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7 Tips to Reduce Paper Clutter

Posted by Julie Stobbe

· Tuesday, January 21st, 2020

· No Comments

Harry Potter Film Studio, England 2017

We use 20% of the stuff we own. Keep the 20% of paper that is important and discard the other 80% . Click To Tweet

1. Don’t allow paper to build up

Handle paper daily, don`t let it grow into a pile
Place all paper in one location, don’t let it travel all over the home
Open mail and discard the envelop and advertising
Schedule a time to file, make calls, pay bills etc

2. Make a decision on each paper the first time you touch it

If it can be done in 60 seconds or less to it now, otherwise R.A.F.T it
Set up 3 files, bins or trays and sort your paper into:
R – read later
A – action required
F – file
T – toss it / shred it now

3. Follow through on work

Each time you pick a sheet of paper put a small dot on the top corner.
Three dots or more means it is time to take action on that piece of paper.
If you are procrastinating about what to do, it probably means you are not sure how to solve the problem in the paperwork. Ask for advise, designate it to someone else, research the issue or break it into smaller parts you can complete.

4. Be ruthless

80% of what is filed is never accessed again, so 80% or more of the paper you receive on a daily basis can be discarded
Clear out your files once or twice a year
Remove yourself from subscription lists

5. Think before you print

File e-mails in a folder on the computer
Print only the selection of the e-mail or webpage you need

6. Store inactive files in boxes indicating a destroy date

7. Follow retention guidelines

Retain files as specified by your company or accountant
Put inactive files in boxes and place them in storage indicating a destroy date on the box
Clear out outdated files

For more great office organizing ideas read “Don’t Agonize Organize Your Office” by Diane A Hatcher

If you need help with your paper organizing book a complimentary discovery organizing session with me. Organizing Session

Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, in person and virtually. She enjoys working with her clients to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situation. She reduces clutter, streamlines processes and manages time to help her clients be more effective in reaching their goals. Julie can coach you to break-free of the physical or emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms.

Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca

Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space

Click here to learn more about working with a Professional Organizer?

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Categories : Organizing Tips

Tags : files, paper, time management

An unwanted inheritance

Posted by Julie Stobbe

· Tuesday, October 22nd, 2019

· 9 Comments

For children of parents who hoard, the mess remains after their parents pass away.

Newsweek by Hannah R Buchdahl

“Greg Martin wasn’t sure what to expect when his mother died last May, forcing him to return to his childhood home for the first time in nearly 18 years. The house, located on a pleasant block in San Diego, had always been cluttered, but now it was virtually uninhabitable. “There were piles as tall as me, six feet or so,” Greg said. “Where there used to be floor, there were trails—a foot and a half high, so you’d be walking on stuff.” Greg was forced to navigate through piles of magazines, papers, and books, plastic bags filled with thrift-store purchases, expired medicine bottles and literally tons of clothes. The only “living space” was a small pocket by the front door, where his mother, a colorful and fiercely independent woman, had collapsed shortly before her death at the age of 83. Greg, who has taken a leave of absence from his job, expected that cleaning out the house would take six months. It’s now been eight—and counting.”

Relatives are forced to put grief on the back-burner and the emotions that surface are usually anger, frustration, guilt and depression.

Books

This book can help you to better understand hoarding even if you are not a professional organizers.

Grey book cover with horaading pictures on the front

Everything A Professional Organizer Needs to Know About Hoarding by Judith Kolberg

Clutter Scale

It can help to get information so you better understand the situation. You can download a clutter scale at https://www.challengingdisorganization.org/clutter-hoarding-scale-

ICD

The Institute of Challenging Disorganization also has resources available and a directory of Professisonal Organizers that can help a family member who hoards.

Share your stories with us in the comments.

Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca

Twitter – https://twitter.com/Julieorganizer Facebook – http://facebook.com/mindoverclutter/

Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space https://www.facebook.com/groups/1881280812154271/

What to learn more about working with a Professional Organizer?

https://mindoverclutter.ca/what-does-a-professional-organizer-do/

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Categories : Hoarding

Tags : decluttering, donations, Hoarding, time management

10 Hacks to help parents organize their children’s routines.

Posted by Julie Stobbe

· Tuesday, September 10th, 2019

· 2 Comments

You have successfully accomplished back to school organizing but the day to day chores are not getting done and you are feeling overwhelmed. Clutterbug has a great video, Organizing Hacks for Parents. Organizing your home to help your children become more independent means that they are able to complete tasks without your help. This will help daily routines and habits to be accomplished quickly leaving more time for family fun together.

Which hack worked best in your household?

