It’s probably taking up more than physical space, how does it make you feel emotionally - overwhelmed, frustrated, disorganised, even lethargic?

Step 1 - Get Ready.

Create a list. Go through each room in your home and make a list of all the areas, drawers, cupboards that need clearing. Sort this into small, medium and large. Pin it up where you can see it.

Step 2 - Get Set.

Get four boxes label them - Rubbish, Charity, Sell, Undecided.

Step 3 - Get Clearing…

Go through each room - take just 15-30 minutes and tackle the small areas first, then when you have time the medium and large areas.

Work on one area each day and tick them off your list. Either put things away where they belong or place them in one of the four boxes. Place the Undecided box in a cupboard, attic or basement and come back to it in six months. If you haven’t needed anything in it in that time - throw it away.

Clothing - when did you last wear it, does it fit, do you absolutely love it? Anything you haven’t worn for two years - put in a bag and take to your local charity shop. Only buy things that make you look good as you are now - not when you lose those few pounds.

Paperwork “handle it only once” or in reality twice. First when it comes through the door. Is it for action/junk or filing? Action -deal with it immediately or put it an ‘action’ folder/tray and deal with it in the next 2-3 days. Filing - tackle this on a weekly basis. Junk - straight into the bin.

Reduce the junk mail you receive - ALWAYS tick the box on any form to opt out. Sign up with the mailing preference service to opt out of unsolicited mail http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/.

Magazines - how often do you read them all. Tear out and keep any articles that are of particular interest. Read them as soon as you can. Cancel subscriptions for those you no longer read or value.

Things you no longer use - gadgets, sports equipment, etc., unwanted gifts, impulse buys - things you bought but don’t like or don’t use. Either sell them, pass them on or give them away.

Decluttering questions to ask:
- Do you love it?
- Do you use it?
- Does it make you feel good?

Learn to say no, so you don’t clutter up your life with things that aren’t important to you.

Get into the habit of setting aside a few minutes each day or a block of time each week to keep areas tidy and clutter free.

To avoid clutter accumulating - when you buy something think first - do you really need it? If you find it hard to let go, each time you buy something new, get rid of something so at least it’s not increasing.

Notice how you feel after you’ve cleared out an area - whether large or small. You should feel a sense of achievement, satisfaction, relief and/or a burst of energy.

Step 4 - Reward Yourself.

Create small rewards for your effort as you go through the process, i.e. buy yourself a new item of clothing for clearing your wardrobe out,

See what you can do to create your own clutter-free existence and see what it brings in for you.

About the Author:

Clare works with busy, stressed individuals and small business owners to help them plan and organise their time more effectively.

Do you want to discover how to plan, prioritise and delegate, organise your perfect life, organise it effectively and enjoy the process? Spend your time doing what matters and stop worrying about the things that don’t.

Register to receive her free monthly newsletter at www.clareevans.co.uk or send an email to claresnews@aweber.com and receive free tips on managing your time.

Copyright 2005: Clare Evans. Reprint permission by request. Do not alter the content and include the resource box without modification. You may format the layout of the article for proper display of the article in your website or in your ezine.

Here are some ways to help you get the paperwork back under control:

The golden rule to dealing with paper is to do something with it the first time you touch it. I don’t quite hold with the ‘handle it only once’ statement, as that doesn’t really work in practice but trying to avoid shuffling it from one pile to another is definitely to be recommended.

First point - Go out and buy as many folder, trays, boxes and files as you need to organise your paperwork. You should have separate files or folders for action items, accounts, tax information, client information, invoices, reading etc.

When the post lands on your doormat or the paper comes into your office, decide what to do with it there and then. As you open the morning post, sort it into the appropriate folder/tray.

Action - pay a bill, make a call, make an appointment, fill in a form, sign a document etc. Deal with it immediately or as soon as possible.

If this needs further organisation, create additional files/folders/trays for bills, phone calls, clients and place the paper in the appropriate place. Then all you need to do is to go to this one place.

Read - magazines, reports etc. Put to one side to read later. Again, subdividing into files such as Urgent, Review, Business and Fun might help. Set aside time in your day/week to do the reading. Take a break at lunchtime to read through some paperwork or magazine.

Carry some reading material with you for those quiet moments when you’re sitting waiting. Don’t let things build up - if something’s remained in your unread pile for a period of time, chuck it out. Cancel any magazines that you don’t have time to read anymore.

File - statements, receipts, articles etc. Place them to one side in a tray for filing later. Receipts and accounts information should be filed separately so they can be easily dealt with when you’re working on your accounts. This is not something that needs to be dealt with immediately and it’s the one area that tends to build up and doesn’t get the intention it should, so don’t let it build up. Clear your filing tray on a weekly basis or perhaps at the end of each day.

Bin - junk mail, flyers etc. This can get thrown out as soon as you receive it. Recycle any paper you can, rather than just chuck it in the bin.

Of course your first task each day is ‘planning’. Schedule the time you need during the day for all your tasks - clear your ‘Action’ folder and make it a habit to clear this by the end of each day. When are you going to go through your ‘Reading’ file and when do you do your filing?

Tackling a BIG Filing Pile!

