Creating Office Systems in 2010

Posted by Brenda | in Productivity Tips | on 30-11-2010

The Power of Productive Obsessions

What is a Productive Obsession vs a Non-Productive Obsession?

• A non-productive obsession is rooted in anxiety, worries, doubts and fears.  We keep thinking or worrying about something we obsess about.  This of course is very non-productive and has been proven that unsuccessful people tend to obsess about non-productive obsessions.
  

• Productive Obsessions are rooted in our desires, curiosities and passions in wanting our life to feel more meaningful.  The most successful people tend to obsess about their productive obsessions. However, managing them is the key to their success.
  

Here are 3 ways we can learn from managing productive obsessions.

1. Plan for Productive Obsessions:  Get it on your schedule. Work on your biggest obsession the first 1 1/2 hours of your day (80/20 rule).
   
2. Think through how to manage them:  Understand that your productive obsession will produce pressure on you, that you will be going on a roller coaster journey.  As the Buddhist say:  You need to get a grip on your own mind. You need to think that you think your thoughts as opposed to your thoughts think you.
   
3. Learn how to easily switch gears:  When your ready to switch gears to another obsession try a breathing exercise:  10 zen seconds; 5 seconds in, 5 seconds out and follow with a good thought and say to yourself;  I return with strength.  Listen to the full audio recording by Eric Maisel on Productive Obsessions.

Creating Office Systems in 2010

Posted by Brenda | in Productivity Tips | on 29-07-2010

“One of the few things that can’t be recycled is wasted time.” Sean Covey

Summer is finally here in Colorado, yea! After a long dreary winter and spring, I welcome the warmth and sun.

Did you know that summer is the perfect time to de-clutter and organize your home, office and life! If summer typically is a slow time for your business, finally take the time this summer and do those long awaited organizing projects you’ve been putting off.  You will thank me in the Fall when you get busy and feel the relief of having a ’system’ in place to handle the overwhelm.

* For tips, ideas and way’s on how to organize your office, home and life, search this site with key words!

The Cost of Disorganization. “The average American burns 55 minutes a DAY, roughly 12 weeks per year looking for things they know they own but can’t find” Newsweek 6/09
Please go to the right panel on this website to:  Cost of Disorganization Calculator.

How To Use Cloud Computing and iPEP to:  Save space by eliminating the paper clutter in your office, save money by spending less on paper and ink, and save time by getting information faster, ultimately working more efficiently.

What is Cloud Computing & iPEP?

Cloud Computing is Internet-based computing, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices on demand, like the electricity grid.  Cloud computing is a paradigm shift following the shift from mainframe to client–server in the early 1980s. The term “cloud” is used as a metaphor  for the Internet.  Typical cloud computing providers deliver common business applications online that are accessed from another Web service or software like a Web browser, while the software and data are stored on servers. One cloud service provider is PBWorks which is the infrastructure for iPEP (interactvie Productive Environment Platform) Try iPEP for Free!

Creating Office Systems into 2010: Green Office

Posted by Brenda | in Productivity Tips | on 27-05-2010

“Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future.”Deepak Chopra

I love when it rains in Colorado, I get to finally use my beautiful umbrella….can definitely go with-out the hail.

Memorial Day weekend is a time for reflection and respect for our wounded warriors and honor our forefathers for their service and sacrifice.  It’s also a time to remember your loved ones who have passed.  I wish everyone a safe, healthy, fun and reflective holiday weekend.

Your Green Office. Have you checked your carbon footprint lately?

Do you want to go green in your office, but you don’t know where to start?  Here are just some of the many simple steps you can take today:

• Turn it off!  When not in use turn of your lights, computers, printers, etc.
• Purchase recycled office supplies (paper ink/cartridge toners, etc.)
• Use green cleaning products
• Use energy efficient electronic equipment and light bulbs
• Have recycle bins at your workplace
• Use real mugs, glasses, and utensils
• Drive less by commuting to work, or work from home
• Go “almost paperless” by printing less

Did you know that about 35% of municipal solid waste (before recycling) by weight is paper and paper products?  Everyone has gone print crazy.  We see something online, we print it;  we get an email, we print it; we’re working on a project; we print it.  We can each save trees, water, energy, and money by printing less!

