I haven’t started the book yet. I’m hoping to find some interesting information in there. But I have to wonder about her title.

Is it feasible to skip checking email in the morning? I check mine to get my daily schedule and see what I need to work on that day.

However, I could see putting off email until you’ve had a chance to sit down and review your to-do list and see where you stand. Get some good, solid planning done before you open email and see what fires you need to put out.

If you plan your day before you check email (making sure you keep some flexibility in there), you can work in a calm setting. No emergencies. Just a solid look at what you need to accomplish.

After you get a majority of your thinking and planning done, then you can check your email to see if any of your priorities need to change.

At one of my previous jobs, though, my boss insisted that I check email first thing in the morning. Since I was checking customer email, he wanted to know if there were any issues from the night before that need resolution. I never quite felt like I was able to plan my day.

I was immediately set into a reactionary position, rather than a proactive mindset. Of course, that job also revolved around email, so it was pretty important that I check it frequently. But with so many interruptions, it definitely made it hard to get any long-term work and planning done.

Do you check email first thing in the morning? Why or why not? Does it help you plan your day, or does it seem like it’s immediately putting you behind?

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I’ve been trying to get my schedule under control so I’m not working too many hours (which I am right now) late into the night. Maybe that’s part of being a mom. Or an entrepreneur. Or both.

But burning the candle at both ends isn’t going to make me perform at my best. So it’s time to revamp the schedule and get out of this late-night deal that I’ve slid into.

Do you find that you’re working too many hours, staying up way too late? Is your work suffering yet?

Technorati Tags: nablopomo, sharpen your saw

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Visually grouping your files will help when you’re filing. You can quickly see where something needs to go. An invoice? Oh, that goes in green (it’s okay to have more than one green folder, of course). You zero in on the section you need and then you can look at labels and find the correct file.

And those same groupings will help when you need to find something. That draft marketing plan? Oh, it’s under red. And then you easily grab the proper folder.

The exact categories and colors will vary by what works for you. Don’t get too carried away with 15 different colors. You want just enough to easily remember what you’ve set up. Too many colors and you’ll take just as long remembering what goes where as you will looking at every label in the drawer.

Have you tried color coding? Does it work for you?

image: Newscom

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Stress detracts from your ability to do all of that, doesn’t it?

For some people, clearing their desk will help relieve a bit of stress. It’s one less thing to worry about, and it gives you a clean workspace. Others prefer to have a tidy to do list, all mapped out and ready to go. Or maybe a few quick yoga stretches or a jog around the block helps clear your mind.

Whatever it is, what you find helps lower your stress level just a bit, make sure you use it. Take a 5 - 10 minute break. Stand up. Stretch. Breathe deeply. Take a walk.

You may feel like you don’t have time, but that’s probably when you need it most. Go on, take a short stress-relief break. Then see how you do when you get back. I think I’ll go try it right now!

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Regardless of your affiliation, I hope you managed to clear the time to vote. It certainly was an historic election. But I’m honestly glad it’s over. I got tired of the phone calls and gobs of junk mail.

It’s time to fire up my shredder again, and get ready to recycle all of the political flyers. I’ve been using them to pack things. We’re going to be rearranging some rooms and I’m clearing out some shelves to make it easier to move furniture.

I don’t have the time to do it all at once, so I’m taking a few minutes here and there to make some progress. Remember, just taking 15 minutes over several days will get you further than doing nothing at all. More tomorrow! It’s been along day

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When you’re planning your schedule tomorrow, make sure you leave time to vote. Morning, evening, it doesn’t matter. Just don’t get so sidetracked that you forget, or busy that you don’t make time.

If you want to have a say, if you want to make sure things come together to help your business, then vote. Don’t sit at the sidelines. Have your say. Just go vote!

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Of course, you can always jump to any Bizzia blog using the links in our sidebars and at the bottom of our blog pages. It’s one more way to find new and great things to read. I hope you’ll take a look around and let us know what you think.

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It’s an exercise in writing, to get us to write every day. So I will try write something every day for you. Some posts may be longer than others. Some will be short references to cool things that I’ve found. I hope you’ll join me!

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Make sure you recycle your paper shreds. At minimum, toss them in the recycle bin. (Please use a cross-cut shredder that makes tiny pieces of paper - for your confidentiality!) There are other creative ways to use those tiny bits of paper.

Packing
Just last week I need to ship a package. Forget styrofoam peanuts or other non-green items. Use your paper shreds! It was the perfect cushion, and it didn’t cost me anything extra.

Play
Have a small child who’s past putting things in his/her mouth? Let them play with a small amount of the paper. If they scatter it, it’s easily vacuumed. They can put it in containers and practice moving it from cup to cup. Or in a toy dumptruck - easier to clean than sand or dirt, right?

Nesting
Have any birds, hamsters, or bunnies? Could they use it to make a nest or line their cages? (I haven’t checked safety elements on this one - it’s just a quick idea.)

Storage
Need to store breakables for a bit? We’re rearranging things so I can move my desk. I took down a few nicknacks and will be storing them until we’re done. Just like when I shipped a package, it was perfect for cushioning.

I’m sure there are many other ways of using your shredded paper, too. Don’t just toss it into a landfill. Think about how you can reuse it a bit and make your small business a tiny bit greener.

Have you thought of ways you can recycle shredded paper?

Image: morgueFile

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I’m reading “Organize Your Office In No Time” (Monica Ricci) and plan to have a review for you (and giveaway!). But I’m also dabbling in a couple of Julie Morgenstern books: “Organizing from the Inside Out” and “Time Management from the Inside Out”.

And I like to read a variety of blogs, and yes that includes quite a few productivity and organizing blogs. Sometimes just one word or sentence will spark an idea. Or maybe I’ll learn something new. Find a new must-have office supply.

And I’ve started digging through YouTube to see if there are any quality videos I can share with you.

Don’t get me started on magazines. I love them. That’s exactly why I haven’t sought any time management or organizing-type mags. I’ll have a pile of them in no time. Know your weaknesses, people. :)

Admittedly, it’s slow-going right now. My son is learning to stand and will probably walk soon. That makes for frequent interruptions as I chase him around or help him get out of whatever crazy position he got stuck in. But that’s the nice thing about books. They’re waiting when you get back. I will get back to them. And I’ll be posting my thoughts about what I read along the way.

Are you a book reader? Magazines? Web only? What are you reading right now? Is it helpful?

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