Getting Organized

Here are some approaches for how to get better organized.

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• Don't store any files under the Program Files, Windows, or MSOffice directories.
• Create subdirectories under the “My Documents” folder.
• Save your email as a file in your directory.

Some programs remove data files when they are upgraded or reinstalled. If you keep data separate from programs, you will have less trouble and less worry.

By Lisa Kanarek, Special to Microsoft's Money Insider 11/5/97

You may have noticed that between the time you started working in your office and now, you have accumulated everything from extra computer equipment to furniture to papers.

Sometimes when you work in the same office for so long, you no longer notice how it looks. Take a close look at your office, determine if the clutter is out of hand and if so, ask yourself a few questions to help you determine what you no longer need to keep.

Do you have too much furniture in your office? You may have inherited furniture from departing co-workers or raided the storeroom, only to be left with an office that resembles a furniture showroom. Before you attempt to fit one more table, bookshelf or chair in your office, decide which pieces of furniture can be eliminated.

Does your guilt level grow in proportion to your stack of magazines? If various publications have been piled high in your office for several months and you haven't read them by now, it's unlikely that you ever will. Go through your reading stack and get rid of the newspapers and magazines that you haven't read within the past year. Rather than automatically renewing your subscriptions, determine which magazines are helping you grow your business or improve your chances for promotion.

Look at your planning system, whether paper-based or computerized, and decide if your system still works for you. If your daily planner is bulging with scraps of paper, record the information in your planner and throw the papers away. If you use your computerized system occasionally, either make a commitment to use it more often or find another planning method.

Are you running out of space on your bookshelves to store more books? Scan the books in your bookcase and give away the books you've had for years and will never look at again. Consider selling your used books. You won't make a fortune, but you'll have more room to store other, more important items. Another option is to donate your used books to charities that could use them for their reading programs.

Are you holding on to broken or outdated equipment? You may have an old computer system that you've been meaning to fix or upgrade but can never find time to do either. Instead of wasting valuable space in your office, get rid of any piece of equipment that you no longer use, whether it's an old printer, fax machine or backup drive. If an item can be fixed or upgraded at a reasonable price, make arrangements to do so by the end of the week. Possessions have a way of taking control over you, and you may spend more time maintaining them than they're worth. Make the decision to keep your office clear of any unnecessary items and you will be left with more space and time to work.

Go through your reading stack and get rid of the newspapers and magazines that you haven't read within the past year.