You can do your part by using cloud computing (iPEP) every day!  You not only save paper and help the environment, you also save space by eliminating the paper clutter in your office, save money by spending less on paper and ink, and save time by getting information faster, ultimately working more efficiently.

‘FOCUS’ and Stop Multi-Tasking!

Posted by Brenda | in Productivity Tips | on 01-04-2010

“The most practical of all methods for controlling the mind is the habit of keeping it busy with a definite purpose, backed by a definite plan” Napoleon Hill

I attended a networking event last week that prompted me to write about the topic of Focus.  It was an open forum to discuss burning current issues with entrepreneurs and everyone shared how much they feel ’scattered’ and at the end of the day feeling like they did not get anything done.  Sound familiar?  The following are tips that have worked for me and my clients in regard to getting things done by focusing.

Focus. A pet peeve of mine.  In fact, I have a very popular laser coaching workshop that teaches focus techniques to help you get things done in a timely manner without stress.  Click here to find out more!

Do you have a difficult time focusing?
Well we all do!  With the influx of information coming at us and available right at our finger tips, we tend to do “excessive” multi-tasking.  Multi-tasking causes stress, short-term memory loss, and it negatively impacts concentration and attentiveness.  Hence, you really don’t get anything done!

Do you desire to have control of your time, NOT time controlling you?

I believe we can all focus again by taking baby steps and learn how to tune out distractions and finally get things done without frustration and stress.
Remember, it probably took many years to get where you’re at in regard to your productivity pains and we all know that change does not happen over night.

However, by applying one focus tip at a time based on your particular work ethic and situation, gradually you start noticing that you have more time, more peaceful and productive meetings, your actually becoming more tuned-in to what is going on around you, then you notice something is missing…….oh yes that frantic, frustrated and tired feeling of overwhelm.

• FOCUS and stay in the moment. Totally focus on what you are doing and get closure on it, then move on to the next thing.
• Use the Pareto principle also known as the 80-20 rule:  Eighty percent of your results come from twenty percent of your efforts,  for all your goals, projects and tasks.  Based on an 8 hour day, start your day with 96 minutes of concentrated work on your highest priority and you could safely call it a highly productive and successful day
• Set a timer.  I use this tip all the time! Setting a timer also sets your brain to:  Get ready, set and go!  We all have some sort of timer close by:  1)  Your Cell Phone, 2)  Go online: http://www.online-stopwatch.com/, 3)  A wrist watch, 4)  An alarm clock
• Block out chunks of times.  The ONLY way to really get things done is to focus for longer periods of time on your project or task.
• Turn off your phone.  This is a huge time waster.  Leave a message on your phone regarding your unavailability AND when you will be returning calls
• Turn off your email notify.  Having that email ‘bing’ at you when your focusing is a constant interruption.
• Surfing the web.  The number one distraction.  We all love the internet but if you’re not ‘aware’ or focused on your project, you could easily find yourself in the internet cosmos.  Schedule in your calendar a block of time to surf.
• Social Networking.  Another time consumption and distraction if not utilized strategically.  Again, schedule time in your calendar for Social Networking.
• Put a sign on your door indicating your unavailability AND when you will become available
• Respect your-self and your project or task by Focusing to Get Things Done

Getting Organized with iPEP

Posted by Brenda | in Productivity Tips | on 28-02-2010

“Do not wait; the time will never be ‘just right.’ Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.”    Napoleon Hill

Wow! February is already over…..and I sadly say good bye to the Winter Olympics, it was such a blast to root for our country.

This issue will be talking about getting organized with iPEP; an interactive Productive Environment Platform Tool.

Last week, after four months of personally experiencing “Clutter is Postponed Decisions”, I decided to Finally Get Organized!  Yes, your professional office organizer gets dis-organized too………life happens as it does with you.

For the past four months I have experienced two major surgeries, moving, my father passing and a frozen pipe bursting at one of my rental properties.  Needless to say my office and desktop was cluttered and my “To File” box was overflowing into two additional ‘to file” piles.

Guess what? It only took me 2 1/2 hrs to get four months of filing and clutter removed on and under my desk. I ended up with 1 1/2 hrs of extra time to do what I wanted.  It was an exhilarating feeling and the best part is that I immediately felt the overwhelm feeling, gone!  I realized how much the ‘visual’ clutter was making me ‘feel’ overwhelmed.  In actuality, my work load is very manageable.

