Home
>
Time Management
>
File It: Boost Your Productivity in Only 15 Minutes Per Week

File It: Boost Your Productivity in Only 15 Minutes Per Week

Despite the best of intentions, most of us don't use good information management practices ? simple filing systems which enable us to keep track of our projects and resources. The mountain of paperwork piles up on top of us like an avalanche, and beyond that, there are PC files, emails and SMS to manage. Not many organisations have standard practices for information management and organising, sorting and systemising information is not something most of us have ever been taught how to do ? so it's hardly surprising that we struggle to find order among the chaos. Far from being a nuisance administrative task, effective information management is essential to your efficiency and productivity. Introducing simple systems and investing just 15 minutes per week can put you in control of your information and help you to become more efficient and productive.

Managing paperwork

Keeping it together. Create a central storage point for everything that requires filing ? a box or a folder labeled 'filing' ? and throw everything into it during the week.

Make time. Allocate 15 minutes each week for filing. Depending on the state you are in at the beginning, you may need to allocate more time than this to get on top of the task ? but from then on, 15 minutes per week should be a small enough time slot to find, but long enough to keep you on top of your paperwork.

Set up systems. When using filing cabinets, decide how you will allocate your space to make it easiest to locate your files: for example, rather than mixing all your files together you might decide to keep current customer files in one drawer and potential customer files and marketing information in a separate drawer, or you might choose to store current projects in one drawer and research and reference information in another, or you might decide to file everything in alphabetical order ? you get the idea ? look at the type of files you have and decide how to logically divide them into categories. Then, label the front of each drawer with the type of files it contains.

Colour it. Use colour coding to further systemise your files and to enable you to identify different types of files at a glance. Choose a range of coloured manila folders and allocate a different colour to use for different file types: for example, blue for customer files, purple for staff files, pink for project files and so on. Make a reference list of what each colour represents until you are familiar with your system.

What colour is today? Now set up a different coloured folder for each day of the week. Use these to file tasks that require action on certain days. Check the contents of your day-file as part of your 10-minute preparation at the end of each day and prioritise the tasks. Make sure you keep your day-files up to date by immediately filing papers relating to your daily tasks in the appropriate day-file, rather than in your 'filing' folder where you may not see it again until your allocated filing time.

Managing email

Virtual files. Set up folders in your email to file important information you have read or actioned and want to keep for future reference. These folders might mirror your hard-copy files to make it easy for you to cross-reference printed and online information relating to a particular subject.

Online colour. Learn how to colour code your incoming email so you can identify at a glance which emails require your immediate attention. Again, your colour coding might mirror your hard copy filing system while adding new colour categories for emails from friends and family.

Email rules. Establish rules for incoming email to help you sort the legitimate messages from the Spam, jokes and junk. Your email software can help you, for example, to send Spam messages directly to your trash, or to send e-zines or newsletters you subscribe to directly to a reading folder.

Read and delete. Many people have a tendency to want to keep emails ? set yourself some guidelines for what you want to keep and delete the rest once you have read or actioned them. And, don't keep emails in your inbox ? they'll only make you feel like you have more work than you really do and increase the chances you'll overlook something that needs your attention. Be disciplined: read, action then file or delete.

Spring clean. Schedule time to clean out your email regularly, once a month should be enough to keep you on top of it. Empty your deleted items and any unnecessary sent items, and go through any completed project or task folders and ensure that anything you are keeping is essential to your records. Cleaning out your email will ensure you are managing your email files and disk space effectively.

Neen is a Global Productivity Expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy ? and where they focus their attention ? Neen helps people to rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic speaker, author and corporate trainer, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice, sense of fun and uncommon common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Find out more at http://neenjames.com/

one time home cleaning Morton Grove ..

In The News:

The Berkeley Humanoid Light (BHL) is a lightweight, open source humanoid robot that anyone can build using 3D-printed parts and off-the-shelf components.

Meta’s new AI chatbot is getting personal, and it might be sharing more than you realize.

A new threat targets both Android and iPhone users: SparkKitty, a powerful mobile malware strain that scans private photos to steal cryptocurrency recovery phrases and other sensitive data.

Thanks to a team at the University of California, Davis, there's a new brain-computer interface (BCI) system that's opening up real-time, natural conversation for people who can't speak.

Privacy risks are hiding in plain sight, as your personal data is likely being collected, tracked, and sold without your knowledge.

VenHub, a fully autonomous, AI-powered smart store just opened at the LAX/Metro Transit Center in Los Angeles.

A woman's Facebook account takeover reveals dangerous social engineering tactics and provides lessons on recovery, avoiding scams and enacting stronger security measures.

Shanghai engineers are using 432 walking robots to relocate a complex, preserving Shikumen architecture while creating space for a modern underground hub and cultural center.

Major healthcare data analytics firm Episource had a cybersecurity incident exposing 5 million patients' medical records and personal information in recent breach.

A new sophisticated PayPal scam sends legitimate-looking emails from official PayPal addresses, using phone numbers instead of links to convince victims to download remote access tools.

Fox News' AI Newsletter brings you the latest on this rapidly evolving technology.

The innovative Kara Pod device extracts moisture from air to create mineral-rich water and brew coffee, featuring UV sterilization and compatibility with Nespresso pods.

Gov. Hochul unveiled New York's nuclear power plant project to power a million homes, which faces permit challenges while promising jobs and a cleaner energy future.

SAFE introduces Aerie, an underground luxury bunker combining high-end living with advanced security, wellness amenities and interactive walls simulating panoramic views.

A Facebook scammer posing as Elon Musk tricked a victim with promises of a Tesla and $250,000, requesting gift cards that become untraceable once the codes are shared.

Experience hands-free golfing with the Robera Neo smart caddie that uses AI to follow you, navigate obstacles and carry your clubs with GPS course mapping.

Cybersecurity alert: 16 billion passwords exposed in massive credential database affecting major platforms. Protect your accounts with password managers

The innovative BeBot robot uses electric power to remove pollution from shorelines, covering 20-30 times more area than manual collection while preserving wildlife.

A new ClickFix campaign targets macOS users with fake Spectrum support sites, tricking victims with CAPTCHA failures to paste commands that install information-stealing malware.

AI-powered autonomous trucks from Plus Automation are being tested across the U.S., Europe and Asia to solve logistics challenges while facing regulatory hurdles and labor concerns.

Your health information might feel private and secure with your doctor, but the reality is far more complicated. Data brokers collect a wide range of sensitive health data, from diagnoses and prescription details to personal identifiers, and sell this data to marketers, insurers, and other third parties.

Kepler Robotics has officially introduced its Forerunner K2 "Bumblebee" humanoid robot at the SAIC-GM automotive plant in Shanghai, marking a significant moment in the real-world deployment of advanced robotics.

Scammers never seem to be running out of new ways to try and get their hands on your money – and lately, they've been getting sophisticated.

Thirty people were injured and killed, though the exact number remains currently unknown, when a suicide bomber blew himself up in a Damascus church.

Unexpected password reset alerts signal potential hacking attempts or phishing scams. Learn how to respond and establish stronger security measures for your accounts.

File It: Boost Your Productivity in Only 15 Minutes Per Week

Time Management