Tips on Office Clutter:

Is your desk hidden under paper piles? E-mail backlogged? File cabinets too crowded? Here are some simple steps to implement:

• You must have an in-box for items you haven’t looked at. If not for yourself, then so others in your office know where to put incoming items.
• If you need to see everything, use an elevated vertical file on top of your desk for folders of active items: They can be labeled High, Medium, Low priority and pending (awaiting others actions) You may want to color code them or use more colorful labels like “Do this before anything else!”
• Elevated files can be purchased anywhere. Here is what they look like:  elevated desktop sorter
• Filing: Determine the high level categories of all the paper in your office; Clients, Employees, Vendors, Administrative, Finance, Legal, Marketing, Personal, etc. These are the labels for your filing sections. Note: If you are an ‘outy’ and need to see everything, a conventional file cabinet will not work for you. Think about open, rolling filing carts or open medical type files.
• Once you have determined your categories, use the same labels for your online document folders and your email folders. Better yet, file your saved email directly into your word folders.
• E-mail tips: Get your inbox down to less than 30 by deleting or filing items you have responded to. There is no need to keep a copy in your inbox because you have a duplicate in your sent items (Check to see that your settings attach originals and save all sent mail)
• E-mail timing: Your clients do not expect you to answer your e-mail immediately. You have meetings and other work to do, don’t you? Schedule your e-mailing. Three or four times a day is sufficient. If it’s urgent, they will pick up the phone.