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Orchestrating a New You for the New Year by Wendy Townley ORGANIZE YOUR LIFE Among the tasks necessary to survive each day, making time to organize is vital. Having a home or office where important papers are within reach can save time to accomplish other, more time-consuming tasks. "Of all the complaints I hear from people, one of the biggest problems is clutter," explains Maria Gracia, the founder of Get Organized Now!™, a Watertown based business helping people worldwide to better manage their lives. People pile rather than deal, Gracia says, "Paper is a major problem. It just keeps piling up, getting worse over time." It's no secret that the amount of paper received on a daily basis is staggering. From bills, to magazine inserts, to junk mail, to newspapers, the idea that technology would reduce the amount of paper doesn't seem to be holding much truth. The problem, Gracia explains, lies in the placement and categorization of all this paper. "A kitchen is easy to organize. Milk goes in the refrigerator and canned soup goes with canned soup. Paper is harder to organize." When your car insurance bill, for example, arrives in the mailbox, should it be placed in an expense file or an auto file? That confuses most people, she says, so they don't deal with it--and it starts to pile up. "One thing people have to remember is that all this paper is not going to go away. You have to manage it." Gracia suggests taking 15 minutes both at home and work each day for paper management. At that time, she says, take care of that pile that seems to be growing. If something needs to be filed, file it. If a document needs to be copied, copy it. The same rings true when at home. Toss out the junk mail you know you're not going to read. If you subscribe to a magazine that is never read and only replaced by the newest issue, cancel the subscription. Gracia suggests the four D's to manage paper: do it; delegate it; delay it; and dump it. "If a paper requires action, do it. Take care of it when you receive it." As for delegating paper, pass it on if it doesn't pertain to you. "A lot of people get memos and papers that just don't have anything to do with them." At this point, it may be smart to dump that paper. "Over 80 percent of what you receive paper-wise on a daily basis can easily be thrown away." The third tip, to delay the paper, may seem like the wrong advice. Putting it off can only make the pile bigger, right? "By delaying some paper, it means you file that document for later use," Gracia advises. "The idea is to keep paper moving, not letting it stagnate in one place." So when the new year rolls around, keep in mind your personal goals and the changes you're looking to make in your life. While the beginning of a new year is a great time to wipe that slate clean, both large and small changes to improve your lifestyle can be made at anytime during the year. (c) Copyright December 2000 - Delta Connections Magazine Return to the Get Organized Now!™ About Us Page Return to the Get Organized Now!™ Home Page |