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The Recycling Corner:
Free Shredding Offer
Identity theft is a growing problem in the information age. One way to protect yourself is to shred any documents that contain your social security number, date of birth, financial account numbers or passwords, etc. before recycling them. Shredders are available for under $100 and can be a great tool for your paper management. Services like Iron Mountain (R) are also available to come to your office and shred on site if you have a large volume of sensitive documents. They then recycle the shredded paper for you.
For the month of February, Staples stores are partnering with Iron Mountain to provide FREE shredding for documents you drop off at Staples, up to 5 lbs. There is no coupon required, but the Promo SKU is 705394. While you're there, look at the shredders to see which type is best for you.
Protect yourself from Identity Theft by shredding your important information. |
LEARN HOW
to Get More Organized!
(Upcoming classes and presentations)
Starting This Thursday:
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Clutter Control
at Home
at Sandwich Community Schools
Thursdays
Feb. 16 & Mar. 1
6:30 - 8:30 pm
Learn how to organize your household and clear the clutter. Two sessions so you can practice in between.
Overcoming Procrastination
at Sandwich Community Schools, Thursdays
March 8 & 15
6:30 - 8:30 pm
Strategies for staying on task, reaching your goals, and overcoming those nagging fears that make you put off difficult tasks. Two sessions so you can practice in between.
Declutter Your Workspace
at Broadreach Rehab Center in North Chatham (Upper Cape Tech Adult Ed's satellite campus)
Wednesday,
March 14
6:00 - 8:00 pm
Get more productive at work by setting up your workspace in an efficient, organized way. Learn how to file your papers and get rid of the clutter at work. |
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Dear , 
The shortest month of the year is one day longer this year! What will you do with the extra day that makes this a leap year? You know how we're always looking for an extra day to catch up on things, an extra day to devote to getting our stuff organized? I propose that we make Wednesday, February 29th, our official Catch-Up and Get Organized Day! Dedicate yourself to clearing up the clutter, setting up file folders, and putting things back where they belong. The rest of the year will be so much easier if you do!
Give me a call if I can help, and enjoy your day!
- Maryann Murphy
Your Personal Organizing Expert
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Saving Time
A great quote from Henry Ford, American Industrialist and Founder of Ford Motor Company, inspired this month's article on managing your time:
"It's been my observation that most people get ahead
during the time that others waste."
Do you find yourself wasting time on a regular basis? Do you have any idea how much? Try a little test right now. Think back on the past two hours before you started reading this email. How many minutes of that time did you spend working effectively on your highest priority tasks? How much time did you spend otherwise occupied (reading irrelevant emails, playing computer games, "taking a break", etc.)?
If you had used that time (let's call it wasted time) on your highest-priority tasks instead, wouldn't you be ahead of where you are now?
There are two main ways to stop wasting time and start getting ahead:
- Get clear about your goals, and focus your time and attention on the activities that bring you closest to those goals (this is the more effective and empowering route).
- Reduce the amount of time you waste on non-productive activities (distractions, addictions, etc.) - this helps too but is ineffective without knowing what you want to be doing instead.
Either way can help, so use them in combination for the most effective result. For the rest of the day today and tomorrow, pick your highest priority goal, identify the next step actions you need to take to reach that goal, and spend some good solid blocks of time working only on that. When you find yourself wasting time in non-productive pursuits, set a time limit for how long you'll spend on them, and then re-focus on your highest priority goals.
Where do you want to get ahead to? Focus your attention there while others are wasting their time, and you'll quickly find yourself in the lead. |
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Sorting Through Your Paper Piles
 Most of us get overwhelmed by paper at one point or another. When you find yourself with a pile (or more) of random papers, do a Quick Sort to gain back control in a reasonable period of time. Be sure to work on just one pile of papers at a time and finish sorting that pile completely before moving on to the next (so make it a manageable size pile - no more than 4 inches tall).
First, sort the pile into sub-piles by category, labeling each category with a Post-It as you go. Don't stop to read each item carefully. Just make quick sorting decisions. If it will take more than 1 minute to decide on a piece of paper, make a separate category for that and put it into that pile. Some useful categories are:
- Urgent (needs to be completed today)
- To toss (throw these directly into a recycling bin or shredder)
- Things I want To Read
- Financial (bills, check stubs, bank statements, etc.)
- Household
- Work
- Volunteer work (separate pile for each organization)
- Other people's stuff (make a separate pile for each person).
Now go back through each of the piles in order of their priority. Start with the Urgent stuff. If it really must be completed today, determine how much time it will take. If you only have enough time to handle this item, it's better to handle it right now. At least you know you've looked at everything else in the pile briefly and that nothing else is urgent.
Keep the sorted piles together, using paper clips or folders labeled with each category. When you do get back to the piles, they will be sorted into categories that will make it easier to process them. Be sure to hand off other people's stuff to them so they don't go back into your piles.
As you go through each pile, identify the Next Step that needs to be done to move this item forward, and write that in pencil or on a Posst-It in the top right. If the item can be done in 3 minutes or less, and it's a priority item, do it immediately.
Although sorting your papers into piles is only a first step, it's an important one. Taking the time to do this pre-sort can help you see all you have to do and make better decisions about what to do next. Do this basic pre-sort every day, and eventually you'll get through those all those piles, no matter how many there are! |
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 Please call me at 508 292-6706 if you need additional help organizing your home, your office, or your schedule.
I can come to your home or office and help you there, or coach you by phone.
My business relies on referrals, so please forward this to anyone you think might benefit from it. I hope to talk with you soon. |
Sincerely,
Maryann Murphy, MSW Professional Organizer, Speaker, Trainer
(508) 292-6706
- Member, National Speakers Association and NSA-NE
- Chronic Disorganization Specialist, Institute for Challenging Disorganization
- Member, Mashpee Hoarding Task Force
- Past Director of Professional Development, National Association of Professional Organizers New England chapter
- President, Marion Toastmasters Club
- Secretary, American Business Woman's Association of Cape Cod
Please join my network on LinkedIn
Follow me on Twitter @MMurphyMSW
Like me on Facebook!
Check out my video on my website:
www.maryannmurphymsw.com |
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