Caught under a deluge of mail?

Downpour of paperwork?

A puddle of business cards?

Try the following quick solution to stem the tidal wave of mess that is drowning your desk

1. Once a week, at a regularly scheduled time, enter new contact information into your database/rolodex/card binder;
2. Articles of interest/required readings - Everyone has articles they need to read in order to say current with their professional activities.  Earmark them with sticky notes. Read them during your spare time (or when you want to fool those around you that you are actually busy);
3. Use a desktop vertical file folder for tasks/projects you currently have on the go.  Organize these files by project name;
4. Open your mail when it comes in!!! Don’t let it pile up. You would be amazed how much of that important mail has junk in it too. If possible, contact organizations that send you bills on a regular basis and ask them not to put any extraneous material in it; and
5. THROW OUT ANYTHING THAT YOU DO NOT NEED!!!

Keep It Neat!!!

Well, there is actually a one step version as well - eat all of your meals at a restaurant, but since that isn’t all that practical, we figured this approach would be a bit more useful.

1. Pull everything out of the cupboards and drawers - discard anything you don’t use or is way too old to use (yes, you can splurge on a new bag of flour the next time you decide to bake);
2. Wash and dry the insides of your now empty cupboards and drawers;
3. Don’t forget to rinse and dry cupboard and drawer liners too - Replace them if needed (you can’t be that cheap. Can you?);
4. Store pots, pans and cooking utensils near the stove;
5. If you are the type who doesn’t plate meals in the kitchen, store dishes and silverware near your eating area. Alternatively, keep them near the dishwasher;
6. Use dish racks and silverware holders to maximize use of cupboard and drawer space;
7. Keep dangerous items out of the reach of kids!!! Reaching into a drawer full of knives isn’t a good idea for adults either, consider storing knives in a block on your counter;
8. Don’t alphabetize your spices; Keep the ones that you use a lot within easy reach;
9. Store seldom-used items in a cupboard or alternatively, the basement or attic (Really, when was the last time you used that bread maker - carbs are soooooooo 1985);
10. Keep it accessible - Store items (food, utensils, fast food take out menus) that you use on a daily basis in easy to reach spots; and
11. Use drawer dividers to organize utensils - The thrill of avoiding the carving knives each time you reach into your drawer to grab a fork should have warn off by now.

Keep It Neat!

I thought you might.

I mean seriously, who wouldn’t?

And it’s not that hard….

Doesn’t involve counting calories or avoiding chocolate.

You ready?

• At the end of your workday (yes, even if your workday ends at 11 pm), prepare for tomorrow. Spend 10 to 15 minutes  writing down your plan for the next day.
• Write this list in a notebook, not just wayward scraps of paper.  This way you can keep a tally of items you manage to complete (or don’t as the case may be);
• Make list of the e-mails you need to send and the phone calls you need to make;
• Create a simple filing system that relates to your activities of daily living.  Obviously this will be different for each individual as we all do different things each day.

Keep it Neat!

It’s easy, just win the lottery.

Just kidding…it’s much simpler than you think…just get organized!!!

Unless of course you are into the whole frumpy disheveled look. It does work for some people, maybe you are one of them…

First things first – clean out your closet, get the shoes off the floor and then dust and vacuum everything;

Next step - What goes together, stays together – If you have a few key pieces that you often wear together, hang them next to each other. This will save you a huge amount of time when trying to figure out what you are going to wear in the morning. Think about it for a second, why do you think men can get dressed so fast – it’s because a man’s suit hangs on one hanger – they know exactly which pants to wear with which jacket.

Footwear – put your shoes and boots in clear storage boxes, preferably Shoe Stör’s!!!

Outerwear – organize by length and season Sweaters – DON’T HANG YOUR SWEATERS. Fold them. Hanging them will stretch them out of shape;

Out of season clothing – store it in clear storage boxes under your bed or in a spare closet.

After you make these simple changes, getting dressed in the morning should be a snap, giving you lots of extra time to do things you enjoy, like shop….

Keep It Neat!!!