Do you struggle with information overload? Do you take time to go out to your favorite sites to see what is new? Is your inbox stuffed with information from various blogs that you have subscribed to? Are you going nuts trying to manage it all? If any of these questions ring true to you, then you might want to consider looking into knowing more about RSS.
What makes you focus? What makes you want to get up and move? What helps you with creativity? For me, it is frequently music! You see, I grew up in a very music filled family.
My dad was a band director for about 18 years. I grew up listening to students practice a variety of different types of music. We also had all kinds of 8-tracks, records and tapes that we played all of the time. Out of those experiences, I grew a very eclectic musical taste. With every exposure to a new friend or experience, I learned about new genres of music and my collection grew.
I have found that different kinds of music inspire me to do different kinds of work. I was interested to read about the Mozart Effect. There are a few studies that say that various combinations of Mozart will improve concentration. There are also a few studies that debunk the theory. Nevertheless, I have clients that swear by the theory. There is even a series that was made with the Mozart Effect as the focus for various types of work. Here they are if you want to learn more:
Office clutter tends to multiply like bunnies or grow like weeds. It is not all about the way things look. Excessive clutter makes your business less productive and less profitable.
Now, you may not be an expert at organizing, but making sure that your business is better organized still needs to be a strong consideration, especially if things are starting to get out of control.
So, which is better – working from home or working in an office? Are you more productive in one spot vs the other? Does it matter? Well, of course I have an opinion, but first I thought I would share some research from the Basex company.
Basex has recently been conducting a survey asking these very questions. Keep reading for some of the results!
We have heard it since the early 1970s – the Internet will make us paperless! Well, I don’t know about you, but my office is not close to being paper-free. One of the reasons for the plethora of paper is that it is just too darn easy to share information today.
Let me give you an example.
When I first started working in an office environment, the Internet and email was not really used to share information. If I had something that others needed to know, it got typed up and I had to walk to the copier and copy it on colored paper. (Different colors stood for different types of information.)
Before I made copies, I took time to think through who really needed the information. I would only make the copies that I really needed. Why? Because after I made the copies, I had to hand address onto inner-office envelopes.
Contrast that to today.
We get something in our in-boxes and decide to send it on. We hit forward and if we want, we could copy our entire address book! Ultimately that means that more information is given to more people at a faster pace.
So, how does that lead to more paper?
Do you work from home? Would you like to know how to set up your office so that it functions better for you? Did you know that there are now more home-based businesses than there are “store front” small businesses? Keep reading for some resources and tips on setting up your office.
2 Great Blogs on Home Office Organization
Jeff Zbar shares ideas for those that work out of their home part-time or as a natural part of how they do business. Check out this posting from chiefhomeofficer.com steph.bz/efbcXl where he talks about and offers some great resources for setting up a successful home-office.
You can also check out productivity501.com http://steph.bz/Prod501 by Mark Shead. He did a great survey asking people what things they needed to stay productive in the home office.
Let me know what you thought! What things have you done in your home office that have helped you to be more productive? Please let me know!
My 2 Cents
Many of my clients struggle with organizing their offices (home or otherwise) because they try to fit a “square peg into a round hole.” Meaning, they try to use systems and setup that works for others, but does not match the way that they think and function.
Recognize are you an “innie” or an “outtie”?
Innies are people that function better (are more creative, get more done, etc.) when their space is clear. They can frequently get distracted to other tasks if there are piles laying around. Tools good for innies are systems with drawers and cabinet doors. Only the project currently worked on is out.
Outties are people that would hold the thought “out of site is out of mind.” Frequently outties have sticky notes all over the place to help them remember tasks. Things behind closed doors and drawers would be detrimental for this type of thinker. A better furniture choice would be open shelving and open file cabinets (the wire kind on casters.)
Once you determine the right types of systems/furniture for the way you work, make sure to use your real estate appropriately. The more steps it takes to do something, the less likely you are to do it. That being said, make sure that you place your more frequent activities closer to you and less frequent (e.g. historical reference material) farther out of reach.
What are your favorite tips for the home office? What can you not do without? Let me know by commenting below.
To your success!
This month is National Organize Your Files Month! Filing is a process that many people avoid. According to the National Association of Professional Organizers, it costs $120 in labor to track down a misplaced document or $250 in labor to recreate it. Filing systems that work with the way you work are critical to cost management. Here are a few tips to get you started:
If you had an emergency, would you know where your important documents were? If your home or business had a fire, would you be able to tell your insurance agent all of the things that you own? What would you remember and what would you…
Have you ever tried a “Power Hour?” It is a great technique for your business or office.
Today I’ll break down how to create your own “Power Hour” so that you can get things rocking in your business!
Pick 4 areas of your business that really need some focus. (for example, marketing, book keeping, recruiting, office administration, etc.)
Divide your hour into 4 – 15 minute segments and follow these steps”
The concept of a power hour is that you spend 15 minutes — really really focused minutes on four tasks that need consistent focus that you find you do not get to on a regular basis.