http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogList.asp?sort=organizer&schedule=9 No matter what your office setting, you can be organized! There are organizing solutions for every type of environment that I'll be discussing: business office at home, cubicle environment, on the road, in a private office, home office (personal), and more. My emphasis will be on paper management and use of space. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:45:01 EST en-us http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3603 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3603 Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:30:00 EST Horchow has the most beautiful high-end file boxes that you have ever seen! These file boxes are designed to be an elegant piece of furniture. I've really never seen anything like them. They can upscale your office instantly. If you or someone you know has purchased one, I'd love to hear your feedback. Are they as functional as they are decorative? Click here to link to Horchow file ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3594 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3594 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:30:00 EST January is Get Organized (GO) Month, and it's time to get inspired! It's hope for the future. What is your dream for your space? How do you want it to look, feel and function? In working with clients, Professional Organizers start with a Needs Assessment which takes a quick review of the client's current space (or time) and then works with the client to understand his/her dream, vision and purpose for the new space looking into the future. This step is inspirational and ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3587 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3587 Mon, 9 Jan 2012 08:30:00 EST January is Get Organized (GO) Month, and I think it is appropriately named. It's a fresh start, time to get inspired and time to take action. I believe "Get Organized" is one of the top 5 New Year's Resolutions. So go for it: Get Inspired – What is your dream for your space? What does a perfect day look like? Prioritize – You can't do every organizing project at once, so determine what's most important. Do you want to start with better time management, or ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3574 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3574 Mon, 19 Dec 2011 08:30:00 EST Out of Sight, Out of Mind refers to the common phenomenon that if people don't see something, they think that they will forget about it. There are various solutions to this organizing challenge: Leave things out, but in an organized way Put things away with the appropriate reminders Create a File Index for folders placed in your file drawers Last week, I blogged about leaving things out in the open but in an organized way . The second option to put things ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3570 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3570 Mon, 12 Dec 2011 08:30:00 EST Out of Sight, Out of Mind refers to the common phenomenon that if people don't see something, they think that they will forget about it. There are various solutions to this organizing challenge: Leave things out, but in an organized way Put things away with the appropriate reminders Create a File Index for folders placed in your file drawers As Julie Morgenstern states in her book, Organizing from the Inside Out , leaving a few things out as reminders sometimes works, ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3545 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3545 Mon, 7 Nov 2011 08:30:00 EST Why can organizing be tiring? Of course, many organizing projects require physical work such as lifting, carrying, and moving boxes. But what about organizing projects in the office where all you are doing is sorting pieces of paper? One or two pieces of paper in your hand are not that heavy. The metal activity of organizing can be fatiguing. In the book Your Brian at Work by David Rock, it discusses how conscious metal activities use up your metabolic resources. Our bodies have a ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3543 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3543 Mon, 31 Oct 2011 08:30:00 EST Is one of your personal goals to understand where your money is going and reduce your spending? Leverage personal financial software (such as Quicken) in 5 steps to gain better control and insight to your cash flow. Once you have purchased the software and loaded it to your PC, follow these steps: Download financial transactions - from your checking, savings and credit card accounts Assign spending categories – review your transactions and confirm they are being assigned to the ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3541 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3541 Mon, 24 Oct 2011 08:30:00 EST Do you know what kind of paper or electronic records you should keep at work? If not and you work for a mid to large-size company, Records Retention Guidelines should have been created and available for your use. Your company may have them, but perhaps the availability of the guidelines has not been communicated. I recommend you go to your company's intranet site and search for "Records Management" or "Records Guidelines." I can usually find these company guidelines on the company's ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3484 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3484 Mon, 19 Sep 2011 08:30:00 EST As a mom and a Professional Organizer a newspaper advertisement recently caught my attention. There was an announcement about recycling old board games. Recyclebank and Hasbro are asking that you mail in your old board games, and they will recycle the game properly. They will sort all the pieces and parts (e.g., card board, electronics, plastic) and recycle them appropriately. They will also pay for your shipping; you can download from their website a free pre-paid shipping label. All ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3481 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3481 Mon, 12 Sep 2011 08:30:00 EST In Julie Morgenstern's book Time Management from the Inside Out , all tasks should be assigned a "when." I've been searching for personal software which allows you to easily assign tasks to a specific hour (not just a specific day). Two that I've found so far are: GTDagenda – I