Tip #42: Organize
January 20, 2008 – 9:59 pm
Can you find the book or document you need every time? No searching through stacks of paperwork or magazines, or boxes? Even the most organized among us has those moments where items simply escape. But there are strategies for keeping that from happening, starting with the piles on your desk. Make your new rule “handle items once” to eliminate the piles.
- Direct Mailings & Catalogs - advertising pieces about mission agencies, camps, curriculum and everything else come across your desk every business day. If it’s not a product that’s an immediate need, or it’s not related to a project already a goal, recycle it. If it’s something you’ll use, file it right away in folders of related material (”camps”, “mission agencies”) for future use.
- Magazines - use magazine files to organize the issues on your shelf so they’re handy when you can read them (or when you’re looking for that game idea or quotation).
- Student related materials - things like recommendation forms, notes, permission slips, etc. Items that need to be added to your to do list, do that right away and put the form or note about the task in a “needs action” folder. File copies of letters and other items in a folder with the student’s name on it.
- Books and media - put on shelves (even if you have to get some) for ease of use.
Once the piles are gone, your new rule is to organize once a day, perhaps as you are preparing to leave the office. Ten minutes of organizing today means you start tomorrow ready to get to the list rather than looking for it.
One Response to “Tip #42: Organize”
It’s so simple to do it, but is it done all the time? Well my desk says no. Thanks for the tip, I will try to aplly it, starting…now!
By Dan Rosch on Jan 23, 2008