Better Life Habits

St. Louis Resource for Free Paper Shredding

 Everyone should have access to a paper shredder. Large companies often have a bin on-site that is regularly picked up by a shredding service or can hire a company to bring a truck on-site to shred the results of a major office clean-out. But what about the small or home office? A file clean-out often produces too much volume for a home-office shredder to handle, but not enough volume to warrant the expense of an on-site shredding truck.

If you are near the St. Louis area your answer is at American Document Destruction.  Yesterday I took a large bag of papers to their dock -- which is right next to the front door of their building. Rob, who was both very helpful and friendly, took my bag and had me follow him to the giant shredder where I watched him toss it in and then witnessed the shredded results as they came out on the conveyor belt. I was out of there in seconds and it was free!

Check them out at www.amdocdstl.com.

How to have less stuff in your office.

It's pretty easy for an office to get out of control, stuff-wise. Things come into our space with very little effort, but it requires time and effort -- even if just a little bit of both -- to get things out of our space. I've just recently undertaken an office overhaul of my own. I have a small office in my home that was beginning to feel claustrophobic due to excess stuff. So bit by bit I'm unloading. It's quite liberating really.

An organized office (whatever that looks like to you) is more productive and goes a long way to helping us better manage our time.

Below I've broken down into categories the items that might be cluttering your office environment. Do your own assessment and see which areas stand out as ones that could stand some thinning. As far as getting down to work, some people prefer to set aside a full day to tackle the whole room but most don't have that luxury and need to fit de-cluttering into an already busy workday. If the latter describes you, then break your clean-out projects down into small tasks you can accomplish in 15 to 60 minutes at a time.

• Books - Look at each title. Have you read it? Will you read it ever, or again? Do you need to keep it for reference or have you assimilated the knowledge into your brain and no longer need the source? You can sell used books on-line or donate them to a local library or book fair. (In St. Louis you can drop off books year-round at the Macy's loading dock for the St. Louis Book Fair.)
• Binders - These can be from old projects, conferences, etc. Have you looked at them? Will you use them? Can they be thinned out and put in a paper file?
• Knick knacks/photographs - If it suits your style it's fine to have personal items around to make your office homier but it can also get out of hand. Look at each item and ask yourself if it really makes you happy to look at it or it's just been there so long you've been looking right past it. While you may not notice everything that's accumulated, you'll probably get a lift from seeing uncluttered space when some of that stuff is gone.
• Logo'd items - Who doesn't love a freebie! But first of all, only take stuff you'll use. Next do a sweep of your office occasionally and cast off items that are ratty, out-of-date, cumbersome to use, or just in the way. Again, it's like the knick knacks. These things multiply without some amount of effort to keep volume in check.
• Writing instruments - How many pens do you need? Ditch unreliable pens, half-dry markers and highlighters, pencil stubs, etc. Only keep as many writing instruments as can fit in the space where you keep them (pen cup or drawer compartment).
• Office supplies -- Only have on hand what you'll reasonably use in a short amount of time. Most people don't need 12 legal pads, 25 stacks of sticky notes, or 3 boxes of paper clips. If you're in a large office, that's what the supply closet is for. If you're in a home office, the big box office supply stores will ship free to your home if you spend $50, so you don't have to stock up for a year to save shipping costs.

One of the biggest clutter sources is paper, and I'll cover how to handle that one in a separate blog post.

It's good to get into the habit of doing an office clean-out every six months. That way it never gets too out of hand and therefore isn't a huge project to get it back to the way that works for you.

Creating a routine

This is quite simple and can be done quickly. So simple in fact, that I may be able to hear a collective "duh" when I tell you how. But as simple as it may be people tend not to do it. One of the primary reasons for not doing so being that routine equals boring. Who wants to be boring?

But in practice, having routines that help you accomplish repetitive tasks quickly actually leaves more time for you to do things that interest you and make you more interesting to others. Save your creative impulses for tasks where the outcome can be significantly impacted by thinking of new and original ways to do it.  Make planning your day as routine as you need to in order to get it done quickly and effectively.

