Papers Everywhere

On my profile, I list "my desk" as my most challenging area to keep organized.  Here at work, we recently switched how we pay and process invoices, adding many steps in the process.  I realized this was making me even more disorganized.

One day, I got frustrated, and I decided it was time for a system. Using my Dymo Label manager, I documented all of the 'steps' in the process - "received", "submitted in system / awaiting PO", "awaiting confirmation" and "recorded".

I thumb-tacked folders to the side of my cubicle, thus creating a vertical "flow" for these papers to move through the system and remind me where each one stands and which ones need attention.

How do you organize your papers in your office ?

Organize your Office Space

So, they say that an organized workspace is a more efficient workspace. Being a designer, I used to kind of revel in my chaos. Now, however, working mostly at a desk AND at Rubbermaid made me reevaluate the error of my ways. There are lots of other smarties out there that break down the steps to organizing something big and intimidating, like your desk or workspace. Here's one I liked though. Its broken down in these steps:
 
1. Clear off your desk and empty those drawers!
2. Sort through you office supplies. Recycle or give away what you have too many of, organized the what you actually NEED in drawer organizers, lending a bit of order to your stuffs!
3. Sort through your paper clutter. This one is the hardest for me... I seem to have SO MUCH paper! Invest in (or use one that you might already have) a good shredder. At work, they take care of all that stuff, but at home, I use mine all the time to cut down on paper waste. Here on this project, I ended up dumping a bunch of papers in the recycle bin. (less stuff to file :)
4. File old papers and records. This is your chance to update your filing system, reorganize the files that you don't use (put those puppies in the back), while ones you need to access all the time (in the front). Simple thing, but it really impacts your day. Once you have a good filing system, its way easier to keep up with it too. (another fun tip: some gals I know here color coordinate their filing! Green for bills, etc. Since its not just labeled, but colored, it makes it LOOK nicer, which can sometimes make you happier, which yields to keeping up with it better!)

Pretty simple stuff, but I got to go from this:
 
 

To this:

(AND, if you're looking for help with a HOME office, check out Brian's post ...its a good one!)
 
  
 
 

Keeping an Idea File vs. Tons of Magazines

I recently came across a great blog post on reducing magazine clutter in your home by @mabelhood. She makes the point that we always have good intentions for going back and referencing articles, recipes, and other tips but seldom do.  The magazines then lead to clutter.

She suggested keeping binders with the tips.  I was so excited that someone else did this as well!   I keep binders for tips from magazines including: hosting ideas, decorating inspirations, and exercise tips.  I have found it to be a good solution for keeping the idea but not the entire magazine.

I know other people who keep them in folders, or in accordian notebooks too.

Does anyone else do this and what tool do you use?

Office Productivity Challenge - Week 6 Update

I am sad to update the readers that I have really been falling down on my productivity challenge.

Things I have done well:

1-Tagging emails with colored flags to help me prioritize
2-Cleaning up my desktop to help find commonly used programs and icons better.

The Before - folders are not differentiated, everything looks the same.

 

The After - I picked icons for my folders that made sense.  This can be done by right-clicking an icon on your desktop and selecting "Properties" and "Change Icon".

   
 

There are a few things I need to continue to improve:

1-Spending the first hour of the day tackling big projects versus getting into the email.  My travel schedule has gotten a bit in the way but this will always be a consideration so I need to continue to work on it despire this challenge.
2-Checking my blackberry in meetings and multi-tasking during meetings.  Erin has caught me 5 times so I owe Goodwill $5 (see post on the Goodwill Challenge) but it has been a few more times I'm sure.

I would love any recommendations from experts on office productivity and how to improve mine.

Office Productivity Challenge - Week 2 Update

Last week, I proclaimed in a post that I was experimenting in how to be more productive at work by focusing more on the task at hand instead of being distracted by multi-tasking (mainly email). 

The first step was to delay opening email, and instead do my 1st and 2nd most important "to-do" of the day prior to checking and replying to email.

I was able to do this four out of five days.  When I did it, it started my day off in a more effective manner.  The only negative aspect was that I wasn't quite up-to-speed on everything as I normally was, but:

1. I felt more calm during the day knowing I had already accomplished 1-2 big things

2. I actually was able to do a better job and provide more strategic thought into my projects.

So, the positives certainly outweighed negatives.