also like the feature of setting up Time Maps (they show an example of a student). Time Maps are a personal guideline or template which identifies time for core activities and provides a ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3475 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3475 Mon, 5 Sep 2011 08:30:00 EST I usually blog about organizing your office; however, this week we will veer slightly into the younger set getting you ready for back-to-school. Before your child gets a desk for homework, you are probably interested in a work space where they can do arts & crafts. Wouldn't it be great to buy a piece of furniture where a kid can comfortably sit in a chair and properly use his materials to finish his homework or create great art with lots of room to work, AND as the kid grows the table ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3474 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3474 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 08:30:00 EST When you're stuck at home and without electricity, people will often use that time to organize their home. They will clean out a closet or work on their family photos. What did you organize during hurricane Irene? I used Irene as great reason to finish up my disaster preparedness. My disaster planning was well underway with the anniversary of 9/11 approaching; however, Irene gave me the final energy to update my inventory of supplies and turn my emergency kit into mobile kits. ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3469 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3469 Mon, 22 Aug 2011 08:30:00 EST As a professional organizer, I help telecommuters find space in their home offices quickly and easily. If a desk is placed against a wall, I ask the worker to consider using the space above her desk for storage. Typically this involves installing shelving on the wall. If you're renting or don't want to hassle with drilling into your walls, consider adding a hutch to your desk. A hutch will sit on the back part of your desk and provide horizontal shelving above your computer ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3467 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3467 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 08:30:00 EST I was recently interviewed by ABC – Channel 7 – for the Washington Business Report on the topic of financial organizing. Here's a link to the news clip where I discuss organizing systems needed to support personal financial management and also functionality to consider when selecting personal finance software. Bonus – it also includes personal finance guidance from a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) in Washington, DC, my husband, Paul ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3460 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3460 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 08:30:00 EST Are file folders your enemy? Do you hate them? Do you prefer to put papers together in larger groups that will not fit it a typically file folder? If so, that's fine, just use the following steps to get organized as suggested by Julie Morgenstern: Sort the papers, placing them into large, broad categories that are comfortable to you Purge any papers you no longer need Assign each category of paper a home – what shelf, drawer or box will each category of papers live ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3456 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3456 Mon, 18 Jul 2011 08:30:00 EST We know Morse code is a communication language which uses dashes and dots. You can apply the same concept of dashes and dots to effectively management your time. Dashes – represent tasks that are analytical, creative or requiring uninterrupted focus Dots – represent quick, short relatively easy tasks that can be completely in 10 minutes or less When you're planning your day (yes, you should incorporate daily planning), review your activities and determine which tasks ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3454 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3454 Mon, 11 Jul 2011 08:30:00 EST My blogs on office supplies are the most popular; this is probably because it is a universal challenge for everyone. If you have a space 8 ¼" H x 14 ¼" W x 6" D, then consider purchasing a small storage unit designed specifically to hold small supplies. This storage unit from Calloway House has 9 drawers with clear fronts. Each drawer is 2 ¼" H x 4 ¼" W x 5 ¼" D. Designate a different office supplies (e.g., staples, sticky notes, pens) to each drawer. You can also add a label to each ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3443 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3443 Mon, 4 Jul 2011 08:30:00 EST During the summer the world takes a slight pause. If you've been unhappy with your planner or if you have never really had one, this is a great time to explore using a new planner. You'll have time between now and Labor Day to start using the planner and mastering the features before the fall rush begins. Julie Morgenstern in her book Time Management from the Inside Out states there are three main choices you must make in choosing a planner: Paper or Electronic? – ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3440 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3440 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 08:30:00 EST There are lots of ways to store office supplies, but what if you need to store the supplies on a really deep shelf? Find a solution that will give you easy-access to the back of your deep shelves. One way is to turn an entire shelf to a roll-out shelf using shelving solutions such as ShelfGenie . The other simple option is to use deep bins on the shelves, and place your office supplies in the bins versus the supplies sitting directly on the shelves. You then slide the bin off of the ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3391 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3391 Mon, 30 May 2011 08:30:00 EST Wow, I had to step away from my blog for a few weeks because of a full-time travel schedule on an organizing project, and I feel like I've been gone a century. We're breaking over Memorial Day weekend and then we have a few more weeks to go. During this travel time, I've been using a time management tool: Google Calendar . It has been the perfect tool to establish and communicate my active kids' schedules