Author Archive for Carolyn – Page 13

Building Time: Multi Task vs Multi Layer

Posted by Carolyn on
 October 13, 2010
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The question of whether multi-tasking works to increase productivity comes up frequently at our house.  What can I say?  I have a teenager.  This age bracket of our species has taken multi-tasking to new heights with ear buds, television, blackberry and homework all going at the same time.

My experience is that multi-tasking does not work well.  I define multi-tasking as participating at one time in two or more activities that each require our attention.  Thus talking on the telephone and typing a report is multi-tasking. Similarly making dinner while helping a school child with home work is multi-tasking; both require your attention in order to be completed.  If your attention is distracted from your task, it is unlikely that you will complete it well.  Your phone mate may perceive you are distracted or merely wait patiently for your attention to return to his/her question, the report may have errors.

Time layering or time deepening is a strategy that does work.  I define time deepening as organizing two or more tasks that do not require our attention to be accomplished simultaneously.  If many layers are being developed, only the top layer can take your attention while the other tasks are accomplished without your input or attention except to get them started.  Home managers have known this strategy for ages: wash the laundry and hang to dry – while drying, mix bread and leave to rise – while drying and rising cut beef/vegetables and set stew to simmer – while drying and simmering, knead bread and set to rise – while drying, simmering and rising, mend clothes.  Project managers differentiate between those tasks that must be accomplished in sequence and therefore are time and order sensitive versus those tasks that can be accomplished at the same time therefore layering tasks.

If you work from home you may already layer your time without realizing that you are using this strategy: put on laundry, take out dinner meat to thaw, set coffee to drip, turn sprinkler on lawn – pour coffee, set to work on report.  One hour later you turn over laundry, turn over meat, move sprinkler to back lawn, refill coffee and back to report.

You get the picture.  Try it.  How many layers can you build into your time? 

Organizing Time
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Memories can be beautiful, and then…

Posted by Carolyn on
 July 22, 2010
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Like so many of us, I have increasing problems with memory these days.  I like to blame it on the heat, the fact I have a busy family or that my business as a professional organizer is growing and I too much to keep track of.  The fact that I am of a certain age is of course not relevant!

Here’s a tip to help you remember a myriad of items: use the memo pad or notes function on your phone to keep track of miscellaneous details.  My teenage daughter uses it to keep track of her locker combinations.  One friend uses it to keep track of notes to himself.

As long as you can remember to check your memos you don’t need to rely so heavily on that overtaxed and again memory.

Organizing Strategies
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The Wellrich 10 Percent Email Solution

Posted by Carolyn on
 June 24, 2010
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As a professional organizer I am frequently asked how I recommend people stay on top of their email.  There are a variety of strategies for managing the actual email when you first open it.  Use folders to file information and flagging action items for example.  When it comes to the emails that have been left in your Inbox too long here is a process I call the 10 percent solution.

  1. Pick a time of day to commit 10 minutes to email management.  Stick to this commitment until that Inbox is under control.
  2. Change the sorting order of the Inbox.  If you normally sort by date, try sorting by sender or subject.  This has the impact of immediately changing the context of the emails.  With a different context sorting is easier.
  3. Check the total number of emails and then identify what 10% would be.  This is your target; the number of emails you are going to file or delete in your designated 10 minutes.  For example, if you have 1000 emails sitting in your Inbox, try and remove 100 at the first sitting.
  4. Quickly scroll through the list and try and delete as many as possible i.e. the easy ones you know are no longer needed.  If you get stuck or bogged down, switch the sort again and keep going.  Try sorting by email topic.  This will sometimes allow you to delete the backlog of emails on one particularly topic and then the last one, with all the accompanying conversation, will be the email to file.

You will be surprised how easy it is to remove 100 emails when you have changed the context.

Office Organizing
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Computer Filing Made Easy

Posted by Carolyn on
 June 24, 2010
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Keeping track of electronic files can be a challenge even for Professional Organizers.  One solution is to let your computer do all the filing work for you.

Your computer reads files names from the left whether they include numbers or letters.  It will automatically file letters by alphabet.  Alpha filing is great when you have a few files so it is a good solution for folder names.