Ellen Delap commented on my post suggesting that I go through email in a way, marking urgent items and leaving non-urgent items for later.   I have actually started doing this, and have found the colored flags that Outlook features to be helpful in this exercise.

I am going to continue this exercise for the month to see if it still provides more productivity.  

In addition, I will start by throwing on an extra challenge -- focusing in meetings by not checking my Blackberry continually.   I will especially need @rubbermaid and @rubbermaiderin to help with this.  Anytime some one in the office catches me checking blackberry in a meeting in the month of June, I will donate $1 to Goodwill.

Also, I would love any additional advice office organizers and productivity experts have regarding email, as I look forward to incorporating your advice in future challenges.

Organizing My Day (In the Office)

On this blog, we often talk about organizing space and things.  From a project as simple as a junk drawer that provides a little calm in the chaotic kitchen, to a closet re-do that helps you get dressed easier in the morning, the feeling of being organized is definitely empowering.

The folks in the office often joke about how I am organized to a fault.  I do admit, I do have a little bit of a compulsion in this area and love having a place for everything!

However, one thing I do poorly at is organize my time. 

One example is in the office.  

I am an email junkie.  Self-confessed.  Case in point for the madness:
--When I am working on a project and I see the envelope pop up at the bottom of the screen, I immediately go check Outlook to see if the email is urgent
--I carry my blackberry around all day long, keeping tabs on the newest messages that come in. I am ashamed to admit I sometimes do this in meetings while other people are talking which is a really bad habit. 
--I sometimes have a hard time getting through my actual work to-do list because I am constantly answering emails throughout the day that pop up.

I have read a lot lately about the psychology around multi-tasking.  We have learned to be such great multi-taskers in todays' time, but are we more productive?  Many sources (see interesting article from AMA) say that actually doing too many things at once is counter-productive and then it actually takes more time to get all the items accomplished. 

My morning routine is generally to go through my email first thing in the morning.    On average, I usually receive 100 emails between 5:30pm and 8am, so the average time to plow through the pile is 1 hour.

This morning, I decided to try something different.   I had a hot project that needed attention so I decided not to open Outlook until it was done.   It only took me a half hour to do my project, and I felt remarkably good.  I started my day with the first thing crossed off my to-do list before I opened Outlook.

As this relates to organizing my day, this month of June I am going to try to be conscientous of focusing on one thing at a time to see if this "organization of time" gives me the same empowering feeling that "organization of space" does.  I'll let @rubbermaid (Jim) and @rubbermaiderin (Erin)  give me a scorecard at the end of the month.

As I start this personal challenge, do you have any advice with how you either FOCUS or MANAGE EMAIL that can help me in this endeavor?

From Shelf to Storage: Magazine Archives

I have subscribe to a handful of design magazines. They offer inspiration, ideas and information, and I like to hold on to them for reference. [My design archive, if you will.] I've kept them organized by title (and that's about it). They were taking up the two bottom shelves of my bookcase.

  

Because I don't access these magazines super often, I decided they could go in the attic. Rubbermaid's CleverStore totes are the perfect size for magazines. I used the 30-quart size because they are taller (and hold more). They are clear so I can see the title and date on the side without taking the lid off or digging through them.  

I took the magazines off the shelf one title at a time, and I organized them by date. I started with the oldest on the bottom and stacked up from there. Some titles took up two totes and some only one. Once I was done, we put them up in the attic. I left the ones that I still subscribe to closer to the attic door so I can put the newest edition on top and in the correct tote. Now they are in order, stored away and organized so I can find something when I need it! 

One of these days I'm going to go through the magazines and pick out articles and information that I want to keep and get rid of the rest - by either recycling them or using one of these tips to reuse them. I found this link to a place that will bind your old articles together into your very own hardcover book. I think THAT would be awesome....when I get the time and energy to go through all of those mags!

Office Organization

Sticking with my organizational list to-do list....January was time to tackle the office.

Our filing cabinet had become so full that we couldn't even slide the file folders. Putting things away had become a hassle and taking things out was even worse. We had way too much stuff in way too many folders.

