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How to
organize your paperwork
We must all be efficient
and productive in today's business world. Being organized
helps you handle tasks quickly so that you have more time
and space to do what you truly want to do.
1. One-time
mail system.
Have an In Box on your desk
for new mail/information. Look at your mail once a day.
Review each piece of mail once to decide whether to do it,
delegate it or dump it. If it adds value to your business
or is required for doing business, do it or delegate it.
If not, then dump it. If you keep it, then categorize it
using the A, B, C system. Use your time wisely.
2. Categories
for performing your work.
Set up desk trays labeled
A, B, and C. Items in category A must be handled today.
Category B items must be handled this week. Category C
items are generally filing that must be kept because they
have some value, such as invoices, tax returns, and
statements.
3. Prioritize
your work within categories A and B.
Sort the categories into 1,
2, and 3. A1 must be done NOW, it is "hot" or "urgent." A2
can be done this AM. A3 can be done by the end of the day
free sample business plan examples template proposal sample.
B1 is done on Monday. B2 done by Wednesday. B3 done by the
end of the week. Make the decision once, then do the work.
4. Filing.
Set a day and time each
week for filing. Don't let it stack up. Give yourself
space to work.
5. Purge your
files on a regular schedule.
For example, purge files
every six months. Send these documents to storage. This
gives you more space to work.
6. Storing
records.
Store documents in boxes.
Mark the contents of each box. For instance, clients
A-F2002. Mark the destruction date on the box, D = June
02. Base your destruction date on the legal requirements
for your industry.
7. Toss out
stored documents on a regular schedule.
For example, two times per
year, visit the storage area and remove boxes that are
beyond the destruction date. Depending on your industry,
they may need to be shredded rather than put in the trash.
8. Color code
your records.
For example, clients with
first names beginning with A-F are in Orange folders; G-K
Yellow; L-P Blue; Q-Z Green. This will save you time when
you are searching for a file. You can also apply this to
AP, AR, Payroll, and Taxes. This can also be done by year.
For example, 2002 AP is blue; 2007 AP is purple.
9. Hot files.
Put a red cover on files
that you consider "hot." These could be urgent projects,
legally or financially sensitive, or important VIP
clients. Keep these visually at your fingertips.
10. Use out
guides.
If you work with other
people and share files, create a check-out system so that
files are not lost. Put the file name, taken-by name, and
date on a card and place it in an out guide box. When you
can't find what you want, check the box to see if your
co-worker is using the file. Be sure to remove the card
from the box when you return the file.
How to To Overcome
Fear
When faced with
fear, we often talk ourselves out of taking
action. Most of the time, we have nothing to
lose and everything to gain!
1.
Breathe!
When we are
excited, we get body sensations that can stop
us. Stop, take some deep breaths and then
proceed. This is especially important to help
your voice sound calm when your knees are
shaking.
2.
Remember, it isn’t about you!
When you get
rejection, it is usually because the other
person doesn’t need what you are offering. It
isn’t personal. They may just be having a bad
day. Or if they are genuinely a nasty person,
they gave you a break by not prolonging the
relationship!
3.
Picture The WORST
Can you live
through that? We awfulize most things and
imagine the outcome far worse than it usually
is. Ask yourself, what is the worst that can
happen? Most of the time, you can handle it!
4.
Master The Topic
If we feel
confident in our knowledge, the fear about
sharing it with others decreases. Even if they
don’t see value or agree with us, we feel
okay, because we have developed an expertise
that gives us confidence in ourselves.
5.
Put something at stake or give yourself reward
A reward or
penalty that is big enough will motivate
sometimes. A sales trainer coached a real
estate agent in making regular prospecting
calls to write a check for $1000 to his
ex-wife and have his secretary send it any day
he did not make the number of prospecting
calls he said he would.
6.
Get a Buddy
Taking on
something fearful with another person often
will get you through it and keep you from
having those dialogues in your head that try
to talk you out of it. A coach can also help
shine light into those dark areas!
7.
Talk about it out loud
Once you
identify the fear and talk about it out loud,
it will often diminish. Another technique is
to close your eyes and picture yourself doing
that thing you are afraid to do. Now run
through the same scene but do it very fast.
Now run through it very slow, next make it
silly, make it brighter, make it dimmer. Has
some of the fear dissipated?
8.
Read something inspirational or listen to tapes.
Play your
favorite motivational tape or read something
inspirational right before you take action to
help your mind focus on what is POSSIBLE
rather than what could derail you. Think about
how you will feel when you have taken action.
Write down the top 10 feelings you’ll have
when you have done this thing!
9.
Use your strengths-take the easy way!
Sometimes we
focus on thinking we "should" do things that
just aren’t our strengths. Take a look to see
if you can accomplish what you want some other
way. What easy ones can you do first? How can
you leverage what you already have without
having to tackle an unknown.
10.
If you have a frog to swallow, do it quickly
Don’t look at
it too long. Sometimes, there is no way around
the fact, you are going to have to take an
action that is fearful. The longer you fret
about it, there more energy you waste. JUST DO
IT!!!!
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