Did you know that the average professional spends 40% of their day managing email and information storage?1

Most of you have worked in an office long enough to know this is probably true for you as well. I recall one of my greatest frustrations with corporate life of the last few years was email abuse. I read The Hamster Revolution recently and found all the answers I had been looking for in this one short book of 100+ pages. Let me share my favorite email management tips with you. It could change your life!

• Send less email, receive less email. Many of the emails you send require someone to respond to you so you just generated yourself more mail by sending that one message. Then once you receive a reply, you may need to reply again! Ask yourself if the email is really necessary.
• Check email at designated times of the day and turn off new email notification. This will reduce the constant interruptions that email causes. Don’t worry, if someone needs an immediate response, they’ll call you!
• Do not check email first thing in the morning. If you do, everyone else’s priorities will set your to-do list for you. Get started on your plan for the day before diving into email.
• Include NRN in the subject line when there’s “No Reply Needed”. You can also try using NTN, “No Thanks Needed”.
• Consider using the phone, going to a co-workers office or holding a meeting if you anticipate you might receive many questions about an email. Often times we forget that a real-time conversation is often the best method of communication.
• Do not copy everyone in your department on your emails unless absolutely necessary. Including too many people on an email compels people to respond, via Reply to All, thus generating many more emails and a disjointed discussion.
• Strengthen your subject line to increase clarity for your recipients. Be as brief and specific as possible. The Hamster Revolution recommends using simple subject categories such as Action, Info, Request, Confirmed or Delivery, at the beginning of the line.
• Include an Action Summary at the very beginning of the email. You will likely get more of what you are asking for if it is clearly worded and right in the beginning so people don’t have to search to find out what you want.

Change your email habits and others will follow your lead!

1 Song, Michael and Burress, Tim “Info-Glut and the K-Worker”, CKS White Paper, 2005. Feldman, Susan “The High Cost of Not Finding Information,” KM World, vol. 13, issue 3, 2004, available at www.kmworld.com.

While email as become a huge part of our business and personal day, this technology has created yet another cluttered area in our lives. It doesn't have to be this way!
Treat your electronic mail how you would treat a piece of paper and you may be able to solve the problem AND manage your time better.
Top tips for emptying you email in-box

• Employ the RAFT method – Read, Act, File or Toss
• Read and then delete.
• Act on the email immediately if it will take less than two minutes.
• File it for reference, if you feel you may need it in the future. Make sure to establish a filing system in your email program just like you would for paper files.
• Toss it.
• Assign yourself a Task relating to the email if it requires more than two minutes of your time. There are several ways to easily accomplish this in Outlook.
• Use the “Flag” system to serve as a reminder that an email requires further attention. With newer versions of Outlook you can even set up a pop up reminder at a time you designate that will not let you forget to follow up.
• Create an actual Task with start and due dates and drag the email to the notes area of the task. You can then delete or file the original email and it will not affect the Task.
• Delegate the email to someone else.
• Remove yourself from mailing lists. (Just don’t remove yourself from mine!)
• Strive to have only one page of emails in your inbox by the end of the day. Anything that falls to a second page will be forgotten about so take action!
• Separate personal email from business email by using different addresses or filtering particular people into separate folders.

• Always go through the mail daily while standing over the garbage can. Immediately toss or recycle all junk mail, envelopes and inserts, and shred sensitive documents.
• Any mail that can be handled in 2 minutes or less, like a party invitation or a permission slip, should be dealt with immediately. Make the phone call to RSVP to an event, then write it on the calendar and toss or file the paper.
• Set up a desk top hanging file system to sort the remaining mail. You’ll need categories like “bills”, “invitations” or “future events”, “read”, “to do” and “file”.
• Pick a day of the week to pay bills, read, file and take care of the “to do” items. Write a reminder on your electronic or paper calendar until it becomes a habit.
• Reduce incoming paper by removing your name from direct mailing lists. Go here and fill out the form to have your name removed from direct marketer’s lists. I’ve done it and it works!
• Cancel all magazines and catalogs you don’t read.

Place artwork, projects, homework, tests and papers in a box as they come home from school, one box per child. At the end of each semester, sit with your kids and have them review all the paper and pick their favorites to keep. If you or your child are having a hard time deciding, look for items that are "firsts", like a perfect score on a test, the first cut and paste project for a preschooler, etc.

Provide yourself and the kids with a limit, such as 10 items or an amount that fills half of a 10" x 13" x 3" box. (Find archival quality/acid free boxes at craft and organization stores. See this product at The Container Store) Label the box with the child’s name and school year and store in a cool, dry place. Take pictures of large or 3 dimensional favorites and start a photo album rather than keeping the real thing.