Here's an example of how you might go about planning your day. Drop your stuff in your office, fire up the computer and hang your coat on the back of the door on the way to get a cup of coffee or glass of water to start the day. Back at your desk, pull out of your brief bag anything you may have taken home last night (and now brought back - completed or not). Also pull together the papers that you have to, or hope to, deal with today. Open up your paper or electronic calendar so you can see what kinds of appointments and tasks you have for the day. Reviewing the information in front of you and knowing what kind of time will be taken up with appointments, meetings, etc., choose the top three things you would like to get done in order to feel that at the end of the day you've been productive. Either make a note of those tasks, or put papers that jog your memory about those tasks in a specific place on your desk so you can refer to them without hunting for them.

Pretty simple right? Note that though I said to fire up your computer when you walk in the door, that's so it can boot up and be ready when you need it. It's not so you can check email first thing in the morning. Checking email should be done after you've planned your day. If you need to scan the sender list quickly in order to see if an email you've received will create a task that may be in your top three, that's fine. The thing is, most of us get stuck responding to relatively unimportant emails while important tasks get put on the back burner. But that's another post.

You can create routines for many tasks and I recommend you do. Over time it will save you time and who doesn't want that?

Delegating is an art. Make it a habit.

For people who have too much to do, it's very often the case that they're trying to do everything themselves. Delegation is one of the most important business skills a person can have, but many folks simply aren't comfortable with it. The reasons I usually hear are...

1. It would take so long to explain it to someone else, I may as well just do it  myself.
2. I need to do it myself because it's important and I can't risk someone messing it up.
3. I hate for people to think I'm dumping the "crud work" on them.
4. The only person I have available to give work to is such a pain in the neck, I dread having to deal with him/her.
5. I don't have anyone to delegate to. (Ed note: Sometimes I do ended sentences in prepositions.)

Let's take these one at a time. As we go through these, I understand that the very process of implementing some of these ideas is going to add to the already excessive amount of work to be done. But only for a short time.

Consider it the storm before the calm. Like painting a room that's already full of stuff. Sure, you have to decide on a paint color, buy supplies, clear out the room, tape off the woodwork, paint the room, clean up and put everything back. But then you're done for a long time and you have a room that's inviting rather than one the previous owner painted baby poop green. A little extra work now pays off in the long run.

1. I may as well just do it  myself.
   If there is no process to follow, or if the process is too complicated to communicate, you'll be stuck doing this task forever. First, if there is no process, develop one. It may be two steps, but know what the steps are and document them. If a process is in place, think about whether its pared down to its simplest form. Does it have to be as complicated as it currently is? If you simplify the process and document how it's done, you'll have a training document you can share with anyone who might be able take over the task if you have a staff change.
2. I can't risk someone messing it up.
   This may be a sign of an ego, or may be sign that marginal people have been hired in support roles. Certainly, if you're charged with bringing in a sale and you're the expert, you'd be foolish to let someone present for you. But if you need to gather research on that prospect, or need presentations copied and bound, you should be able to pass those tasks along. People will often rise to whatever expectation you set. If you assume they'll mess it up, they may just hate to disappoint you. 
3. I hate to dump crud work.
   Just because you hate some tasks doesn't mean everyone does. If anyone asked you whether every role in a company is important, regardless of title, salary or size of office, you'd probably answer, "Of course every job is important!" Some of the people who do these tasks you don't like might think the tasks you have to do are pretty awful, too. And if you do have to give someone an assignment you both agree stinks, you can always do something nice for them occasionally to show your appreciation.
4. I dread having to deal with him/her.
   Hmm. How can I put this delicately? Oh, I know. Get over it. This nasty-attitude person has you right where they want you -- afraid to ask them to do work. Ideally you should have a conversation about your perception of their attitude. Not an angry, accusatory conversation, but a dialog about how you might work together more effectively. If this person is simply not having it and you're not in a position to get someone to replace them, then ignore the bad attitude and go on with your work. What you're asking them to do is their job. Neither of you should feel bad about that.
5. No one to delegate to.
   If you work in a small business or large corporation, it may be that staffing is an issue and there are not enough people to do the work that needs to be done. This is the time to do your homework,figure out exactly what you need and take that need to management. I can completely understand management's reticence to hire someone to help you if you can't articulate exactly what this person will do and how it will ultimately benefit the bottom line.
   
