A Time Management Skill That Will Save You Hundreds of Dollars

Everyone is inundated with mail, bills, paperwork, and projects. The following time management strategy will help you concentrate, unclutter your desk, and be become organized for success.

The Fifty-Minute Hour to Sort and Organize
Set a timer for fifty minutes. During this time, focus on clearing clutter and organizing one area only. Whether this is the top of your desk, your inbox, or just one file cabinet drawer. Take a moment now to decide what area you would like to focus on for fifty minutes. Now ask yourself “What doesn’t belong here?” Scan the area. Is there food or cups on your desk? Are there papers or a project that you can pass on to someone else? Can some of those files in your drawer be relocated to long-term storage? Before you set something down, ask yourself, “Is this where this belongs?” If not, take and extra minute or two to put it in its proper place.

During this fifty-minute hour, sort the items in this area into four categories: Trash, Delegate/Donate, Recycle/Shred, or Keep. An important time and stress management tip is the one-minute task rule: if it takes less than one minute, do it now. That means that you can probably make a decision about each piece of paper on you desk in less than one minute, so decide if the paper you are holding in your hand is Trash, Delegate/Donate, Recycle/Shred, or Keep.

Trash is definitely anything broken, chipped, cracked, or any items that no longer work. If you don’t love it, need it, or use it, get rid of it. On my instructional CD, I teach you the Seven Clutter Clearing Questions as strategies for how you can eliminate clutter in your life.

Keep a Delegate/Donate bin, box, or bag in a common place in your home or office (i.e., front hall closet, laundry room, or garage) so that everyone in your house can add to it whatever they have outgrown or no longer want something. Donations are an act of generosity for others who may not be able to afford to purchase new items. “One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.”

Recycling/Shred: it is very important that every home and office has a shredder to prevent identity theft. Have you heard about identity theft? The statistics are staggering: one in five people will have their identity stolen! If you become a victim of identity theft, your entire financial life will be disrupted for months to a year. Identity theft is preventable.