Need some organizing help contact Mind over Clutter, julie@mindoverclutter, to help bring happiness to your home.

Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca

Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space

Click here to learn more about working with a Professional Organizer?

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Categories : Organizing Children, Organizing Tips

Tags : Back to school, family, organizing, routines, time management, video

Get your life reorganized

Posted by Julie Stobbe

· Tuesday, March 19th, 2019

· 2 Comments

Remember to donate items to charity and not to put them in the garbage.

Being organized is not about being perfect.

Anyone can learn to be more organized. It is a set of skills that can be taught. Organization creates efficiency and effectiveness, making your life and surroundings perform optimally for you. When you start organizing remember these tips:

Accept your limitations on time, space, energy and money
Be consistent, do a little at a time on an on-going basis
Acknowledge your successes. Success breeds success motivating you to do more.
Take it one day at a time

How do I decide where to start?

I tell my clients:

to start with the space that is bothering them the most.
sometimes you may need to start in an area of your home that you are going to use for storage. Organizing that space first will give you more places to store items that need to be removed from other rooms.

How do I start?

Get some boxes and bags for :

garbage
recycling
things to go to other rooms – put them in a container and take them after you are done working in the space your are organizing. If you leave the room you might never return
things to be returned to other people – put them in a container and return them to the correct owner after you organizing time is over.
don’t buy organizing products – wait until you know what you are storing, where you are storing it, and how much you have to store. Then you can the best container to hold the items.

How to I get the room looking nice?

There are 5 steps to follow:

Step 1 Sort

Sort everything in the room into categories. The categories depend on what is in the room. You might have:

electronics
books
tools
computer items
dishes
food categories
cosmetics
paper supplies

Figure out the categories of things you have in your room and sort the things you can see and then work in the drawers and cupboards

Step 2 Part with items

Part with items you no longer need and donate them to charity

Step 3 Assign a home

Find the best place to store the item , close to where you use them and so you access them easily. Things you don’t use very often can be stored further away and in less accessible places.

Step 4 Containers

Now is the time to get the right container to store the items. Anything can be a container:

boxes
wine boxes cut in half
magazine holders
jars
tins
plastic bins
bags

Step 5 Evaluate

Use your system and then see:

if you have things stored in the best locations
is it easy to get it out and put it away
does everything have a “home”Being organized is not about being perfect. Anyone can learn to be more organized. It is a set of skills that can be taught. Click To Tweet

How do I remember all this?

Easy it spells SPACE

S – sort

P– Part with items

A – Assign a home

C – Containerize

E – Evaluate

If you need some help with your organizing book a 50 minute break through organizing session . Click on the link to book your complimentary appointment, and speak with me to get helpful tips to get you unstuck. Organizing Break Through session

Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca

Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space

Click here to learn more about working with a Professional Organizer?

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Categories : Do-It-Yourself, Organizing Tips

Tags : organizing, organizing with children, SPACE, time management

Is procrastination stopping you from getting organized?

Posted by Julie Stobbe

· Tuesday, February 5th, 2019

· 3 Comments

Why don’t I want to do it now?

Is it boring?

Do it anyway and consider the consequence if you don’t do it.

Overwhelming?

Break it into smaller parts and do one or several parts at a time

Do I only have small blocks of time available but want to do everything from start to finish?

Change your mindset and make it a positive idea. Small blocks of time mean you only need to do a small amount of work

Am I tired?

Be aware of your circadian rhythms. Each of us peaks at different hours of the day. Before and after lunch is usually a good time to catch up on mundane activities

Do I fear failing or that it won’t turn out perfectly?

Fear of losing things,
forgetting things
not finishing things or
doing the wrong thing can generate a lack of action.

How to be Successful

1.If you are easily distracted keep only one project on your desk at a time.

2. Give yourself a time span to complete a project and don’t let your mind wonder from the task. Set a timer. When it goes off you change what you are doing or take a break and come back to the same task.

3. Try setting small goals and giving your self rewards, a coffee, a walk, 15 minutes on Facebook, call a friend etc

4. Think of how you will feel when the task is completed, pride, relief, satisfaction

There are more great ideas in a book titled “Don’t Agonize Organize Your Office”By Diane A Hatcher

Join Organizing Mind and Space to help you become intentional about getting things done.

Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca

Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space

Click here to learn more about working with a Professional Organizer?

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Categories : Time Management

Tags : Attitude, mindset, procrastinating, productivity, time management

Give the Gift of Time

Posted by Julie Stobbe

· Tuesday, December 11th, 2018

· No Comments

Looking for a Gift of Time to give this Holiday Season?