If you have a large pile of filing or several piles taking up space on your desk or in your office, set aside a couple of hours in your diary NOW and book in a time to tackle it. This is a useful task to do at the end of the day or if you need to clear a backlog, perhaps at a weekend or even one evening (OK, this should be an exception, I want to reduce your hours not extend them!).

Clear a large space to work in - the kitchen table or the living room floor. Go through it and sort each piece of paper as you go into appropriate folders, files or ’sub-piles’.

- Bin anything you no longer need.
- Action anything that’s lurking!
- Put to one side anything that needs to be read.

Depending on how old this pile is (!) you might want to ask yourself, if I haven’t read it by now, how relevant is it? … Bin it!

You may end up surrounded by several piles of bank statements, credit cards statements, client info, paid invoices etc. but at least now you can pick them up in one group and file them all away together.

It’s immensely satisfying to reduce a large pile of paperwork that’s been glaring at you, into a larger pile that ends up in the bin and a smaller pile that you now need to do something with i.e. file!

A couple of hours should be all that’s needed, even for a large pile and if you can’t file it all away in one hit, do what you can in the time you’ve got, then make an effort to clear a little bit each day or even 2-3 times throughout the day and you’ll be amazed how quickly it will soon be gone!

Reduce the incoming flood.

Get as much paperwork as you can electronically. Most bank statements and utility bills are now available online and can be stored electronically or printed off - but only if you need them.

Cancel subscriptions to any newspapers or magazines that you no longer need.

Read magazines and newspapers online or go to your local library. Most publications with a website will publish their most recent articles online. Newspaper sites have searchable archives.

In the UK you can subscribe to the Mailing Preference Service to avoid unnecessary junk mail coming through your door. I significantly reduced the amount of junk mail I received once I’d signed up.

Always tick the box on any forms to stop promotional mail, offers or your address being sent to 3rd parties.

You can recycle old newspapers and magazines by either taking them to your local recycling point to local schools, hospitals, surgeries etc.

How could you streamline your office to reduce what comes in and how much you have to handle in the first place?

Take some time to think about all the paperwork that you have to deal with on a daily basis and come up with a solution to ensure that piece of paper ends up where it should first time round.

If you’d like to find out more about how you could put some systems and strategies in place to enable you to be more organised, then call or email me for a free consultation.

About the Author:

Clare works with busy, stressed individuals and small business owners to help them plan and organise their time more effectively.

Do you want to learn how to prioritise, plan and delegate, organise your perfect life, organise it effectively and enjoy the process? Spend your time doing what matters and stop worrying about the things that don’t.

Register to receive her free monthly newsletter at www.clareevans.co.uk or send an email to claresnews@aweber.com and receive free tips on managing your time.

Copyright 2005: Clare Evans. Reprint permission by request. Do not alter the content and include the resource box without modification. You may format the layout of the article for proper display of the article in your website or in your ezine.

If you’re the sort of person who plans everything like a military operation you may already be well in control. If you’re not so good at managing your time then here are a few tips to help you improve your planning, get organised and start getting more out of your day.

Daily Planning. In order to make the most of your time you need to spend it in the most productive way. Planning your time is the best way to ensure you’re effective with what time you have.

First thing every Monday morning (or Sunday evening if you prefer) spend 15-30 minutes planning what you need to do that week to keep you focused and on track. What actions MUST you take each day/week. Spend the first 10-15 minutes each morning planning your tasks and actions for the day. When are you going to do these? Block out time in your diary and make an appointment with yourself for when you’re going to write a report, make those phone calls.

One diary. Don’t have one diary for home and one diary at work or one for personal and one for business. Whether it’s paper-based or electronic, keep all your personal and business appointments in one place. That way you will have all important dates and events available when you’re planning your time and booking appointments - include birthday’s, anniversaries, children’s activities, school events, social gatherings etc.

Electronic personal organisers, such as the Palm Pilot, iPAQ and Psion ,are a useful tool. They can automatically synchronise with your calendaring tool on your computer such as Outlook and can then be carried with you when you’re away from your desk or out of the office enabling you to check your diary at anytime. If you have one family calendar at home check this each week and update your diary.

Prioritise. In order to make the most effective use of your time you need to focus on what’s important. Prioritise your tasks and actions in order of importance or urgency. Ensure you spend most of your time focusing on the important to avoid them becoming urgent later on. Get the high priority tasks done first and break larger tasks down into smaller ones.

What MUST get done today? What else needs to be done? Be realistic about what you can achieve each day - don’t set yourself up with a massive to-do list and only achieve a few things. Start small and build from success. Be aware of ‘time-wasters’.

Delegate. One way to make the most of your time is to get someone else to do the tasks that don’t absolutely need your attention. Do you really need to do everything? Who else could help you out? If someone else has the skills to do a task then ask them to do it. It will give you time to focus on the more important things and the tasks that only you can do.

The busier you are the more you need to be able to delegate. Train someone up to do some of your tasks and share your workload. Give someone else the opportunity to learn and grow. Cleaning, gardening, paperwork – get someone else to do these or help you out.