And so, in keeping with good disorganized behavior, I avoided it. Slowly I started cutting the filling cabinet out of the organization business altogether. In a strange twist I started keeping key documents "out and visible" so that I wouldn't lose them in the filing cabinet. The only problem is that once you keep enough things "out and visible" they end up hiding in plain sight. Soon you can't find anything...and your place is a mess.

And so, as with most of my organizational projects, a big clean up was required. And as the picture below proves...I didn't cheat...I took everything out. To be honest this was fun at first but once my room was covered I did have a few fearful moments..."what had I got myself into?!"

But I pressed on. Went through every paper dividing it into:

• Recycle (shredding first of course)
• Things I wanted to keep but didn't need to be in my office (financials dating back 7 yrs or less)
• Things I wanted to keep in the office

Quickly I shredded 80% of the documents and packed a 68L / 18G Roughneck tote with the "keep...but not up here" stuff. That tote went down to the basement and I then got busy organizing the stuff I wanted to keep in the office.

Flushed with all kinds of filing cabinet space, I thought about how I wanted to use the cabinet. I chucked out the main categories of documents as:

1. Driving
2. Financial
3. Health
4. Home
5. Legal
6. Sports

In some cases I had finer classifications but everything fell in under the above six core categories. I used the basic tabs and labels that came with the file folders. My handwriting is terrible but since it remains hidden in the filing cabinet...I don't mind.

Over a month after the office organization I can happily report that things are going well. My filing system is obvious to me and makes it easy to store and find documents quickly.

I now use it.

Things are going well....I'm building momentum...and I'll need some for my next project...The storage room/closet.

Getting Out from Behind that Mountain of Paper

I have the bad habit of creating piles of paper, i.e., old paid bills, medical reimbursement claim forms, bank statements, etc.  Mind you, I have a two-drawer filing cabinet in my bedroom.  In the top drawer I have folders, filed alphabetically by name of bill, insurance company, mortgage, etc.  In the bottom drawer I have manufacturer's literature that comes with appliances, lawn equipment and such.  A friend of mine told me about a website Flylady.com.  For a while I would be organized and file the papers right away.  Then I would get lazy and just lay it on top of the file cabinet and once a month or so, I'd go through it, create piles of like material and then file it - this takes hours. 

Two weeks ago I was up in my attic putting some things away and found four boxes of old bills that I haven't looked at in YEARS!!!  Some of them were dated back to the 1980's.  Needless to say, I don't need them. 

So in order to stay out from behind that mountain of paper, I have gone paperless on as many bills as possible and will only keep two months worth of the ones I still receive.  Normally, I would shred the ones I dispose of, but since I had four boxes and I don't trust bringing them to the recycling center, I used the old bills as kindling and burned them in my fireplace.  For safety sake, I am not encouraging anyone to use their fireplace, but if you do, please be careful.  For those of you who don't have shredders, I would encourage you to get a small one for at home.

And now my filing cabinet looks like this:

 

Organizing Doesn't Have to Be Beautiful - Lessons from the Office

Every year, we make a calendar for Rubbermaid.com.  We try to put some thought behind the times of year when people will most like to know about which products and tips, as it relates to seasons / holidays where they make the most sense.

The project sat on my desk in folders for at least 3 weeks, as I wasn't able to really get "inspired" to work on it since I knew it would make a huge mess of my desk and I would need to complete it from start to finish.  I kept putting it off since I never had more than an hour at a time and I didn't want to get started, only to have to pack it up.

However, with pressure of an imminent deadline, I got an idea to work on it continually by pinning the different themes to different areas of my cubicle.  Below is a photo of the process.

Only Erin could understand my logic, and I got a lot of strange looks, but the result was an organized system where we could then re-arrange and brainstorm ideas in half hour increments.  I was able to finish everything in a few days.

Through this I learned that organizing doesn't necessarily always need to be beautiful.  Sometimes, just setting up a functional system can help you get your thoughts organized.  Additionally, sometimes you have to get a little messy to get things finally in order.  I am proud to report that we got our calendar figured out, and since, the "crazy wall" has come down and the content is now categorized in a binder. However, without this exercise it wouldn't have happened.  So my advice is: don't be afraid to make a mess!