   If you are a sole proprietor, you simply must get better at allowing others to do what they do best so you can focus on what drives your revenue. Unless you are a web designer, hire one. Unless you're a marketing expert, consult with one to develop a solid plan. Rather than spending hours entering business card information (even using a card scanner requires the labor of checking for accuracy) hire a virtual or part-time assistant to handle administrative tasks and database management. While we sole proprietors have responsibility for everything, we also have the freedom to choose what we do and what we hire others to do. Certainly budget is a consideration, but a business can't survive if the owner is doing data entry instead of bringing in money.

More later...

How to know what you should file and what you should toss.

One of the biggest challenges with thinning out paper files -- or figuring out what to so with stuff was that was supposed to be filed at one time, but now sits in piles -- is knowing what you actually need to keep.

Here are some questions you can ask to help you determine what you need to keep and what can be tossed. If it seems like it might be very time-consuming to answer each of these quuestions for every piece of paper you need to decide about, rest assured that once you get going and get in a rhythm, it goes faster than you might think.

Here we go...

1. Is there an action associated with this piece of paper? If so, it should go in your "to do" or tickler system. If not, keep going with the questions.
2. Are there legal or financial reasons for keeping the item? When in doubt consult with your attorney, CPA, insurance broker, financial advisor, etc. To save time and calls, you can put things in separate piles based on which expert you need to consult and then go through the documents together either in a short meeting or over the phone.
3. Is the information current enough to be relevant? For instance, anything printed out regarding technology is obsolete almost the moment it's printed!
4. Is this the only copy of this information in existence? Might there be an electronic copy? Does someone else have a copy?
5. How difficult or expensive would be it be to obtain a new copy? Sometimes information is just a cheap, fast Google away. And even billing records (charge cards, bank statements, etc.) are usually on-line
6. Can you think of a specific occasion when you might need this item. "I might need it someday" is not specific enough!
7. What is the worst thing that could happen if you get rid of it ? Assuming you did due diligence on question #2 and found no reason there to keep it.

I'd love to hear what you think about these questions, other questions that you think should be added, or stories about how you did a paper purge. And if you have a challenge, post it here and we'll get some answers for you.

It's time to dump files you never use.

I recently got a new computer for which I was long overdue. A software package I had on my old computer won't work on this one, and so I thought about whether I should buy new, compatible software, or just stop using the program. Because the software is essentially a database for my paper files I thought about how much I truly access those paper files. The answer turns out to be, not very much.

The 80/20 rule applies to files (electronic and paper) just like it applies to effort/results, clients/revenue, and individuals/wealth. Of all the stuff we file, chances are we're only going to access 20% of it. And frankly that number may be a bit high for me. So the purging process has begun!

Rare is the person who has a solid week, or even a solid day, to spend going through papers and deciding what to keep and what to purge. So in the case of paper files, set an amount of time that you have to devote the file clean-out project. It doesn't have to be a huge chunk of time. A lot can be accomplished in as little as 15 minutes. The set a timer and get to work. Focus like a laser beam on the purging effort until the timer dings.

I recommend the timer so you can really focus instead of checking your watch or the clock. Focus is vital for making headway.

When your time is up for the day, put a sticky note on the file to indicate where you stopped, so when you have another few minutes of purging time scheduled, you'll immediately know where to start.

Later I'll be providing a list of questions to ask yourself so you can decide what to keep and to toss.

See you then!

