(www.myorganizedbiz.com) – If you’ve got a pile in your office you’ve been avoiding, put on some tunes.

That’s right – put on your liveliest, most raucous music about as loudly as you can stand. Then start purging your pile. Whether it’s Brahms or Black Sabbath, there’s something soothingly distracting about the lyrics and tempo that helps take your focus off the tediousness of this task.

Got neighbors or family that don’t appreciate your taste? Get out the headphones and sing along softly – if you can. Before you know it the pile will dwindle down to a few items and your office will be renewed.

My musical weakenss? The Dixie Chicks. What’s yours?

(www.myorganizedbiz.com) – This month’s Friday Features are addressing the challenges of paper clutter.

Today’s feature comes from AJ West at Lifehack with an post about how to free yourself from paper clutter.

Want to know which papers to keep – and which ones to throw away? Do you know what the government expect you to have on file if you’re ever audited? Here’s the post you’ve been waiting for. And AJ serves it up.

This is also timely information considering tax season is just barely behind us. Maybe you set an intention for that proverbial new leaf. Check it out here.

When you sort through your papers, how do you know what to keep and what to get rid of? How do you know something is worth keeping?

(myorganizedbiz.com) – Jennifer is on her honeymoon and thrilled to be featuring guest bloggers in her absence. They’re answering a single question: What’s your most important organizing “rule” that helps you enjoy your work more? You’re encouraged to respond as they’ll be awaiting your comments.

Post written by Maggie McCauley, ACC, LICSW

Ah, the dreaded filing task! UGH! We tend to make this the very last item on our “to do” list, don’t we? That’s mainly because we haven’t created proper homes for it. Our battle with paper can end with the creation of a good system. It doesn’t matter which paper system we put in place as long as it takes under a minute to find it or put it away and it makes sense to us. Here are three things you can do to right now to eliminate the dread of filing.

Make room. You’ll need twice the space you think you’ll need in your filing cabinet. Keep files for current documents, archives (year+), and resources.

Follow the two step rule. When paper comes in it gets sorted or acted on. Sort– keep or toss. Act– file, pay, fax, mail, recycle, or review. Set up a mail sorting system to accommodate this rule with coordinating file folders.

Develop categories. Track all the important paper coming into your home or office for one month. As it comes in assign it a category. Create larger categories using colored hanging file folders (clients, marketing, receipts, banking, etc). Then use manila folders for sub-categories. Label clearly, alphabetize, and stagger tabs. At the end of a month you should have clear idea of the kind of paper categories you’re generating.

We live in the information age. There is power in knowledge and having information at our fingertips. Keep only the most valuable and usable information from the most highly regarded sources. Remember, 80% of what we file away we never look at again. The choice is ours—we can be in charge of our paper or let our paper be in charge of us. Take charge!

Maggie McCauley, ACC, LICSW is an Organizer Coach—Certified Life Coach & Professional Organizer. She has a background in clinical social work and has been working with adults promoting balanced, vibrant and healthy lives for over 16 years. She is a member of the International Coach Federation, the National Association of Professional Organizers, and Toastmasters’ International. You can reach her for comment at www.anewviewforyou.com.

How does your filing system work? What tweaks have you made that make it more intuitive and easier to use?

(myorganizedbiz.com) – Jennifer is on her honeymoon and thrilled to be featuring guest bloggers in her absence. They’re answering a single question: What’s your most important organizing “rule” that helps you enjoy your work more? You’re encouraged to respond as they’ll be awaiting your comments.

Post by Brandie Kajino

Have you ever felt like you could never “be organized”? An audience member talked with me about this after a presentation recently. She said, “I just don’t think I can BE organized.” I was saddened by her comment, because she clearly felt a great deal of shame about it. Unfortunately, society has a very strict interpretation of what “organized” means, and it’s not really working for a lot of people.

First of all, organization and perfection have nothing in common (besides the “-tion” part of the word). Secondly, “being organized” just means you can find most anything you need in 5 minutes or less. Organization is about systems for life and success. What organization looks like is different for everyone. Thirdly, organization is a skill, or a state of mind. There are a few simple things that can guide you to organization success in your own life.

Here’s a few tips when deciding what to do in your situation:

1. Keep it simple. There’s no need for color coding and decimal systems, unless you’re into that. You can always step things up later, but keep it simple in the beginning. A notebook and a pen can be a great place to start on a task (or “To Do”) list.

2. Be honest with yourself. Do you like technology of feel sick when you head the term, “PDA”? Do you prefer to write things out long hand, instead of typing? If you feel overwhelmed when looking at an organzation tool, it might not be the right one for you.

3. Be true to yourself. Even if you don’t “feel” organized, I bet there is something in your life that you are proud of. Search your heart and mind, and find that one thing that felt successful at. Look at why you are proud of it, and I bet there is something you can glean from that experience that can apply to other areas of your life.

“Being organized” is a state of mind, and it doesn’t always come in a box. You are unique and intelligent, so take it easy and do what works for you.

Brandie Kajino, The Home Office Organizer, is a dynamic speaker, author and professional organizer. Brandie helps home office professionals get organized. Her website includes free resources, teleclasses, personalized services and a blog with dozens of articles. Visit her web site or call her at 971-533-7735.

(myorganizedbiz.com) – Jennifer is on her honeymoon and thrilled to be featuring guest bloggers in her absence. They’re answering a single question: What’s your most important organizing “rule” that helps you enjoy your work more? You’re encouraged to respond as they’ll be awaiting your comments.

