Steps to an Organized New Year
By Janet Barclay, MVA

If you've set a goal, resolution, or intention to be more organized in 2007, congratulations! You obviously recognize that being organized can help you to save time, money, and stress. Unfortunately, getting and staying organized is an ongoing process which, for most people, involves changing your daily habits, so don't be surprised if it doesn't happen for you overnight.

There are a few steps you can take now that will make the transition easier for you when the new year begins:

If you use a paper planner, copy birthdays and other annual events to your new calendar from last year's. If you use an electronic calendar, by marking all annual events as "recurring," you will be able to skip this step!

Enter the dates for any regular networking events, meetings, or other activities in your calendar. Once again, the recurring event function of your electronic calendar can save you time and reduce the risk of unintentionally missing out on an activity.

Start fresh by archiving old messages from your Inbox or moving them to a separate folder.

Clear off your desk! Remove everything except current projects and supplies you use every day.

Review any pending projects or issues that have been cluttering your space and/or your mind, and ask yourself whether they are still worth pursuing. If so, determine what is keeping you from moving forward with them, and take steps to make them happen.
The little time that will be required for these steps is an investment that will more than pay for itself in terms of your peace of mind and productivity over the coming months.

About the Author

Janet Barclay offers a variety of services for Maximizing Your Time and Space, including productivity coaching and training, virtual administrative assistance, and office organization. For additional information or to request a complimentary subscription to her monthly ezine, The Organized Assistant Resource, please visit www.organizedassistant.com

Permission is granted to use this article, as long as proper credit is given and you link back to this site. An email letting me know which article you have used and where would be appreciated.

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