MindoverClutter.ca has 3 hour packages designed to help with any number of tasks in the home and office. Considering purchasing an:

Gift a gift of time to someone who is busy

Income Tax Receipt Organizing Package
Holiday Cleanup Package
Streamlining Your Office Package.
Organizing for the New Year

Packages can be designed to fit the individual needs of the person receiving the gift. Purchase your introductory gift package in 2018 for $150.00. Contact julie@mindoverclutter.ca to purchase your clutter free gift of time.

Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca

Twitter – Facebook – Join my Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space

Click here to learn more about working with a Professional Organizer

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Categories : Special Days, Special Events, Time Management

Tags : gift giving, gifts, Holidays season, time management

4 Organizing tips for getting rid of piles of paper

Posted by Julie Stobbe

· Tuesday, November 6th, 2018

· 2 Comments

A lovely colleague sent me this first tip. Marie Mushing runs a networking group called People in Connection

1.Make the area a showcase

See what working with a professional organizer can do for you? Professional Organizers rub out junk. Where there was once chaos and huge piles of paper, is now a showcase. Thank you Julie! Replace the junk pile with something pretty as I did, then you won’t want to pile junk on that again. Great motivation to keep the filing done!

2.Prevent drop zones from forming

If you have an empty flat surface it sometimes calls to people, “to fill me with stuff.” To prevent that area from becoming cluttered put a large object or two in that spot. It will make the area feel full and then you won’t drop things there. With only 2 larger objects, it is easy to pick them up and dust and clean. If you use a number of smaller items it may make the area harder to clean.

3.Designate a paper collection spot

Assign a place to put papers that need to be read, filed, signed etc. Place a tray, lovely baskets, eye catching red container etc in a convenient location. Why red? Red is a high energy colour, it increases your heartrate, your eye is drawn to red items. Buy using a red basket it can help to make dealing with paperwork a high priority activity. Keeping paperwork consolidated in one spot makes it easier to find and work with. When paper is all over the office or house it becomes visual clutter, causing anxiety, the release of cortisol and you feel stress. Cut the visual clutter, collect the paper in one spot, and complete the tasks.

4.Avoid the L word – later

Piles of paper will continue to build up if you leave them for later. Later will never come. Schedule time to deal with paperwork: schedule time to read, file, and reply to paperwork that generates more work. Schedule these activities according to your level of energy at different times of the day. Scheduling reading after lunch at a low energy time of the day may not be productive but scheduling file after lunch maybe perfect because it gets you up and activity. Scheduling time at the beginning of each day to concentrate on work generated by email, letters, documents might work well when you are able to focus on single tasks. Remember not to multi-task.

Schedule time for paperwork

If you’re interested in learning how colour can affect your productivity, this guide is free and you can find it here .

What tricks do you use to help you complete paperwork?

Related articles The truth about multitasking

Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, in person and virtually. She enjoys working with her clients to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situation. She reduces distracting clutter, streamlines processes and manages time to help her clients be more effective in reaching their goals. Julie can coach you to break-free of the physical or emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms.

Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca

Twitter – Facebook – Join my Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space

Click here to learn more about working with a Professional Organizer?

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Categories : Office Organizing, Organizing Tips

Tags : decluttering, networking, office organizing, time management

7 Habits of very organized people

Posted by Julie Stobbe

· Tuesday, March 6th, 2018

· 5 Comments

So you want to get organized?

Achieving order in your life doesn’t mean being perfect. That’s not realistic. Getting organized is not an event; it’s a process that happens over time. Like changing your eating or exercising habits, it sometimes involves behavioral changes and routines.

Perfectionism

Is being unrealistic by spending so much time on a task that it deprives other important tasks of sufficient time.

Excellence

Is doing the best job you can with the time and resources at your disposal.

What is organization?

Being organized has less to do with the way an environment looks rather than how effectively it functions. If a person can find what they need when they need it, feels unencumbered in achieving his or her goals, and is happy in his or her space, then that person is well organized.

Myth #1 Organization is a born talent.

Organization is a skill. If the right resources or support are available it is easy to learn.

Myth #2: It’s impossible to stay organized.

Organizing is sustainable, if systems are built around the way the person thinks and designed to grow and adapt to new information.

The 7 Habits of Very Organized People

1. They have a place for everything

25% of business documents are misplaced and will never be located so those documents must be recreated.They put things back

2. They put things back

Executives waste six weeks per year searching items

3. They write things down

From a master list of things to do determine the priorities for the next day. This may include planning the most effect routine to use to accomplish the tasks, the route driven to see a client or considering high and low energy cycles in the day and planning tasks accordingly

4. They don’t allow papers/ e-mail to pile up.

The average worker sends and receives over 190 messages each day. Approximately 60 e-mails can be processed each hour. Learn how to use e-mail effectively in order to limit the number of e-mails received and sent each day.