Post by Alison Marks

Most likely, there are ways that your work environment makes you have to work harder than you need to. Try these ideas to turn your work space into a powerful tool to support you and your productivity:

Fresh Eyes. Come in from outside with “fresh eyes,” as though you were visiting for the first time. What do you notice? How do you feel? What can you tell about the person or people who work here?

Declutter. The #1 most powerful tool for creating a supportive space! Give your eye fewer things to look at. This brings clarity, helping you to really appreciate and utilize what’s there.

Yin/Yang Balance. Yang is active and energetic – bright colors, movement, electronics, loud music or noises. Yin is soft, calming and restful – pastels, soft light, textiles. Give yourself enough yang to keep you motivated, enough yin to feel nurtured.

5 Senses. There’s no reason not to bring pleasure to work. What delights your senses? Sometimes one small change can make a huge difference. Some ideas to try: use aromatherapy, add a soft rug, bring in a fountain, or play soft music.

Making some of the changes suggested here will bring satisfaction and flow into your day. Good luck!

Alison Marks helps busy women create sanctuaries in their homes and peace of mind in their workplaces. She is a San Francisco-based design coach, Certified Feng Shui Consultant and professional organizer. For more information and articles, visit her at InsideOutDesignCoaching.com.

In what ways does your work space support you and not? What’s one small (or large) change you will make?

(www.myorganizedbiz.com) – In honor of Memorial Day, today’s roundup is memory- and brain-themed.

One of my favorite resources for people who say “I must have ADD, I can’t remember where I put my last nerve” is a book called CrazyBusy and its accompanying newsletter (free). I subscribe and I love it.

Lief Hansen challenges his brain by spending the day writing with his non-dominant hand – and then blogs about it.

Want to know how to get inspired to start organizing? Remember where you came from. In this article I wrote, you’ll learn how to organize by remembering what’s really important.

Learn how mind games can help you increase your ability to remember things in this article from the Auburn Journal.

Or, better yet, try out some of these mind games at Sharp Brains.com.

Wishing you a safe and happy Memorial Day.

(www.myorganizedbiz.com) - Original images by talented artists are featured here every Sunday to encourage rest, contemplation, and delight.

This image is provided by Marianne Post from Vacaville, CA and used with permission. See more from Marianne here.

Enjoy your Sunday.

(www.myorganizedbiz.com) – Have you heard of Jott.com? It’s got to be one of the coolest things I’ve heard about in a while – and I’m right on the fence of starting to use it.

Jott.com is a website where you sign up for a membership. In turn, you get a phone number that you can call from anywhere. The coolness starts when you’re driving down the road and remember something you need to do.

You call the number Jott gave you, leave a message, which then dictates your message into an email. When you get back to the office, there’s your reminder waiting for you.

Or, let’s say, you think of something you want to tell someone while you’re away from your computer. You’re sure you’ll forget it if you wait, so you call Jott’s number. It will dictate a message and you can send it to anyone.

Having ADD means forgetting things mere seconds after they occur, so having this service would be a huge asset. Even if you don’t have ADD, how many times have you wished for a piece of paper and a second set of hands to write something down? Or kicked yourself later for forgetting something?

Since I heard about Jott, I’ve had at leas a half-dozen moments where I’ve caught myself wishing I’d already set it up. It’s just a matter of time now.

Best of all, it’s free.

Have you tried Jott.com? What might make you take the leap?

(www.myorganizedbiz.com) – This month’s Friday Features are addressing the challenges of paper clutter.

Today’s feature comes from Susan Whelan of Suite101 with a gentle, intelligent approach to handling office clutter.

I especially agreed with her point that not every paper is worth keeping – and that accepting this makes the work easier to do. She suggests 4 ways to sort through paper and then gives ideas about what to do with it next.

When you sort through your papers, how do you know what to keep and what to get rid of? How do you know something is worth keeping?

(myorganizedbiz.com) – Jennifer is on her honeymoon and thrilled to be featuring guest bloggers in her absence. They’re answering a single question: What’s your most important organizing “rule” that helps you enjoy your work more? You’re encouraged to respond as they’ll be awaiting your comments.

Post by Karen Henderson

When you first step into your office, how does it feel? How do you feel while working there?
An office where energy is balanced and flowing smoothly helps you feel healthy, inspired and productive.

Used for thousands of years, Feng Shui (pronounced fung shway) is the Chinese art of placement of objects for balanced flow of chi (energy).

Energize a dull-feeling office by adding plants, flowers, movement such as a slow moving ceiling fan or desktop fountain, bold colors or beautiful art objects.

When there is too much chi, causing confusion and lack of concentration, clean up clutter, get rid of things that do not work or are distracting or displeasing to you. I don’t mean co-workers! Change harsh light to indirect, focused lamps.

The most favorable placement for your desk is diagonal to the entrance with a wall behind you. When people and things can’t “sneak up on you”, you feel secure in your position, allowing you to relax and concentrate.

Favorable:

• balance of black and white
• round objects
• water or pictures of water/falls
• plants with thick, round leaves, such as jade

Unfavorable:

• dirt and dust
• squares
• dark art or colors

Helpful practices to maintain balanced chi:

• Remove dead flowers and plant leaves, non-working pens, tools and equipment, chipped mugs
• Soften sharp corners with tall or viney plants
• At the end of each day, tidy your desk and office so it looks (and you’ll feel!) fresh and ready for work when you arrive the next day.

Balance the energy flow in your office and feel increased energy in yourself!

Karen Henderson is a Clutter Consultant, serving folks by organizing through her business, Get Organized & More, in Salem, Oregon. “Clutter to Clarity” is her motto and she specializes in kitchens, beach houses, art studios & downsizing.

Do you use feng shui concepts in your office? What works for you?