Schedules, phone lists, calendars and syllabuses

Use a 3-ring binder, sheet protectors and index tab dividers for activity information, schedules, phone lists, etc. (Avery makes great index tabs that are plastic and have large, slanted pockets to hold papers securely. See this product at Office Depot)

Make a tab for each family member’s extra-curricular activity and one for their classroom. Place often-referenced papers like phone lists, lunch menus and schedules in sheet protectors behind appropriate tab. Label the binder “Activity Information” or whatever makes sense to you. As seasons and semesters change, exchange old schedules for new ones. Keep the binder accessible to the whole family and teach older children how to look up information they need.

While you are busy organizing your family’s papers, take this opportunity to teach your family these great organizations skills!

Games, toys, crafts or other entertainment items and media

Try these steps using games as an example:

• Gather all the playing cards, board, video and electronic games in one area to assess what you have.
• Sort by categories that mean something to your family like children’s games, family games, adult games, video games.
• Toss any games that are missing key parts that cannot be replaced. Donate any games your family has outgrown or are not interested in anymore. (Try keeping a box or shopping bag in a hall closet at all times for donation items so as you come across something you no longer need, use or love, you can simply drop it in the box. When you receive a call for a charity pick up in your area, sign up!)
• Decide where you will keep these items. Storing like items all in one place makes it easier to retrieve and replace, and to know what you have. It is also best to keep items close to where you will use them so it is convenient to clean up.
• If the closet you want to use for games doesn’t have enough shelves, consider adding free standing shelving or installing a closet system. Just because your closet had one shelf and one clothing rod when you moved in doesn’t mean it has to stay that way! Make it work for your household.
• Once you have assigned a home for them, decide if you need to containerize them in order to make them more convenient to access. For example, consider replacing broken board game boxes. (Organizes-It carries this product. There are two styles available.) Use zip lock bags or plastic containers to corral small parts within boxes and large baskets or containers with lids for video or electronic games. Label all containers and shelves so everyone in the family knows where to put things away.
• Now relax and have a family game night!
• And when you’re done playing for the night, it will be quick, easy and convenient to clean up.

Paper records retention

Whenever I work with a client on paper organization, I always get asked the question, “how long should I keep this?". Here’s a link that will answer this question for you. Bookmark it and you won’t need to hang onto another piece of paper.

Time Management & The Big Picture

Often when working with a client that says they don’t have enough time in the day to do everything that needs to get done, I see the same underlying issue. The issue in many people’s time-management plan is that they haven’t looked at their big picture. Most people simply go from task to task and event to event without truly deciding if these things are important enough to them to spend their time on them.

Not sure what your big picture is? It refers to your underlying goals in life: what is important to you, where do you want to go, who do you want to be? Being able to identify your big picture, even partially, can help you immensely in time-management by providing you with a map of your life and a basis to make decisions.

You can reference your big picture when you find yourself with more tasks than time. Ask yourself, does going to a particular event, shopping for the perfect table cloth or pair of jeans, or doing yet another report analyzing sales; really get you closer to your life’s goals?

If the answer is no, then try one of these time-management techniques:

• Remove it from your list
• Postpone it until you have more free time
• Reduce it down and do the bare minimum required
• Pass it on to a co-worker, employee, family member, friend or hired hand

I know many of you are saying to yourselves right now, “right, I can just remove it from my list without any consequences!” Even if you leave all these things on your task list, it is likely you won’t get to them all anyway. So why not make a conscious decision about which things you will do and will not do rather than letting outside influences decide for you? Take control of your time before it takes control of you.

Tax Papers

Make the storage of tax-related documents as easy and convenient as possible. Purchase a box or expanding folder that can accommodate the volume you need. Label it “taxes-current year”. Place it in the location that makes most sense to you, like where you sort mail, pay bills or file papers. If the best place to keep the box is somewhere like the kitchen counter, then buy a nice looking box. A functional and beautiful container will make filing a more pleasant task.

As you receive statements, W2s, receipts, tax forms or letters, drop them in the box. You can sort them into appropriate categories when tax time comes around. Next year you won’t have to hunt all around the house looking for the papers first!

Kitchen Clutter

According to the National Soap and Detergent Association, getting rid of excess clutter would eliminate 40% of the housework in the average home! If the kitchen seems to take forever to clean up due to piles and appliances on the counters, make the most out of the space in your cabinets and this will help clear off the counters. Below I have put together ideas for better space planning in the kitchen.

• Create work zones and put all items for that category together. For example, a baking center would have all tools and ingredients in one place and be stored near the counter space you likely will use to mix everything up.
• Place most often used items in prime real estate, like on lowest shelves in upper cabinets. If the shelves aren’t where you want them, move them up or down. Also try placing shorter items on the lowest shelves so the second shelf can be as low as possible and within reach!
• Store plates, silverware and glassware near the dishwasher to save steps back and forth.
• Use wire shelves in your cabinets to add another layer of shelving and make accessing items easier. This way you’ll have fewer things to lift up to get to the bottom of the stack.
• Install rolling shelves for all lower cabinets. This will make the back of the shelf easy to access instead of a graveyard of kitchenware.
• If the kitchen is where you like to do household paperwork, set up a station in a drawer or basket to accommodate the supplies. Consider using a desktop hanging file box to house bills, receipts, tickets for future events and take out menus. This will surely clear the counters off!
• Place small, like items in baskets on shelves so you won’t knock them over when accessing the cabinet.
  
