| |
| |
|
Organizing Information |
|
|
|
Organization Tips - How to Organise Your Computer Files
Everytime Mary had to find a file on her computer, she always had great difficulty. And it was no wonder why. Every file had been saved under the folder "Mary" and that was it. There were no other categories. Consequently every time Mary searched her folder she spent ages sifting through all the documents. Now Mary is a real smart cookie. She's the Marketing Director of a very well known organisation. She knows her 'stuff'. She is fortunate to have her own personal assistant. However Mary still has to type many of her own letters and prepare a multitude of documents in relation to her demanding role. She also receives around 60 emails a day, most of which contain relevant information to the variety of projects she works on. In Mary's situation, other team members in her organisation occasionally are required access to her electronic files and in the past they wasted unnecessary time sifting through them Just like many other businesspeople I have worked with, no-one had shown Mary how to handle the basics of organisation, including how to organise computer files so they are stored logically and can be easily accessed. So how do you store your computer files? In my opinion they should resemble the same categories as your paper filing system. If your paper filing system is a disaster, then take careful note of the points made and make changes as soon as possible (today). Before you do anything else, delete all old or obsolete files. Write down the categories of information you need. Ie. Admin Note: Always have a general area to cover anything else. Create folders for each of these areas. Now work out if you need to expand these categories. Ie. Admin Create sub-folders for #3 if required. Transfer existing files to the appropriate areas. By the way the same applies to emails, the same folders can be set up to store incoming and outgoing email. It will be up to you to decide what will work best for you. And of course you have to be mindful of specific procedures which may be in place in your organisation. Just make sure you keep everything simple and take action. About The Author Lorraine Pirihi is Australia's Personal Productivity Specialist and Leading Life Coach. Her business The Office Organiser specialises in showing small business owners and managers, how to get organised at work so they can have a life! Lorraine is also a dynamic speaker and has produced many products including "How to Survive and Thrive at Work!" To subscribe to her free ezine visit www.office-organiser.com.au This article may be reproduced providing it is published in it's entirety, including the author's bio and all links. For further information please contact Lorraine Pirihi; lorraine@office-organiser.com.au
MORE RESOURCES:
Organizing - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Clutter Is Natural Nature loves clutter. Just think of all the stuff that drops from trees, washes in on the tide, or is blown by the wind into your backyard. Organized Living in a Disorganized World We are bombarded with so many factors that perpetuate disorganization. Computers, fax machines, cellular phones, and on-line services enable us to do more - and require us to do more. Organized For Life Questions come my way all the time regarding my God-given nature to be organized. It has been said that I stayed under the proverbial "organized spout" too long when I was being created. Three Effortless Ways to Win the Paperwork Battle Buried under mountains of paperwork from your company? Do the projects seem to never end? Imagine how good you would feel if every day you could start with a clean and organized desk? Well dream no further! By following the three powerful tips listed below, your dreams will become reality!Setting up your system: Start by ordering two 8 ½ x 11 "flat desk files". A flat desk file looks like an accordion file, except it lays flat on your desk and can be easily carried with you. The Problem With To-Do Lists Do you use to-do lists? Do you find it satisfying to check off the items on that list? Too satisfying perhaps?More than once I've found myself adding something I've already done to my daily list. I get to check it off then, you see. Get Organized: 10 Universal Laws The Law of the 1st StepA good first step in getting organized is to 3-pile everything:pile one is for those things to throw away, pile 2 is for those things that need immediate action, pile 3 is for those things that can be taken care of later, or filed, or both.The Law of the PastOne of the curious things that seem to hold people back from getting organized is wanting to avoid dealing with things left over from the past. What Balance Looks Like For You Recently, in an online group, we talked about "balance" and an article one member had read decrying the demise of balance altogether. We all had different ideas about what balance is and how to reach it, and I realized, after a number of posts, that we were all right. Sticking to Your New Years Resolutions: Ten Tips for a More Organized Life 1. A calendar is an essential organizing tool - start the year with one that works for you! And whether you use a paper or electronic version, using Post-it® notes as reminders will help you "stick" to your resolutions. Does Your Storage Make Sense? What do your storage spaces look like? Do you know exactly where to go when you are looking for something? Is your system logical? Designing a meaningful storage space requires a lot more than just putting stuff in a closet, drawer, or cabinet. You need STRUCTURE -- some proven guidelines to follow while setting up your storage spaces. Digging out of Paper Clutter - part 1 Digging out from under stacks of paper might seem like a daunting and insurmountable task. Let's face it, paper can be intimidating and overwhelming. The Clutter Factor: From Packrativity to Productivity ? Are you embarrassed when you walk into your home or office? ? Do you frequently run out of space? ? Is your desk piled high with UPO's (unidentified piled objects)? ? Are you frustrated by the amount of time you spend looking for things?If so, you're not alone! Research shows the average person spends 150 hours per year looking for misplaced information, while eight out of ten people have at least one area of their home or office they would prefer that no one ever see!The word "clutter" comes from the same root word as "clot". Webster's Dictionary defines it as "to run in disorder, to fill or cover with scattered or disordered things that impede movement or reduce effectiveness. Taking Care of You: De-Clutter De-Cluttering our lives can be an extremely liberating exercise. There are many types of clutter than can hinder us having the quality of life we want and deserve. Get Organized -- Every Home Needs An Office EVERY HOME NEEDS AN OFFICEYes, it is true that every home needs an office to handle the business of running a household. There are bills to pay, health records to maintain, an assortment of receipts, bank and financial statements all with tax implication. 7 Little Things That You Can Do to Organize the Kids Rooms 1. Sink to their level. The True Definition of an Organization The true definition of an organization is one that is organized. Organized in all areas of fundamental business best practices. Digging out of Paper Clutter - part 2 We previously noted that papers must be sorted before they can be properly filed. Continuing from our last article, your sort has left you with two piles - 'to file' and 'to throw away/recycle. Five Simple Tips to Get Organized Today! Take time to declutter this summer.. Essential Tips for the Kitchen * Cupboards and drawers should contain items that are grouped together.* Store items where you use them. Clutter Campaign - Maintain Your Success To want in one's heart to do a thing for its own sake; to enjoy doing it; to concentrate all one's energies upon it-that's not only the surest guarantee of success. It is also being true to oneself. 1-2-3 Sort Article excerpted from the new book, "How to Do Space Age Work with a Stone Age Brain" by Eve Abbott1 - 2 - 3-SORT!Every time you start to clean up your office so you can work better instead of harder-that big backlog of information is just too overwhelming. Sorting can actually put you into a better working space in very short time!The good news is you don't have to do it all at once.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