5. They don’t procrastinate

Procrastinating causes people to spend more time and energy on avoiding the task than completing it. Once it is accomplished it is out of sight and out of mind.

6. They set goals and assign deadlines

Schedule a time for each task in the project to be complete, so deadlines can be met easily.

7. They only keep what they use and enjoy.

Clutter is usually the “extra” that is kept on hand just in case it is needed. About 20% of items are used 80% of the time, so 80% of items are hardly used at all. Find the important 20% and let go of the unimportant 80%.

They have a place for everything
They put things back
They write things down
They don’t allow papers/e-mails to pile up.
They don’t procrastinate
They set goals and assign deadlines
They only keep what they use and enjoy.

If you need help getting organized contact me for a virtual consultation

Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, in person and virtually. She enjoys working with her clients to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situation. She reduces clutter, streamlines processes and manages time to help her clients be more effective in reaching their goals. Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca

Twitter – https://twitter.com/Julieorganizer Facebook – http://facebook.com/mindoverclutter/

Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space https://www.facebook.com/groups/1881280812154271/

https://mindoverclutter.ca/what-does-a-professional-organizer-do/

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Categories : Organizing Tips

Tags : Attitude, office organizing, organizing, productivity, time management

Time management for children

Posted by Julie Stobbe

· Wednesday, January 17th, 2018

· 15 Comments

Time to schedule, words on blank board hold by a young girl in the outdoor.

Scheduling helps everyone to understand what needs to be done and when it needs to be completed.

Weekly Agenda Page

I like to develop a weekly agenda page for each child in the family. They have their own page posted on the refrigerator or bulletin board.

Record all Weekly Activities – School, Home and Extra Curricular

At the beginning of each week, I record all their activities, music lessons, group activities, sports, etc. I also record their special activities at school so they remember to bring library looks, physical education clothing, and musical instruments. It also includes any chores that they have to do around the house. If you prepare it on the computer, many things don’t change from week to week.

Record Additional Activities for the Week – Test, Projects, Parties

The children will add to the page, tests and projects that have been assigned at school. Before they can play, watch TV or have screen time they have to complete everything on their list. If you start this habit for them when they are young, it teaches them how to organize their time. You will be helping to instill in them a habit that will last them a life time.

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Library books	Physical education	Class trip		violin
Practice piano	Girl Guides	Collect garbage	Skating	Birthday Party at Susie’s
Set table	Empty dishwasher

Paper or an AppI like paper because I can see everyone’s week at a glace without switching between screens and accounts. But if you enjoy technology because you can access information from anywhere at anytime try Choice Works for scheduling with your children’s activities. It allows you to select activities and list them by picture for non reading children or in words.

A Students Guide to Effective Time Management

Thanks to Amy and Peyton for sending me this article for young adults entering college and university. This article has many helpful tips to help you be successful at school : A Students Guide to Effective Time Management

Timeboxed Schedule Maker

Thanks to Whisper Wels for sending me this link for their schedule maker to create your own timeboxed schedule.

Time management is about finding a system that works for you and your children to make life easier. Please leave a comment about agendas, systems and apps that you use.

Twitter – @julieorganizer Facebook – http://facebook.com/mindoverclutter/

Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space https://www.facebook.com/groups/1881280812154271/

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Categories : Organizing Children, Time Management

Tags : Attitude, office organizing, organizing with children, productivity, time management

Top 10 Productivity Time Killers

Posted by Julie Stobbe

· Friday, April 28th, 2017

· 1 Comment

Carolyn Shannon is my guest blogger today. Her business Venting Creatively helps people find creative ways to shine a light on their lives from a different view. She runs a monthly networking group BEE Niagara.com and publishes Women of Worth magazine.

Top 10 Productivity Time Killers

Everyday countless hours are wasted away due to non-productive activities. Time is money, so when distractions and procrastination sets in profitability will decline. A survey conducted by OfficeTime.net has revealed 10 of the biggest time killers. The main offenders that reduce of our productivity are:

1. Emails

How much time do you spend surfing the web?

2. Surfing the net

3. Watching TV

4. Procrastination

5. Meetings

6. Non-business conversations

7. Commuting & travel time

8. Social networking

9. Cell Phones & texting

10. Dealing with red tape

Types of Time Wasting

There are many factors that lead to procrastination. There are a few broad categories that most time wasting falls into.