Create your own virtual ‘team’ – a book-keeper to do your books, your accountant to do your accounts, a virtual assistant (VA) to do your admin tasks, invoicing and mailings – you may not be able to afford staff full-time but you can make better use of your time by hiring people when you need them.

Avoid interruptions. Sometimes we’d be so much more effective if we didn’t get constantly interrupted. What are your main interrupters? Email, phone calls, people?

If you have work to do and need some undisturbed time – switch the phone through to the answer machine or voice-mail. Switch it off – as long as you remember to switch it back on when you’re finished!

Ignore incoming emails – if you get an alert each time you receive a new email, switch it off and check your emails 2-3 times a day ONLY!

If you’re at work, book a meeting room or use an empty office for a couple of hours and shut yourself away. If you are able to – work from home for the day – that way you get less interruptions from people just ‘dropping by’ and interrupting you at your desk. If you have an office educate people that when the door is closed you’re not to be disturbed.

Give yourself a break. Make sure you take breaks throughout the day – even if it’s just for a few minutes. The brain is only able to concentrate effectively for short periods of time. The longer you spend doing one thing, the more ineffective you will become. Sitting in one position for long periods of time doesn’t do you any good physically or mentally. Some people can concentrate for hours when they’re totally absorbed in a task, in general you should take a break at least once every two hours. You will be fresher and better able to concentrate. Get up and stretch, take a few deep breaths, get yourself a drink of water.

Always try to take a proper lunch break – you deserve it and your body needs it! If you can, get some fresh air and exercise. Don’t rely on stimulants such as coffee and chocolate to give you a boost when you’re flagging. The majority of people don’t drink enough water throughout the day. If you’re dehydrated you will get tired more easily and be less able to concentrate. If you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated!

Learn to say No! Eager to please and to be seen to be helpful, we often take on things we’d rather not do or don’t really have time for. Learning to say “No” can be useful to stop yourself from getting overwhelmed or feeling guilty. Be clear and direct. Your time is yours, you are entitled to a say in how you spend it. Don’t be misled by other people’s expectations – whether that’s family, friends, your boss or work colleagues.

Be realistic about what you are able to achieve. What are you losing by saying “Yes”, what are you gaining by saying “No”? By saying “Yes” what are you saying “No” to? By saying “Yes” to getting that report done by the end of the day I am saying “No” to leaving work on time, I’m saying “No” to spending time with the children/my partner … Can someone else do it? Can you negotiate to suit you’re timeframe?

Reward yourself. Don’t forget to reward yourself at the end of a busy and productive day or when you’ve completed a particular project. Include it in your plan - how will you treat yourself?

If you’d like help in putting some structure in place to organise your time more effectively and get the most out of your day – contact me for a consultation. on info@clareevans.co.uk

About the Author:

Clare Evans works with individuals and small business owners to help them plan and organise their time more effectively. Learn how to prioritise, plan and delegate, organise your perfect life, organise it effectively and enjoy the process. Spend your time doing what matters and stop worrying about the things that don’t. Receive her free monthly newsletter and other resources at www.clareevans .co.uk or send an email to claresnews@aweber.com and receive free tips on managing your time.

Copyright 2005: Clare Evans. Reprint permission by request. Do not alter the content and include the resource box without modification. You may format the layout of the article for proper display of the article in your website or in your ezine, so long as the words, links and paragraph breaks are not changed or deleted. Requests to: info@clareevans.co.uk

How much time do you spend doing this?

For some of us, keeping most used links in our favourites menu is the norm, but what I am about to share with you, will save you no end of time - especially if you use the Internet a lot.

Make your own Home Page is something that everyone can do, whether you are a complete beginner or a professional computer user and you only need to know how to use Microsoft Word to do it.

1. Make a note of your most used links. A quick look into your history settings will reveal all.

2. Visit each link, then highlight and copy the link in the address bar, into a Microsoft Word document.

For example:

http://www.hotmail.com
http://mail.yahoo.com
http://www.flickr.com… etc..

3. If you are using Microsoft Word, you can even leave out the http:// (so long as you have the www.) Simply type, for example www.hotmail.com and hit the enter key. The hyperlink becomes live.

4. If the address hasn’t got www. (as in the Yahoo! example above) then highlight the text and choose Insert -> Hyperlink -> and a window will open, asking for the text to display (ie Yahoo! Mail) and the hyperlink to insert. In this case the hyperlink would be http://mail.yahoo.com

(You can also use a keyboard shortcut of the Control key, then letter K. (Ctrl + K)

5. You can play around with this option and even hyperlink the text of ‘Useful Articles’ to http://www.fridayteam.co.uk/articles/

The possibilities are endless.

6. Save your page as a .htm or .html page, rather than a .doc page and then open Internet Explorer, or whichever browser you use.

7. Click on Tools -> Internet Options -> and where it says Home Page on the General Tab, click ‘choose current’.

Voila! Your precious time has been saved!

As a further exercise to this, I actually keep a list of all the jobs I have to do each day for my business on my home page, to help me stay focussed and use my time even more effectively. Let your creativity take over and see how your page will develop. Here is a screenshot of mine.

Have fun!

Copyright Roz Edwards - The Friday Team Ltd.