Happy New Year! I hope you all had a pleasant holiday!
I wanted to talk about something that is near and dear to my heart – organization.
This past December, I was looking for some business information, but couldn’t find it. I tore my office apart and still couldn’t find what I needed. I spent so much time looking for this paperwork that I grew frustrated with myself. I knew I needed to get organized and vowed to go into 2018 clutter-free. I knew this wasn’t going to be easy, but I was up for the challenge!
I started by writing down what I wanted from this process. I wanted to be able to find the information I needed in minutes, I wanted to go paperless, and I wanted less physical clutter in my home. My main reason for getting ultra-organized was because I knew it would help me with writing.
How does being organized help me with writing? The less time I spend looking for items, the more time I can spend on writing. Also, I’ve noticed that when my home is clear, my mind is clear. This allows me to be more creative and focused.
I began this process of going clutter-free by gathering all of my business information and putting it in a clear bin. Then I moved onto the piles of paper in my home. I scanned each page using an app called Fast Scanner Pro. It is a genius app that everybody should have, which allows you to scan directly from your phone and e-mail it to yourself or save it on a site like Box.com.
You do know about Box.com, right? It’s a cloud content management service where you can upload, save, and share your files. You can even make custom folders on your account to house your scan’s by category and then by year, etc. It’s essential if you’re attempting to go paperless like me!
My next step was to purge. I started by placing items my family and I no longer needed into bags and then took those bags to the Salvation Army as a donation. I honestly feel a lot lighter.
Here are some techniques I use to keep my space clutter-free:
- As soon as I get mail, I immediately decide if it gets thrown away or scanned. If scanned, I do it right away. No paper, no mess.
- I purge. When I see things piling up, I know it’s time to sell or donate. I set it aside and take it to the donation center within a few days.
- I delete 25 messages from each e-mail account every morning to keep my inbox maintainable.
- I keep a single bin in the living room where I place my current journals and books so they aren’t cluttering my space.
I know what you’re thinking. Can I really do this? Yes, you can. All you need to do is set aside some time and commit to the process. Once you do, you’ll have greater focus and creativity for your writing. You can do it!
When you’re done, send me your before and after photos! I would love to see them.