How did I do it? First and foremost,  I blocked out four hours of organizing focused time. I turned off the phone, email auto-responder, did not surf the web, did not check my email, all distractions turned off.  On the hour, I took 10 minute mini-breaks.

I started with items on my desk, my action items;  current projects.  I went online ‘only’ to retrieve my iPEP Office System; a paper and electronic filing management system (for a Free Guest Account, click here.)

Opened up my Outlook calendar, and then retrieved my Swift File desktop filing system which also includes action folders;  Receipts, Pay Bills, To Review, Boulder Linqs (my weekly networking group), Action 1-5 (current projects.)

Any items or documents that had an appointment or a date to remember, I input all the information into my calendar.  Any receipts, bills to be paid, my current projects I’m working on, went into my ‘desktop filing system’.

I tackled my ‘To File’ box and stacks easily with a single keyword search into iPEP.  I took each document and typed in keywords regarding the document and iPEP directed me effortlessly to where the ‘folder’ is located for that particular document.  I did NOT go into a traditional filing system and scratch my head and waste time trying to figure out “which’ folder this document should be placed.  iPEP is a finding system not a filing system.  Truly a 21st Century paper management system for 21st Century Business. For a FREE Guest Account go here!  For a FREE demonstration from your personal office organizer, please contact me.

Step 7. Next issue: The Magic 6: Tool 4 “Action Files” in detail.  To recap on Steps 1-5 please go to Archived Productivity Tips.

Creating Office System’s into 2010 Issue VI

Posted by Brenda | in Productivity Tips | on 14-02-2010

“If I had my life to live over…..I’d dare to make more mistakes next time.”
Nadine Stair
Happy Valentines Day!  A wonderful day to remind us to tell the people we care for most, how you truly feel.  Yea! for the Vancouver Winter Games, I’m enjoying watching these amazing athletes enjoying themselves competing for their country.

Recently I have been organizing a client using the iPEP Business Edition.  This is a collaborative cloud computing system that is helping her retrieve physical documents as well as her electronic documents via a web based Office Organizing system.  Scroll down to Featured Service to read more about it.

The following is Step 6 of creating an Office System. To recap on Steps 1-5 please go to Archived Productivity Tips.

Step 6. The Magic 6:  Tools 3 & 4 in detail.
We have found that 40% of the paper received gets tossed in the wastebasket, 40% goes to the file cabinet, and the remaining 20% requires action. How you handle this remaining 20% has a significant impact on your productivity. Most of your action items have a due date and a task associated with it.  Now your ready to act or pass the information on to whomever you have assigned the task, and your ready to use one of the most important organizing tools in your life—your calendar.

Tool 3) Calendar.  You can eliminate a surprising amount of paper and computer files by using your calendar.  The key is to extract the information you need from the paper or document and enter it in your calendar then recycle the document. Here are some of the ways you can eliminate clutter by using the calendar.

Meeting notices:  Let’s say you receive a meeting notice in your in-box or in your email.  Enter the information–time, place, telephone number and email address–directly into your calendar.  If there’s more essential information on the notice than will fit in your calendar, place the notice in your Outbox, Swiftfile or Action File (Tool 5; next issue)

Follow-up: If you’ve written a letter and need a reply in two weeks, make a note in your calendar on the due date “Heard from John?” This way, you use your calendar not only for appointments,  but also for effective follow-up.

Appointments With Ourselves:  Many of us are great about using our calendar to make appointments with others, but rarely make appointments with ourselves. That’s unfortunate, because the people Ive found who are most successful in managing their time and reaching their goals are those who make appointments with themselves to complete specific tasks and check on specific issues.

Tool 4) Database Management.  Whether you use Act, Outlook, Send Out Cards, keeping an updated and clean database with your contacts is crucial in staying in touch with your marketing base.  I meet so many people who have stacks of business cards that need to be entered in their database.  Here are some ideas to tackle that project.

-Hire a Personal Assistant.  You can easily get this project done with-in one day at a cost of $100 or less, with a priceless feeling of relief.
-This is one project I love doing in front of the television.  At commercial breaks, I use that time to enter my contacts, try it, it works!
-If you have a laptop and your going on a road trip, this is a great time to work on this project.
-If you have teenagers, this is a very easy project to delegate.
-Don’t have this flexibility with a desktop, don’t want to spend money on a PA, then block out time on your calendar and make it a priority to get them entered.

