Organizing is to productivity as the heart is to the body: a driving force when efficiently maintained, or a source of anxiety and pain when neglected.  Be that what it is, a person isn’t a just a heart.  There is a system of organs, muscles and bones that make vital contributions to a person’s sickness or health.

A good professional organizer looks at the organizing project as part of a whole system, including other areas, tasks, people, and dynamics.

Without knowing this, it’s understandable why clients ask organizers for a quick fix – grant it, sometimes that’s all it takes.  Now that you’re in on the big secret, you understand why I’d ask questions such as:

• how far back do the files date
• what types of files you’re keeping
• how and why they come to you
• how and why you save them
• for how long you should save them
• how many other people use the system, for what and why
• and much more..

I recommend ignoring those details if you are never going to need the files again. Let’s say you want to bury or burn them (not likely, I’m guessing).  Then for sure, don’t waste your time on details.

If you want to grow a well-maintained system with long-lasting results, just like in the human body, success is in the way the details work together efficiently. To stay alive and well, it just makes sense to take care of the entire system, not just the area with the symptoms.

Be well and be productive!

Less is More

Translated: Choose organizing systems that require as few steps as possible from start to finish.  It doesn’t really matter how attractive it is (read: elaborate color coded filing systems) or how wonderful the professional organizer (who LOVES to organize, mind you) on tv says the systems is.

 For example: It is probably not necessary to file all your bills by year and type, in pretty color-coded hanging files in the file cabinet.  This requires you to sort bills, place them individually in the files, and maintain the filing system year after year – or it ends up like the one in the photo.  Sound familiar?

This professional organizer files her bills by month in thirteen-pocket accordion files. One for the business, one for home.  At the end of the year, everything is in one place for my tax preparer (thanks, Dad). 

There are many ways to keep things simple.   If what seems to be a good system isn’t working for you, it may just be that it’s too elaborate, hence too much trouble.  If you think that’s the case, but don’t know exactly what tweak is needed, contact me, and I’ll help you figure it out.

I’m going to go out on a limb and blog about an item not related to office productivity – at least not directly. It’s because I care about you, and I know how much you or someone you really care about is irritated by those big boxes of unsorted photos hidden in your guestroom closet. Yes, the ones you have been meaning to take care of for.. years.

How did I know about them if I’ve never met you or been to your home? Because the overwhelming majority of people I’ve ever met have at least one box of unsorted photos tucked away – if not several! Not to mention the other memories on film, in scrapbooks, and in old photo albums.

I’ll tell you what digitizing your memories has to do with office productivity: wellness and work-life balance. Every bit of stress accumulated, whether at home or at work, affects other areas of your life. Even the most seemingly benign aggravation, added to all the others can affect the way we sleep, breathe, interact with others. Because of this, we should try to eliminate stress wherever possible, especially when the solution is so simple.

I’ll never get rich off affiliate referrals, because I’m in business for results, not just recommendations.  I only refer products I have researched for positive reviews, and often tried and adopted for myself.  ScanDigital is one of many options for digitizing memories.  Making positive change happen is what getting ARoundTuit is all about.

Give ScanDigital a try and let me know what you think!