Reducing Paper Clutter

I just ran across this great article in LifeHacker.org and had to share it. It deals with paper clutter and the author provides a great method for controlling it, with out being overly OCD about it. Here's the link: http://bit.ly/kxC30n

Adding a quick, daily scan of the paper that came in during the day is a great way to keep the stack of paper manageable until your weekly review time. That daily review should be quick and "unfiltered" as you briefly scan items and place into "keep" and "toss" piles. (I bet your "toss" pile ends up the larger of the two!)

In Session 2 of my Time Management seminars we talk about the weekly review process. This article provides a great addition to that review session.

Some additional organizational thoughts for the weekly review process that I might add to this writer's process are:

• Add action items to the proper to-do list or calendar date; then toss that piece of paper.
• Informational items such as phone numbers, addresses and such, add to the proper storage media right then and there; then toss that piece of paper.
• Paper that you need to keep handy, such as bills and forms, can be stacked in an inbox to be addressed that week. Add an action item to your to-do list on the day you intend to do it. If there's anything you didn't address by the next review session, you can reschedule into the next week. Another option, if you have space and are so inclined, is to have file folders for each week day and place the items in their appropriate day. But if you don't truly have room for this, don't do it - it will just add clutter.

Upcoming Seminar

Part 2 of the "IT'S ABOUT TIME" seminar is this coming Saturday, 19 March 2011, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Location is 224 Waverly Place, New York, NY (the Parish Hall of St. John's in the Village).

Space is limited, so contact me at apjones.nyc@gmail.com to reserve your spot.

In this seminar, you will:

• Understand the Core Principles and Core Values of Time Management
• Discover what is, and is not, working for you
• Explore the roles you play and the people and commitments you have
• Recognize and avoid burnout
• Learn effective "lessons learned" techniques.

Time Management Matrix

I love the time management matrix by Stephen Covey. The goal, of course, is to move as many of the important items as possible into the "Not Urgent" column. Wouldn't it be nice if we actually had a day when the "Urgent" column was empty? Well, we all know that's pretty much never going to happen; but with proper planning you can shift a good bit out of there.

As a chronic procrastinator, I pretty much find my home in the Urgent/Important box. By putting things off, I force them into that quadrant. Now, there is a certain amount of adrenaline rush that goes with that, not to mention a fantastic sense of accomplishment when you pull that rabbit out of the hat! It's also really good for "martyr" points. But it's not really a productive way to live.