Step 7. Next issue: The Magic 6: Tool 5 “Action Files” in detail.

Creating Office System’s into 2010 Issue V

Posted by Brenda | in Productivity Tips | on 26-01-2010

“The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.”
Edward E. Cummings

Happy New Year!  I’ve been very busy helping business professionals, colleagues and friends meet their New Years Resolution of Finally Getting Organized!  This is a win win because I get to meet my New Years resolution of helping people get their office organized and productive so they can focus on their personal and business goals.  Needless to say; I have been blessed with a good start this year.  This has all been done virtually from the comforts of my office,  training and consulting via the Internet and telephone. To read further about this service, please go Virtual Services on this website.

The following is Step 5 of creating an Office System. To recap on Steps 1-4 please go to Archived Productivity Tips.

Step 5.  The Magic 6:  Tools 1 & 2 in detail.
Clutter is Postponed Decisions! It’s postponed because you have no place to put your items. Using an In/Out/To File Boxes or Trays are a great way to keep the clutter off your desktop along with the assistance of using your Wastebasket, Recycle or Shredder.

Tool 1) In, Out or File Box or Trays.  Use only 3 stack-able trays on your desktop to handle all incoming and outgoing items.
Your In-Box is to physically separate items you haven’t looked at from those you have.  Instead of putting the paper in the middle of your desk, leave them in the in-box until you’re prepared to do something with each piece that you remove. Once you’ve removed something from the in-box, remember the F.A.T. principal—file, act or toss–then handle it once to make one of these decisions.  You can then put the item in a specific place, such as your Out Box, or To File box or an Action or Reference File.
Out Box is a temporary holding area for all items going OUT of your office.  Great examples are, Outgoing Mail, Information/Documentation/Reports/Other People Requests and Notes to remind you to pick up something on your way to an appointment, a meeting or running errands, etc.
To File Box. Do you hate to file?  A major corporation did an extensive survey on the most hated job in the office. You won’t be surprised to find that the result was filing. You can reduce stress by creating a place for all your items, such as your Out Box, Action or Reference File

Tool 2) Wastebasket, Recycle, Shredder.  Whether you use one or all three make sure you have them close to perform the Art of Wastebasketry.
A great example of this is your mail.  Next time you retrieve your mail from your mail box, stand over your Wastebasket, Recycle Bin or Shredder and make quick decisions for those items you know for SURE you don’t want to keep.  If you don’t have time to go through it, place the mail in your In Box and follow the direction above. In fact, I highly advise that you retrieve your mail ONLY when you’re ready to go through it.

Step 6.  Next issue: The Magic 6: Tools 2 & 3 in detail.

Creating Office System’s into 2010 Issue IV

Posted by Brenda | in Productivity Tips | on 30-12-2009

“Small differences in your performance can lead to large differences in your results.”  Brian Tracy

A huge WELCOME to new subscribers and a big THANK YOU to my current subscribers.  I appreciate the opportunity to share 21st Century Office Productivity tips and ideas with you.  It is truly my passion to help you be more productive and organized so you can focus on what matters most.  

I hope you had a wonderful holiday and gearing up for a Happy & Prosperous New Year!

A filing system is to an organization what a ‘foundation’ is to a building.  You can get away with a poorly constructed foundation for a while.  You can put a fancy building on top, and lavishly decorate the interior, but sooner or later the foundation will crumble and the building will fall.  Today, information is power.  If we don’t have the right information at the right time, we lose opportunities.  Therefore, if the filing system isn’t working, our company may fall–or at least falter.  Keep in mind that the value of an effective filing system is that you can retrieve information when you need it–it’s not just a place for storage.  The purpose of filing anything–paper or electronic–is to create a place to put the information so that you will be able to find it again–easily.  Bottom-line, think, “Where can I find this, “instead of “where can I put this?”
The following is Step 4 of creating an Office System. (If you would like to recap on Steps 1-3 please go to Archived Productivity Tips)

Creating an office system is a process and an art form.

