Three Effortless Ways to Win the Paperwork Battle

Buried under mountains of paperwork from your company? Do the projects seem to never end? Imagine how good you would feel if every day you could start with a clean and organized desk? Well dream no further! By following the three powerful tips listed below, your dreams will become reality!

Setting up your system: Start by ordering two 8 ½ x 11 "flat desk files". A flat desk file looks like an accordion file, except it lays flat on your desk and can be easily carried with you. One desk file should be tabbed A-Z, the second one should be tabbed 1-31. The A-Z desk file is perfect for hold the resumes of potential new hires, sorted by last name. This A-Z desk file is also great for keeping employee or client "working" files, at your fingertips. The 1-31 desk file is ideal for organizing upcoming meetings or projects, by appropriate dates. Also, this tool is perfect for managing any projects you have delegated to be done by others. For instance, if you have a big project due on the 18th and have assigned others to complete certain portions of the project by the 12th, then file your notes to the 12th and confirm on the 12th the work has been done. Then, re-file this project for completion on the 16th so you can do any last minute changes, before the 18th.

Tip From The Coach: Remember, any organization system is only as good as you make it. It generally takes 21 days to incorporate a new idea into your current system. Stick with it?having a system for your paperwork is a real joy!

Using the four D's: The four D's are DO IT, DELEGATE IT, DECIDE OR DUMP IT. These are your only four choices when handling any kind of paperwork. "Do It' means exactly that?do it now and do not handle any piece of paperwork a second time. This means, read the information you've been sent and act on it. "Delegate It" requires you to ask the question?"who can help me complete this project or task so I can stay focused on my responsibilities?" Once you have delegated a project to someone else, then use your desk file (1-31) to store your notes until the project is completed. "Decide" means the paperwork you have been sent will require your quiet and uninterrupted attention, like monthly financial reports or annual employee reviews. Put this type of work into a separate folder labeled "To Decide" and find a few quiet minutes early the next morning before your work day begins, and complete this project or task. "Dump it" means exactly that?dump as much as possible in the trash can, the first time you handle any paperwork. It's that simple.

Tip From The Coach: In addition to the four D's, schedule an appointment with yourself twice a year when business is the slowest, to review all the paperwork you have filed in your office. Take the time to "dump" everything you no longer need. Each time you do this, it will further clarify for you which paperwork is important to your company to save and which paperwork can be easily discarded.

Scheduling your day: Schedule your day using some form of computer software/paper calendar or appointment book. Try to schedule important meetings early in the week so others can work on the assignments you have given them. Try and schedule all interviews early in the morning when you are the most rested and the least likely to be interrupted. By having a busy morning, you then have the freedom to plan the rest of your day more loosely. Use your calendar or appointment book to schedule both professional and personal activities as it is helpful to have everything in one place. Lastly, schedule an appointment with yourself for any projects you are working on. This is a simple way to manage your workload and a powerful way to have your "to do" list LIVE in your week's calendar.

Tip From The Coach: Now, once you have followed the tips above, schedule the things most important to you. Start by planning the time you are going to spend with your family, the time you are going to spend with those you love, and yes-time for yourself to relax and enjoy your life. Please know that having a rich and rewarding life starts with simplicity.

Want to hear more about this important topic or ask some additional questions? Fax a note on your letterhead to 435-615-8670 or send an E-mail to ernest@powerhour.com and The Coach will fax/E-mail back to you a free invitation to be a participant on a TeleForum conference call. I promise we will have great fun!

Author's note: Ernest F. Oriente, The Coach, is the founder of PowerHour® a professional business coaching/recruiting service and the author of SmartMatch Alliances?. He has spent 17,500 hours [since 1995] delivering customized training, by telephone, in leadership, traditional/Internet marketing and sales for fast growing sales companies and entrepreneurial businesses worldwide. PowerHour® specializes in global distance learning by telephone, using their state-of-the-art conference call system for interactive and dynamic TeleForums. Twice-monthly TeleForums link 10-100 executives/professionals/individuals who are geographically dispersed, in a time efficient and profitable format.

PowerHour® is based in Olympic-town?Park City, Utah, at 435-615-8486, by E-mail ernest@powerhour.com or visit their TeleForum website: http://www.powerhour.com. To receive a FREE success newsletter, with subscribers in 74 countries, send an E-mail to: ernest@powerhour.com. Recent PowerHour® articles have appeared in 4000+ business/trade publications and websites.

The Associated Press
The Fight Over Community Organizing
ABC News - 13 hours ago
Last night, both former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin mocked Sen. Barack Obama's three years, in his 20s, spent as a community ...
Video: Why Single Out Community Organizers? CBS
Community organizers defend job as training ground for politicians Globe and Mail
GOP criticism angers some community organizers The Associated Press
Media Monitors Network - USA Todayall 270 news articles

Does McCain Have a Different Take on Community Organizing?
ABC News - 9 hours ago
ABC News' Deputy Political Director Karen Travers points out that despite all the "community organizer"-bashing at this convention, Sen. ...

ACORN Responds to Attack on Community Organizing
MarketWatch - 13 hours ago
Every great movement in the history of the world has community organizing." ACORN has been building organizations and developing leadership among low- and ...

Community Organizing cont'd ...
West Bronx News Blog, NY - 9 hours ago
-Obviously this has tremendous resonance in the Bronx, particularly the northwest Bronx, where community organizing was literally a firewall stanching the ...
South Bronx Organizers React to GOP Punch Lines New York Times Blogs
all 2 news articles

Noblesville cop organizing another bluegrass event
Indianapolis Star, United States - 6 hours ago
NOBLESVILLE -- Noblesville Police Sgt. Rich Hubbard's Mountain Music in the Forest will be Sept. 20 in Shelter No. 1, at Forest Park, 701 Cicero Road. ...

NECN
Union County Red Cross organizing hurricane relief effort
ThisWeekNews, OH - 15 hours ago
By JEFF DONAHUE The Union County Chapter of the American Red Cross is organizing a relief effort for victims of Hurricane Gustav and the series of storms ...
THE AFTERMATH: Red Cross deploys volunteer to Baton Rouge Journal-Register
McCain, Obama Gustav fundraising MSNBC
all 248 news articles

Making union organizing easier will fuel economic growth
DetNews.com, MI - 7 hours ago
America observed Labor Day on Monday during an extremely difficult period for workers and our families. Wages have fallen, tens of thousands have lost their ...

Ministry of Textiles organises seminar on medical textiles
Business Standard, India - 5 hours ago
PTI / Madurai September 05, 2008, 12:53 IST A seminar on "Medical textiles opportunities and applications" is being organised here tomorrow by the Ministry ...
INDIA: FICCI-WRC is Organizing a Seminar on Agro- textiles BharatTextile.com (subscription)
all 2 news articles

Community Organizers, Others Upset By Republican Comments ...
AHN - 6 minutes ago
To help clear up the confusion David Plouffe reportedly sent the Wall Street Journal an Obama campaign email saying in part, "Community organizing is how ...

Organizing Your Jottings
Wall Street Journal - Sep 3, 2008
Solution: Organize miscellaneous papers using Evernote (evernote.com), an online service that helps you store and search the information on your computer ...

Wind Chimes and more...

Windchimes for great gifts!

Does Your Storage Make Sense?