Green image: sxc.hu

With so much emphasis on being “green” and environmentally conscious, you might want to consider how you can comply for 2010 without being excessively neurotic.  Some people get carried to the extreme with being “green,” that they’re not practical at all.

However, there are some things you can do.  Such as:

• Separate trash in office and home, especially if your city or town has separated collection containers or bins.
• Take separated materials to recycling areas.  Some of these even give you money for what you’ve collected, particularly in states where you must pay deposits on cans and containers.
• Reuse paper…for instance, we use the blank side of paper for making copies when we can.
• Purchase recycled materials, if it’s practical.  Sometimes recycled material isn’t as good for some projects.
• See if you can find ways to use items so they won’t go to waste.
• Take this as your slogan – Condense, conserve, and recirculate.

(Ask grandma or great grandma about reusing  and conserving materials.  They were good at this because there often wasn’t money for buying new.  The older generations didn’t grow up in the “throw-away” society.)

What are your “green” plans for 2010?

Post from: My Organized Biz

Image: sxc.hu

What are procedures you can do to be ”green?”

Paint the office green, I guess, to remind yourself.

Use green stationery, sticky notes, pens, pencils and organizers.

Then… recycle, reuse, and refuse to be wasteful. 

• Separate out the recyclable items.  We have a wastebasket for all the paper goods that we can dispose of in the paper waste at our recycling center.
• We separate cardboard for that bin at the center.
• Some of our paper goods are made from recycled materials.
• We use the back side of waste paper for printing and photocopying when we don’t need a clean copy.  We use these for taking notes, too.
• Any plastic containers with the numbers 1 or 2 are separated out for the recycling center.
• Metal, glass, colored bottles, aluminum cans…all are separated accordingly for the center.  (This separating has become automatic, so isn’t a chore anymore.)
• We use light bulbs that save electricity in office and home.

That is a starter…but they’re many of the practices we utilized in the home and on the farm when I was growing up.  We called it being economical.  Perhaps it also was a carryover from my parents having grown up during the Depression years.

What are you doing in your office that’s “green?”  You don’t have to go to the extreme or become involved in anything expensive.  Just institute simple, commonsense measures.

Post from: My Organized Biz

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?

Post from: My Organized Biz

The old way:

Used to be that my clients would call me and ask if I was free on, say, Tuesday afternoon. I’d look at my calendar, see a blank spot of sufficient length, and say “sure.” Even if they lived two counties away.

I’d run errands in one direction in the morning, drive home (to my office) for lunch, and then zip back out again in the afternoon. No biggie. Eveyone does it.

At $3.20ish a gallon (and rising), I’m realizing that this haphazard maze I’ve been driving is not efficient. And it’s more than just finances. The alarm raised about global warming (of which car exhaust plays a significant part) needs to be heeded. The looming economic slump and reliance on oil sucked from foreign soil makes me want to spend my money at home.

The New Way:

Going back to my roots of Yankee ingenuity, I’ve developed a new system for my small biz. Here are six ways that you can be green and save green.

Pull out the gasoline IV: Start noticing when you want to make spontaneous trips in your vehicle. Begin to wean yourself off “just going” when you feel like it.

Think geographically: Post a map of your city or typical driving areas. Make note of the locations you visit regularly. When you make an appointment, look on the map to see how the locale relates geographically to your regular haunts.

Plan ahead: Have an appointment on Tuesday in the south of town? Think about what’s along your route and run those errands on the way. Try designating a day of the week to specific locales to make long-term planning easier. The day before you drive somewhere, check your to-do list to see if anything is on your route you’ve been meaning to do.

Put errands in your car: If you need to drop off your taxes or mail something, keep it in your car instead of on your desk. When you’re out, you can then complete the task in a jiffy.

Explain to clients that you’re combining trips: My clients haven’t blinked an eye at this, even when it meant waiting an extra day or so to meet with me. In fact, they’ve been downright supportive. I also believe sharing this choice sends a tiny ripple of common sense into the world, and you never know who might follow suit.

Meet on the phone: Sometimes a good eye-to-eye is the best way to meet, but not always. Try planning a phone meeting from the comfort of your office – no driving required if you’re working from home! You can use a service like freeconferencecall.com for group meetings.

These are just a few ideas to get the ball rolling. Although they may seem tedious, they’re all ways that make your time use more efficient as well.

Do you have ways you save cash and gas at the same time? Share them here!

Post from: My Organized Biz

You may have noticed yourself wiggling around after a couple of hours of sitting at the computer, trying to stretch out the stiff muscles. Maybe your back aches or you’re hunched over because there’s no lumbar support. You might eventually consider (like I have) bringing in a chair that would remedy your discomfort.

How does this affect your organized biz? Well, discomfort equals distraction. And distraction equals diminished productivity. You get the picture – an inadequate chair means decreased productivity and flagging enthusiasm for your work.

Green ideas for comfortable seating:

Don’t throw money at it: Often times, spending money isn’t the only solution. Your physical distress could be a result of long hours without a break. In that case, setting a timer that reminds you to get up and move around can be a good (free) solution.

“Shop your house”: You might have another chair in your house or office that is more comfortable than your current one. Claim it as your own and you’ve solved the problem without buying a thing.

Buy recycled: If you come to the conclusion that you need to purchase a chair for your office, I just learned from Anna Hackman at Green Talk about several resources for recycled and repurposed office furniture. Check out the resources and article about Anna’s office chair saga.

Want more ideas? Visit Greener Assets for a great article about greener office furniture.

And while we’re on the subject, care to share your own office chair saga?

Post from: My Organized Biz

Here’s a small sampling – compiled for your viewing pleasure:

Greener Files – ideas for saving paper, printer ink, and integrating digital records.

Greening Your Electricity at the Office – learn how to prevent juice leaks, maximize natural light, and get connected to renewable energy.

Resources for Recycling Office Electronics – here’s a huge pile of resources for this invasive problem.

Check in often at Greener Assets for ideas and information about how to run your business green!

Post from: My Organized Biz