Step 4.  The Magic 6:  Six tools every organized office needs.
We believe in order to be productive and stay organized in your office, you need the proper tools.  The following are what we call the Magic 6. 
1)  In, Out or File Box or Trays.  Use only 3 stack-able trays on your desktop to handle all incoming and outgoing items.
2)  Wastebasket, Recycle or Shredder.  Whether you use one or all three, make sure you have them close to perform the Art of Wastebasketry.
3)  Calendar.  Using a calendar to block out time for appointments, tasks & projects is vital in combating overwhelm.
4)  Contact Management.  If your a small to medium size business, having a contact management system either online (cloud computing) or software is very important to stay in touch with your clients and customers.
5)  Action Files (by Date, Action Type, Project or Topic) Action folders should be the only files close to your desk “your prime real estate” in your office for quick and easy retrieval of your “current” projects and tasks.
6)  Reference Files (Personal, Business, Archive) Reference material or documents you need or want to keep for longer periods of time, should be placed and located near your office desk or in a different location.
Step 5.  Next issue:  The Magic 6:  Tools 1 & 2 in detail.

Creating Office System’s into 2010 Issue III

Posted by Brenda | in Productivity Tips | on 30-11-2009

 ”Carpe diem! Rejoice while you are alive; enjoy the day; live life to the fullest; make the most of what you have. It is later than you think.”    Horace   
   
I hope your holiday was a time to reflect on what you’re thankful for. 
I’m thankful for my health, spending time with my son and family, and for the opportunity to share my knowledge of increasing YOUR office productivity.
Organizing does not come naturally to everyone, but it’s a remarkably simple skill that anyone can learn.  You will start saving time and money and feeling a lot less stress.
Our Productivity Process is a proprietary system and has a ROI of more than 300%, pays for itself in as little as 118 days for the typical company — and is guaranteed to improve productivity by 10-25%!

The following is Step 3 of creating an Office System. (If you would like to recap on Step1 & 2, please go to Archived Productivity Tips)
Creating an office system is a process and an art form.

Step 3.  The Art of Wastebasketry
Why is it so difficult to use the wastebasket?
Habit.  People get in the habit of just looking through their mail to see what is there, without throwing out all unwanted mail immediately.
Lack of Focus.  If I’m not sure what information is important, it’s tough to figure out what to toss.
Fear. The what-if game can go on endlessly:  What if someone asks me about this, and I don’t have it? What if I don’t know everything that is in this publication? What if next week I decide I want it?
You can overcome those impediments by using logic-based disposal. Determine whether you want to keep each piece of paper, electronic document, email, voice mail, by asking yourself these questions:
1.  Does this require action?
2.  Can I identify a specific use?
3.  Is it difficult to obtain again?
4.  Is it recent enough to be useful?
5.  Are there tax or legal implications?
6.  What is the worst possible thing that can happen without it?
Step 4.  Next issue:  The Magic 6;  Tools every organized office needs.

Creating Office System’s into 2010 Issue II

Posted by Brenda | in Productivity Tips | on 14-11-2009

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”  Antoine de Saint-Exupery 
Let’s finally fulfill one of your top ten New Year’s resolution of “Getting Your Office Organized”. 
It’s no secret. Companies lose thousands, even millions of dollars each year through employee disorganization and stress-induced health issues.
The Productive Environment Process is a proven organizing philosophy, systems, and tools to bring productivity improvement to every individual in a business or organization. The value we represent to our clients is in providing systems that radically change workdays, increase efficiency, free up time, develop peace of mind, and lead to a more stress-free work environment.
The following is Step 2 of creating an Office System. (If you would like to recap on Step 1, please go to Archived Productivity Tips)

Creating an office system is a process and an art form. 
Step 2.  All those papers stacked up on your desk require decisions, as do your computer files and e-mail and voice-mail messages.  But there’s good news!  You only have to make three decisions for every incoming item into your office.  We call it the F.A.T. System. 
                             File It, Act On It, or Toss It

1)File It:  Individual Files or Organization Files
2)Act On It:  Schedule in your calendar, reply to your email, return the voice mail or phone call.  Basic rule:  if it takes 2 minutes or less, then Act On It.
3)Toss It:  Ask yourself:  What is the worst possible scenario if you tossed it.
We have found that the problem isn’t that too much information is flowing into the office-it’s that too little flows out.  Information in many forms gets stuck-and so do we!  The difference between paper shuffling and paper management is decision making.  You can us the FAT System and The Art of Wastebasketry to make decisions to take information from your in-basket-whether that’s a box on your desk or files in your computer-and move it out.  
Step 3.  Next issue:  The Art of Wastebasketry.