• Store baking sheets vertically to make access easy.
  

General Recycling Guides

The city of Chicago has a very comprehensive web site covering a variety of recycling topics. But most useful is the list of things to donate and recycle and where do take them. Even if you don’t live in the city, there are things to be learned from their site regarding options provided by various companies.
Chicago Recycling Coalition - Home For those of you who live in DuPage County, this site is helpful. All others, check your local government site for information for your area.
DuPage Recycling Guide (Look in the list for this as well as the HHW collection site link.)

Computer and Electronics Recycling and Donating
Reusing or recycling a computer can be a difficult task but it is possible. If you have a computer that is “out of date” for you, someone else may be able to use it. The sooner you move on donating it to someone else, the more likely it will be that someone can use it! I have found schools to be a good option to donate to. Sometimes they can use the equipment at the school or give it to a family that attends the school. In addition to the one listed below, Staples stores also take computers (for a fee) and peripherals (free).
Dell Recycling
National Christina Foundation
PCs for Schools
Supply Chain Services Inc. (This organization is ISO 14001: Environmental Management Systems certified and is located in Lombard.)
United Recycling (Located in West Chicago.)

Cell Phones
Many cell phone service providers accept phones for recycling at their stores. Other options are Staples and The Body Shop stores, as well as many local organizations have phone drives throughout the year. Keep your eyes open for signs or listings in your local paper.
Recycle My Cell Phone
DuPage County Cell Phone Recycling
The Body Shop
Wireless Foundation

Household Items
Am Vets - (708) 388-7800 IL Am Vets
Limited zip code pick up. Also have drop locations. Take complete computers, novels, fiction, children's books, inspirational, religious books and exercise equipment, toys (not larger than what fits in a bag or box), housewares, clothes, stuffed animals.

Salvation Army (888) 574-2587 Salvation Army
Books, complete computers, furniture in good condition that doesn't need cleaning or repair, TVs, appliances, clothes, aluminum Christmas trees, Christmas decorations, collectibles and more -- must be in reusable condition.

Project Night Night
Baby blankets, stuffed animals and books. They provide comfort items to children in homeless shelters. There are no local drop centers so all donations have to be mailed. This is a wonderful way to unload gently used stuffed animals and provide a sense of security to homeless children!

Home Improvement Supplies
ReStore - Habitat for Humanity ReStore
800 North State Street
Elgin, Illinois 60123
(847) 742-9905
http://www.restorelgin.org
Accepts reusable appliances, building materials and furniture. Items accepted include fixtures, lumber, cabinets, doors, counters, landscaping blocks, new carpet, et cetera. Items must be brought to their location. Call ahead.

Women’s Business Attire
Second Chance Resale Shop (630) 241-7268
Part of Family Shelter Service, Victims of Domestic Violence
1131 Fairview Ave
Westmont IL 60559
Hours - T-Sat 10-5, Th 10-8
Donations accepted W, Th, Sat 10-4

Poised for Success
312 S. Westmore Ave.
Lombard IL 60148
(630) 691-1455

Everything Else
If all else fails and you have something you think can be useful to someone else, put it up on Freecycle. There are local networks for all areas. All you have to do it post it and let people know how they can pick it up! The Freecycle Network(tm) - Recycling & give aways

Time Management Top 7 Tips

Did you know 60% of Americans feel they do not have enough time to get everything done? What if you could do more in less time and have time for relaxing and having fun? Below are my favorite, simple ideas for finding more time for the things and people you love.

• Really look at your tasks to see if they are things you are required to do or you desire to do. Analyzing this may make you realize that there are many things you think you have to do that you don't need to do! You may find you can:
• Remove it from your list
• Postpone it until you have more free time
• Reduce it down and do the bare minimum required
• Pass it on to a co-worker, employee, family member, friend or hired hand
• Write all your tasks and appointments down in one place. This will give you a solid basis for planning your time.
• Plan and prioritize your tasks for the following day at the end of each day so you can hit the ground running in the morning.
• Track how long some of your common tasks actually take you to do so you can plan accurately in the future.
• Combine like tasks, such as returning phone calls, into one time block. Run errands together based on geography to save time and money on gas.
• Always carry something to do when you know you'll have time waiting somewhere, like at the doctor's office or car repair shop. Bring mail to read, pay bills, and write shopping lists or the next day's schedule.
• Schedule tasks that require your best energy for the times of the day that you are most alert.