Consider labelling series of files such as minutes, agendas or regular financial reports by number and let your computer keep track of the order in which they ought to be files.  Try starting a monthly series of files with the numbers 1 through 12.  The beginning of your year – regardless of what month it starts – will always be at the top of our file list.  Using dates can accomplish the same thing.  If you have files that make up a series or are date sensitive, start the file name with the date rather than finishing the file name with the date.  Remember to put the yymmdd format so that the computer will file in chronological order.  Here are some examples:

  • 1 Financial Statements Jan 2010
  • 2 Financial Statements Feb 2010
  • 1 Minutes ABC School Council Jan 23, 2010
  • 2 Agenda ABC School Council Feb 18, 2010
  • 2 Minutes ABC School Council Feb 18, 2010

Let the computer do your filing work for you so you can get on with more important things!

Office Organizing
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That Darn Paper

Posted by Carolyn on
 June 17, 2010
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With the recent downsizing of my own parent, and the move of my SO to working from a home office, our house has a few too many boxes stashed in a few too many places.  SO and I have been making a serious attempt to empty, sort and purge the contents of those boxes.  I’ve become my own organizing client.  And just like everyone else, it is easier sorting someone else’s stuff.

This week we tackled a backlog of paper.  What a surprise I had to discover, as we fought for any extra storage space we could find for SO’s business files, many inches worth of old investment statements that were more than just a few years old.  Since many of the statements are available online, and they usually send us quarterly statements anyway, we chose to shred.  And shred.  And shred. Our recyble bin will be full this week.  Our filing cabinet has extra space and even a few shelves were liberated.  Goodbye paper.

Office Organizing
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Organizing on the Go

Posted by Carolyn on
 June 16, 2010
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If you travel frequently for business you know that staying organized while on the go can be a challenge.  There are three main issues to address: a) receipts b) staying productive and c) being prepared.

Often one’s entire trip involves keeping track of those darn receipts.  Whether you work for yourself or a large corporation, even with a friendly and fully loaded expense card, that proof of purchase is necessary at every transaction.  To keep the receipts organized keep then contained.  Whether you choose an envelope, a wallet size accordion folder or a plastic folder with pockets, the trick is to keep them in one place where they won’t get lost and will be available when it comes to register your expenses.

Staying productive while travelling can be difficult when you are at the mercy of train, plane or bus schedules and someone else’s meeting agenda.  Keep a ready supply of “To Do” work on hand either on your computer or in your travel case including some lighter reading.  That way when you have to wait for the plane which has been delayed or the meeting hosts who are late, you can keep yourself productive and occupied.

Finally, business travel may be planned in advance but may also be a last minute opportunity for that BIG DEAL you have been waiting for.  Keep a travel case packed and your business case supplied so that you can leave with very little preparation.  Once you return from your trip, repack your cases immediately; you will be most conscious of what you wished you had on your trip right when you return and can ensure your travel cases are loaded up accordingly.

Organizing Travel
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Riding Boots RIP

Posted by Carolyn on
 June 8, 2010
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Even professional organizers have to let go sometimes and yes, even professional organizers are known to have a few emotional items in their closets.  We like to think of these hiccups in our otherwise perfectly organized (NOT) lives as assurance that we are human and reminders of the struggles of our clients.  Right – human we are.  Straight face I have not.

So I was not surprised, if perhaps a bit amused, that my colleague, cyber-guru, professional organizer Jacki Brown, owner of J-organize, sent me an e-vite on Facebook to attend the funeral for her riding boots.  A little research revealed that the boots had served Jacki well for 25 years of equestrian pursuits, had now “blown up” and were no longer serviceable and that a significant recent purchase to replace the boots hastened their impending trip to the rubbish bin.  But not before they have been properly honoured for their years and years of memories, faithful service and, I well imagine, great comfort afoot.

Sometimes professional organizers encourage clients to take pictures of stuff ladened with memories that have to move to a life outside the front door.  Sometimes we suggest clients take off a piece of the object, (usually fabric) and stick it in with a picture.  Here’s another option for you: have a funeral.  Honour the memories, herald the good times and move on to those new leather boots in the box.

