Client Questions - Why do I get stuck on Email?

The electronic age was meant to speed up the way we work and computers promised to make life easier. They have, however, brought with them their own challenges as witnessed by the common frustrations of managing email. If email is soaking up too much of your day, try these tips:

1. Turn off the email alert on your computer. You know emails arrive constantly. You don't need your computer to remind you there is more work sitting in your Inbox.
2. Schedule a routine time to clear new email messages. Do not schedule this first thing in the morning otherwise it may soak up the rest of your day.
3. Read, respond then delete or file. Keeping loads of email messages in your Inbox is the same as leaving mail sitting on the middle of your desk. Both practices give you the impression you have yet to deal with the messages when in fact, you have responded.
4. Use your email functionality - rules and alerts - to sort your mail when it arrives. If you have a big project on the go, create a folder for the project. Add the folder to your favourite folders where you can see it easily in the top left (or right) of your screen. Create a rule to have all new mail with the project name in the heading or body go directly to this folder. Your computer will tell you when there is new mail in the folder, don't worry. It's like having an assistant sort your mail before putting it in your inbox.
5. Limit your time for email clearing. If you need two or three scheduled times to clear - so be it but limit the time of each session.
6. Be short and succinct in your communication. No one else wants to receive long winded emails at their end since they have limited time to review it as well.

Enjoy shaking off the email shackles.

Forward Two, Back One - Shall we Dance?

So how is that desk going? The credenza? The floor? What about your New Year's Resolutions to keep a clutter free, high efficiency work space?

Right about now, as second quarter comes to an end and tax time looms for many solo-preneurs and small business owners, the clutter is at an all time high and level of discouragement follows suite.

So I thought now would be a good time to revisit an earlier post on backsliding. It is a common experience for almost everyone who is de-cluttering. Even the best of us have moments, days and weeks when decision making is maxed out, time is layered like a lasagna and the opportunity to find "a place for everything and keep everything in its place" just doesn't seem to exist.

The good news is you are perfectly normal. We all go through it. More good news is by taking one step at a time, one piece at a time, you can get back on track. Here are the four steps:

1. Stave off the guilt. Life is too short.
2. Figure out what you stopped doing that was helping you stay organized.
3. Figure out why you stopped doing it.
4. Find one behaviour you can commit to doing again that will start you back on track. My favourite is clear the floor. Somehow the floor has the best glue around and stuff that gets down there just seems to stick. Another would be clearing the space just inside your office entrance way. More glue.

Now repeat item #1 - stave off the guilt!

Back to the Books

Are you a "sticky note" person? You know what I mean; there are some of us who like to make notes on bits of paper to remind us of things. There are a few by the telephone to remind us to call someone, a few on the filing cabinet to remind us where to find something and a bunch all over our desk with numbers, names, notes and reminders that are so buried under the rest of the paper they are long since forgotten.

As an alternative, try carrying a small notebook around with you. Some of us prefer something small enough to fit into a handbag or women's computer tote. Others keep copious notes and prefer the old elementary school, spiral bound, 8 1/2 X 11 note book. The size is not relevant so pick one that works for you. What matters is that the book travels everywhere with you and is available to jot down thoughts, reminders, numbers and notes. No more lost sticky notes and bits of paper all over your desk. No more stacks of paper with random notes that cause increased stress since you can't remember where they were from.

There are some people who can translate the "keeping notes in a book" organizing strategy to a handheld organizing device. This takes discipline and the ability to read and write/type easily on a handheld. If you are one of these people, go for it and use your handheld as your notebook. Remember to back up your device regularly.

You may be surprised to find how liberating it is to have your notes and thoughts with you in your notebook when you need them!

The Ten Minute Challenge

The ten minute challenge is one of my favourite organizing techniques. When used regularly, is highly effective at keeping one's home or office organized.

Find a bag - the new recycled shopping bags are great for this. Give yourself 10 minutes to fill the bag with items that do not belong in your office and need to return to wherever it/they belong. A common variation on this strategy is to fill the bag with items that you are no longer using, no longer want, need etc. If you use this strategy weekly you will soon find your office not only clutter free but a much more productive place to work.

Where's Your Glue Spot?

More and more I have noticed that most clients have a glue spot in their office or home. You know this place. Whenever something gets put there, it never moves. That specific spot has really good glue all over it and when an item gets put down, its stuck.

Sometimes we just don't see the items in this spot once they've taken up residence there. Sometimes the location is hard to clear out because of its location or things around it. Whatever the issue, the glue spot will forever keep attracting and holding clutter unless you attack it deliberately with some anti-glue strategies.

1. Figure out where the glue is. Prime locations are the floor, just inside the door of your office, (usually the first flat surface), behind the door, under the desk or in a corner behind the desk. Often people have a special glue spot on one corner of their desk. You know the one - you are probably looking at it now.
2. Designate 15 minutes today to clear this spot. Make sure the items that you clear find a home that they can be returned to every time you use them.
3. Designate 15 minutes tomorrow to clear this spot.
4. Designate 15 minutes the next day ... and so on until the spot is clear of debris, clutter or anything else that may have been stuck there.
5. At the end of each day, keep aside 15 minutes to clear this glue spot. Make this a daily ritual.

Glue spots exist, I believe, as a result of our own organizing personalities. Trying to make them go away may be more futile than helpful. Managing the spot will help you to keep yourself and your space organized so that your work life is as productive as possible.

First Quarter Review

How it happened I hardly know but here we are at the beginning of April. That means first quarter is over. How are those goals coming?

Have you checked your progress recently?
Do you know where you filed them?
Are they still valid?
Are they still realistic?
Did you implement the tools to measure them?
Were they measurable to begin with?
Are you happy with the progress?
Are you ready to celebrate your successes?

Where are your targets and goals for second quarter?
Are they specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time limited? (SMART)
Have you set up the tools to measure your progress?
Have you set up a review date?
Have you planned your celebration?
Have you shared the goals and your progress with your staff?
Is everyone focusing on the same organizational goals?

See you next quarter!

Keeping to the Agenda

This post is going to make everyone else happy and give you some more work. "Oh great!", I can hear you say. But remember, when your organization makes everyone else happy, you look good.

It's not about goals - its about agendas. Do you use them for your meetings? Do you send them out ahead of time? Are they clear and concise and related to the previous meeting's minutes (if there was one)?

There is almost nothing worse for meeting attendees, even the virtual kind, than a meeting that doesn't stay focused, runs overtime and doesn't accomplish the goals for which it was set up. Your agenda, sent out in advance, will notify everyone of the purpose of the meeting, the time commitment, who will attend, what they are expected to contribute and what they can expect to get out of it.

Set up your meeting agenda. Send it out ahead of time. Stick to the agenda when you meet. Everyone will be happy to attend your meetings.