Cool way to never be without a notepad

I can't help it. No matter how many cool techie things come out, I still  want to write stuff down on paper sometimes. Maybe I need to draw something, or write down directions. You just never know. We can't control when stuff we want to remember pops into our heads, so it's a good -- and productive -- idea to have something to write on all the time. Recently I ran across FlipNotes.

I've pictured two of them here. They are about the size of a business card case and come with a pen that, cleverly, is what holds the sleek metal case shut. One will fit neatly in a jacket pocket or a very small purse. You can find them at www.franklincovey.com or www.wellspringgift.com. The latter site has more color options and they are a few dollars more. Check 'em out!

Why "To Do" Lists Stink.

Making a To Do list can feel great. Doing that brain dump and getting everything on paper is very cathartic. But the problem with lists is that they get so loooooong. Once all that stuff is on paper and you look a list as long as your arm it can be kind of daunting. "How will I ever get all of this done?"

But we start in like good Do Bees and hack away at the list -- crossing things off as we go. And, in all likelihood, adding things to the bottom as we go, too.

So we can work diligently for a day...or two...or three, doing things on that list. And while we'll have some things crossed off, we'll still have a bunch of stuff left to do. And that's depressing. It can make us focus on what we haven't done rather than what we've accomplished.

I compare the To Do list phenomenon to facing a closet full of clothes that don't fit anymore. You decide to lose weight because your favorite clothes are a tad tight. But you leave the too-small clothes in the closet. Now every morning you wake up, throw open the closet door -- and are instantly confronted with what you are not. You are not able to fit into your favorite clothes. And that's depressing.

To do lists are OK if they are reasonable, based on what you can accomplish today. Sure, you can have that big list -- and should, because things left to memory are things that may never get done. (On time, anyway.) But your list for today should be do-able.

And as for the too-small clothes. Box them up and put them out of sight until you've reached your goal. And you know what happens then, don't you? You're so happy to have lost the weight you buy new clothes to celebrate!

The one thing you must know to declutter and organize successfully.

Most people undertake the project of organizing an office (or any room or area for that matter) with high hopes. Visions of simple, clean, easy-to-use spaces provide motivation for getting started.

Usually the process begins with decluttering. Often it ends there as well and here's why...

In the decluttering process we begin to sort. In the sorting process we find something that either a) we forgot about and needs to be done quickly due to the fact that we lost that thing for awhile or b) we find something that goes in another room. Acting on either one of those things -- doing the task or taking the item to another room -- spells death for the decluttering effort because we've lost our primary focus. In the latter situation, we've literally taken ourselves out of the environment and likely found another area that could use some organizing/decluttering as well. Sometimes we even start a new project in that new area. Yikes, is that a bad idea.

Once the decluttering process has begun, focus solely on that part of the task until your time is up. (Speaking of which, you should be scheduling your decluttering into do-able time chunks. 10 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour or two -- whatever you can manage. Set a timer and focus like a laser beam.)

As far as how to handle the two distracting scenarios I mentioned, try these. Have a pencil and paper handy so you can write down to dos that occur to you as you work. You can fit those into your schedule as soon as your decluttering time is over for the day. And for things that go somewhere else, put them in containers at the doorway of your space. Part of winding up your task for the day should be taking those things where they belong.

Do you complain about interruptions, yet look for them?

At a luncheon yesterday I was sitting next to a guy who admitted that although e-mail presents a challenge, it's primarily because he welcomes the interruption. I'm pretty sure he's not alone.

Lamenting about the endless dump of e-mail into our inboxes has taken over the weather as the  universal, always appropriate, topic of conversation. Everyone can relate.  Now instead of "Boy, how about all this rain?" it's, "Boy, I've got 637 e-mails in my inbox, and that's after I cleaned it out." The listener nods in an understanding, heck-yeah,-I'm-there-too kind of way.

E-mail can be an interrruption, but only if we look at it. If we only look at it three times a day then it only interrupts us three times a day. There's no hard and fast rule about how many times you should check it. But if you say it drives you crazy, you might want to examine whether you check it because you have to, or because you want to.