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/

In The News:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Top Ten Motivators

Setting goals is the easy part -- but sticking with... Read More

Talkin About Chicken

Yesterday, I'd just gotten comfortable at my favorite table in... Read More

Time and Life, Bit by Bit

Looking out through my picture window during a recent winter... Read More

Biggest Time Management Mistake

The biggest time management mistake you can ever make is... Read More

Time Management for Sales Pros

According to a Miller Heiman 2003 Sales Effectiveness Study, over... Read More

Shifting Priorities Are The Norm

Years ago when I started in this business, it seemed... Read More

10 Tips on the Right Time of Day for Your Personal Best

Does choosing which time we do an activity really make... Read More

What is ?Life Balance? and How Can You Attain It?

We all face decisions that involve doing things that affect... Read More

How To Make Your Job Easier

The techies could do a lot more to make our... Read More

A Time-Saving Programming Tactic that Doesn?t Work

Let's say that you have a software project that's under... Read More

Time Management: A Non-Renewable Resource

Benjamin Franklin wrote: "If you want to enjoy one of... Read More

Tips to Manage Incoming E-mail

Friends, colleagues, and clients are all telling me that one... Read More

Beyond Time Management ? Seven Ways to Leverage Your Time for Greater Results

Most of us have a to-do list ? some of... Read More

How To Better Handle Your Mail

Letters, magazines, bills, flyers, what to do with them all.... Read More

The 3 Biggest Priority Busters

As a professional organizer, consultant and trainer, I have come... Read More

Spend Less Time at Work and Get More Done

Sounds too good to be true?It really isn't!In fact, studies... Read More

How Can I Get Some Time to Myself?

"I never seem to have any time for myself. What... Read More

Dont Forget To Take Time Out For You!

As mothers we play so many different roles and most... Read More

Time Invested Wisely = Your Dreams

This past Friday I was asked to speak with a... Read More

Time Management

Does it ever feel like there is never enough time... Read More

Work Smarter Not Harder

To work smarter all you need is the consciousness of... Read More

Busy, Busy, Busy

?busy, busy, busy, busy, busy?busy, busy, bus? OK, slap me... Read More

Whats Keeping You At The Office (9 Tips To Get Home Quicker)

"Work smarter, not harder" is a cliché that has darted... Read More

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

Despite the best of intentions, most of us don't use... Read More

Time Management: How to Stay Motivated and Get More Done

If you can motivate yourself at will to get any... Read More

Everythings Blurry Except For You

Riding the subway home yesterday, my typically silent car was... Read More

More Time Wanted? Deal with Your Time-wasters Now!

Ever feel that you spend too much time shoring up... Read More

21 Questions To Assess Your Readiness For Time Management

How many of us are guilty of "Putting the cart... Read More

Doing Things We Dread

As I sit here in front of the computer... Read More

7 Ways To Improve Your Life In 7 Days

Choose to be HappyHappiness is a choice. You can choose... Read More

Keeping YOUR Calendar Full

When do you want to make time for a networking... Read More

Save Your Time - Delegate!

Frustration is when an obstacle blocks your ability to achieve... Read More

Do You Over Promise and Under Deliver?

A new client recently admitted to me sheepishly that she... Read More