with my, now chauffeuring, husband. Here are my benefits of Google ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3379 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3379 Mon, 9 May 2011 08:30:00 EST Body doubling is an interesting organizing concept that I believe originated from author Judith Kolberg . In her book ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life she describes body doubling as having a person who is with you as you perform your organizing tasks. Having another "body" with you as you organize will keep you from starting a diversionary task, such as reading a magazine article when you're supposed to be clearing off your desk. Judith Kolberg states, "the body double acts ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3374 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3374 Mon, 2 May 2011 08:30:00 EST To set a goal it should be SMART (specific, measureable, attainable, realistic and timely). To achieve the goal it helps to have accountability. That's one reason why people work with Professional Organizers; we hold people accountable for their organizing goals. The online website stickK.com (pronounced "stick") believes in the philosophy that people who put stakes (money or reputation) on the table are far more likely to actually achieve a goal they set for themselves. The ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3370 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3370 Mon, 25 Apr 2011 08:30:00 EST Many of my clients have mobile offices in their Dining Rooms. Why? The dining room table is a large flat surface, and often it is rarely ever used to serve a formal meal. If the dining room is their room-of-choice to process paperwork, mobile storage is needed. This is typically a file box with handles that when not being used can be placed in a buffet's closed cabinets. Another option to store paper is a mobile file cart on wheels . Often the hall closet is close to the dining ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3363 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3363 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 08:30:00 EST I've blogged about this organizing solution about 6 months ago, but a new version has hit the marketplace so its worth re-visiting. Multiple clients of mine have used a cube carousel to solve their book and binder storage challenges. The advantages of a cube carousel: Fits in small spaces and provides twice as much storage of a traditional bookshelf in the same space Sits on rolling casters allowing mobility and flexibility Utilizes unused spaces such as ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3360 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3360 Mon, 11 Apr 2011 08:30:00 EST I just got back from 5 amazing days in San Diego, CA at the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) conference. These are some of my favorite things from the conference: Tote Buddy – I always want to kick myself when I show up at the grocery store without my reuse bags. Tote Buddy has developed a tool the goes to the store with you to organize your bags in style while providing real utility. Yes, I bought a floral version for myself Julie Morgenstern – As ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3358 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3358 Mon, 4 Apr 2011 08:30:00 EST Even though I focus on the office, there are non-office organizing systems that are unique or that I use in my own home, that are worth a shout-out. Here are a few: Packtoozi – It is a system for the random items you need when you're a family on-the-go and trying to get everyone out the door as sanely and as quickly as possible. It consists of an over the door hanging system with matching colored pouches and a tote with matching colored compartments. The colors and pouches each have ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3352 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3352 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 08:30:00 EST The field of paper-less receipts is getting more and more intriguing. Highlights, cool features: MyQuickReceipts.com – By Intuit (owners of Quicken & TurboTax). Retailers such as the ContainerStore and BestBuy send your store receipts to myquickreceipts.com in the clouds. The receipts are collected, organized and available to you whenever you need them. UPDATE: I'm disappointed to say that Intuit is discontinuing this service. I still believe this type of service provides ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3347 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3347 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 08:30:00 EST Straight-line tab filing is the preferred choice of professional organizers. The concept and benefits of straight-line tab filing for your folders was introduced to me by Julie Morgenstern in her book Organizing from the Inside Out . As you see in the photo below, straight-line tab filing means all the tabs are in a straight-line. There are three main benefits : It is much easier on the eyes to scan tabs looking in one direction vs scanning back and forth when you have a tab on the ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3337 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3337 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 08:30:00 EST The following are 7 recommended steps for setting up a paper file system adapted from Julie Morgenstern's book Organizing from the Inside Out . Determine your high-level categories of files, such as Financial and Lifestyle. These are not names of file folders, but broader categories that apply to many folders. Three to five categories should be adequate for personal files Purchase these fabulous file boxes to use for the temporary sorting of files Assign each box a ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3336 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=3336 Mon, 7 Mar 2011 08:30:00 EST For most of my clients, we organize whatever paper and documents are available in their office, on the floor, etc. However, for clients starting with a good foundation of documents, I may present them with an additional stretch-goal: to collect and organize his/her estate documents. When organizing estate paperwork we start with a recommended list of important documents , collect these required documents (some are not in the home, but need to be requested), create a summary listing ...