Rumour has it one of the invitees to this particular funeral can’t attend but is sending his work boots as his representative. I may have a conflict and think I’ll send my pointe shoes.  Maybe I could attend on a horse.

Home Organizing
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Two Forward, One Back

Posted by Carolyn on
 May 31, 2010
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You organized your desk top, cleared out your files, set up your hot files and got your income tax in on time with a moderate “clean up this mess” bill from your accountant.  Congratulations!

And now you sit dispondant staring at a piles of paper on the floor, an inbox full of unopened mail – both electronic and otherwise – and stuff all over your desk.  You’ve spent the last half hour trying to find something you know you had last week and need before the end of the day.  It’s 10:00 on Monday and you are already frustrated and ready for the weekend.

Relax. With even the best of intentions most of us experience some form of organizing back slide at some point in our lives.  For most of us, it is a regular occurance and merely another facet of staying organized that needs to be managed.  Event the most organized professional organizers backslide from time to time and need a little boost to get back on track.

First, realize this is normal and not serious.  Cut yourself some slack; you are human.
Second, focus on what is really important right now – if you need that thing you are looking for, is there someone else who can help you look.  A second pair of eyes often will see things that you don’t and will find it faster.
Third, recover your organization by scheduling several small organizing sessions for yourself and commit to this time for yourself to get back on top of the stuff.  It could be 15 at the end of the day or 30 minutes at the beginning of the day.  Pick whichever time your are most productive.
Fourth, start small.  Don’t expect to clear all the paper in the first 5 minutes. You may need a whole week to get back on track.  Keep your expectations realistic, stay focussed on your goals.
Finally, reward yourself.  If you clear the top of your desk after the second session, celebrate. Well done!

Office Organizing
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Car Crazies

Posted by Carolyn on
 May 31, 2010
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It’s that time of year again: holiday trips, cottage weekends, camping excursions.  They all involve loading the gear, the kids and sometimes the dog/cat/hamster/fish into the family car and heading off down the highway. Here are a couple of tips to keep all that stuff organized so you can relax, enjoy the view and arrive ready for your time away.

  1. Take only what you need, clear out the rest – Before you pack the car, clear out all the debris that you don’t need for the trip.  You’ll have more space for yourself and your family, more room for your holiday/weekend gear and less clutter to manage.
  2. Contain, contain, contain – Try and get everything into a container whether it is a bag or box.  Try a laundry hamper for last minute items.  It is also great for bathing suits and towels.  You can even bring them back wet in the hamper after your last dip in the lake.
  3. Give the kids a container – Assign each  child a container for their car entertainment such as books, electronics, games and snack if you permit eating in your car.  It will help keep the bits together so you are less likely to hear ‘Where are my earphones?” when you get to your destination.  A container that closes is even better – kids aren’t so careful when tossing things around the car and again, bits are less likely to get lost or broken.
  4. Mom’s/Dad’s bag – If you have small children who are not yet happy to sit plugged into their electronics for hours on end, consider sticking a couple of special activity treats into your own bag.  You will be the hero when you pull out the special glittery markers halfway into your trip.
  5. Pack Snacks – Unless you and your children get car sick, you are likely going to need some food and/or drink before your trip is over.  Food can be expensive on the road.  While your vacation food may be packed into the cooler in the back of your vehicle, consider packing a smaller day cooler which can be easily accessed by your or your children.  Drinks in containers that won’t spill, fruit, dried fruit and nuts all make great travel snack.

Buckle up, stay safe and have fun!

Organizing Travel
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Welcome Christine Janes

Posted by Carolyn on
 May 27, 2010
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Please join me in welcoming our new blogger, Christine Janes, to our blog pages.  Tomorrow will be her first posting day.

Chris is a Trained Professional Organizer and member of POC. She brings 10 years of corporate experience managing people and processes to her organizing work. If your kitchen looks like a tornado passed through it, Chris will bring her appreciation for balance and harmony, a commitment to helping others and a healthy dose of good humour to show you how the busiest room in your home can be calm and functional.  Welcome aboard Chris!

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