Is making a decision a time consuming task for you?

1. Indecision. Perfectionists will often struggle with indecision. Some things may never become perfect, and putting too much focus on perfection will mean too much time spent on one job. Splitting the work into smaller tasks is one way to deal with it more effectively.

2. Avoidance. A fear of being judged can be the main cause of procrastination. It could be fear of failure or even success. Neither of these are something to be ashamed of. Success should be celebrated, and failure is the best way or learning. Think less about what others may think and more on trying your best at the task on hand.

3. Thrill Seeking. This is when procrastination is justified because the worker likes the thrill of an approaching deadline. If this is the case it is best to move deadlines closer and set personal targets. This still gets you the thrill of working against the clock, while reducing procrastination.

Time flies

How to Put an End to Time Killers

The first step to battling time killers is to understand and appreciate the amount of time that is being wasted. What is the value of all that lost time? Time wasters will directly affect your career advancement opportunities and reduce the amount of income you could have received.Tracking where your time is spent will allow for efficient time management. Don’t just rely on your memory to remember what you did during the day. Use a system so that you have a written record that can be looked over and analyzed. This could be as simple as creating a timetable on a piece of paper, or utilizing a computer program or app to record your daily activities. Cutting down on time killers is a good start, but there are other strategies that should be used to effectively manage your time:

1. Define your purpose. You need to know exactly what you want when starting on a task. Without a definite purpose you will lose focus.

2. Smart goal setting. Choose realistic and specific goals and targets. It should be measurable so you know when it has been completed.

3. Plan on a regular basis. As factors change, you plan should be adjusted to reflect the reality of the situation.

To truly beat time killers you need to work on your mindset & stick to your plan for the long-term.

Which type of Time Waster Are You?

1. Thrill Seekers feel they can procrastinate, as they enjoy the feeling of working against a deadline

Tip: constantly set and adjust deadlines so that you still get the adrenaline rush but are using your time more effectively than procrastinating

2. Avoiders prefer to procrastinate as a means to avoid being judged. Whether it is a success or a failure

Tip: Success is a good thing and nothing to be ashamed of. Failure is a way to learn and improve. Focus on doing the best job you can and not on what others think.

3. Indecisive people are often perfectionists but procrastinate to shift responsibility from themselves

Tip: Not everything has to be perfect so try to take small risks and use your intuition. Mistakes may mean you learn something new. Try to split the task up into more manageable parts.

Need help managing your time effectively contact Mind over Clutter. Julie can work with you in person or virtually to help streamline your processes and routines.

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Categories : Time Management

Tags : Business, productivity, time management

Website Design & Care Plan
by JanetBarclay.com

Archive for time management

1. Don’t allow paper to build up

2. Make a decision on each paper the first time you touch it

3. Follow through on work

4. Be ruthless

5. Think before you print

6. Store inactive files in boxes indicating a destroy date

7. Follow retention guidelines

If you need help with your paper organizing book a complimentary discovery organizing session with me. Organizing Session

Newsweek by Hannah R Buchdahl

Books

Clutter Scale

Share your stories with us in the comments.

Which hack worked best in your household?

Being organized is not about being perfect.

How do I decide where to start?

How do I start?

How to I get the room looking nice?

Step 1 Sort

Step 2 Part with items

Step 3 Assign a home

Step 4 Containers

Step 5 Evaluate

How do I remember all this?

If you need some help with your organizing book a 50 minute break through organizing session . Click on the link to book your complimentary appointment, and speak with me to get helpful tips to get you unstuck. Organizing Break Through session

Why don’t I want to do it now?

How to be Successful

Join Organizing Mind and Space to help you become intentional about getting things done.

Looking for a Gift of Time to give this Holiday Season?

1.Make the area a showcase

2.Prevent drop zones from forming

3.Designate a paper collection spot

4.Avoid the L word – later

What tricks do you use to help you complete paperwork?

So you want to get organized?

Perfectionism

Excellence

What is organization?

Myth #1 Organization is a born talent.

Myth #2: It’s impossible to stay organized.

The 7 Habits of Very Organized People

If you need help getting organized contact me for a virtual consultation

Weekly Agenda Page

Record all Weekly Activities – School, Home and Extra Curricular

Record Additional Activities for the Week – Test, Projects, Parties

A Students Guide to Effective Time Management

Timeboxed Schedule Maker

Time management is about finding a system that works for you and your children to make life easier. Please leave a comment about agendas, systems and apps that you use.

Top 10 Productivity Time Killers

Types of Time Wasting

How to Put an End to Time Killers

Which type of Time Waster Are You?

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