trays: Besides acting as the obvious Inbox/Outbox, adopt this for sorting printer paper and holding filing supplies.
• Vertical Sorters: Keeps active files at eye level. Also works well for sorting mail. Very versatile.
• Magazine Files: Great for holding magazines and project files that are still “works in progress”.
• Binders: Best for storing information you use regularly and flip through quickly. Hint: Great for recipes when using  clear protective sleeves.

Need a product recommendation for a paper organizing project you’re working on?  Just send us a message and we’ll help you out!

Click here to read more on my blog post about organizing with binders.

It’s no wonder the 3-ring binder is a required school supply – it’s a versatile organizing tool. Invest in a sturdy binder that you can use over and over, and if you’re storing receipts or time-sensitive items, remember to clean it out at the end of the year and archive important documents.

Binders can serve a lot of different organizing functions:

• Using clear sheet protectors, file away warranties and manuals for electronics – keep the one for kitchen appliances in a cabinet and store the one for home entertainment in the living room.
• Apply the same idea above for recipes and create your own cookbook.
• Binders are portable, so they work well for projects that are active and require lots of meetings where you need to bring all your files and materials.
• As a reference tool, many people can share binders to store ideas, guides, contracts, etc. Create a table of contents in the front of the binder so people can quickly flip to the tab they need.
• Binders are excellent for filing chronological documents such as annual events, financial records or data logs, and school year activities.

Did you resolve to be more organized and productive this year?  Join me at this well-timed seminar to learn how to overcome email overload and detox your inbox!  Click here to learn more and register today!

EMAIL MANAGEMENT 101

Thursday, January 14th – 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. (includes lunch)

Rainier Square Conference Center

1333 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101

$20 pre-paid ($25 after 1/12)

Hosted by the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce