Professional Organizing in Madison, Wisconsin

     In the May 2011 issue of the Primo Solutions, LLC newsletter, I wrote an article on how to create a Command Center.  You can find it here:

http://archive.aweber.com/primosolutions/UcVo

     In this article, I'd like to go into a little more detail on how to put a command center into action.   One of the main reasons for having a command center is to filter out information.  We can't possibly read or do all the information that comes into our homes, so a command center is an intentional place to triage information....make decisions as to what information will make it into our lives and what information will go into the Circular File.  (The Trash!!!!)

Tip One:  Location, Location, Location

     It's important to have a designated location and to be firm with yourself on using that location only to process your paperwork.  I like to use the analogy of the task of getting dressed.  Have you ever decided to get dressed in the living room in front of the TV?  Or in the car?  I hope not!   You probably get dressed in an area near where you store your toiletries, clothes, jewelry and maybe a mirror.  The right tools for the right job.  The same is true of processing paperwork.  If you open your mail in different places around the house, you will not have the tools you need to complete the job and you also won't be in the mind set of making decisions - a key compontent to processing paperwork.

TipTwo: Clutter is Post-Phoned Decisions®

     Speaking of making decisions, it takes focus and energy to make sure you are tossing everything you should be.  Author Barbara Hemphill has a great set of questions to help you make that decision.  With every piece of paper or information that you don't know what to do with, ask yourself these questions: 

1. Do you need to take action on this information?
2. Is it difficult to obtain this information again?
3. Is the information recent enough to be useful?
4. Does it have tax or legal implications?
5. Can you think of a specific situation in the future where you would use this information?
6. What is the worst thing that would happen if you tossed this paper, and then you later found out you needed it again?

Tip Three: Have you ever heard of opportunity costs?  

     In general, we tend to think of what would happen if we needed information and didn't have it.  It's easy to say "but I might use that someday!"  But what if we were to change our thought process, and instead ask ourselves what opportunities are we missing because we are too busy looking for, filing and managing all the information that comes at us?  We can be paralyzed by too much information, too many choices and too many paper piles.  This stifles our creativity and zaps our energy, leaving us to wonder what great things we could achieve without the paper clutter.

Tip Four: A word of caution:  

     Be patient with yourself!  No one becomes a perfect information filter in one day.  You are bound to toss something that you wish you hadn't - it's the only way we learn.  So let yourself make mistakes, learn from them, and move on.

     Please feel free to contact me if you have questions or concerns using your command center or filtering out information.  I'd love to hear your stories as well!

All the Best,

Dannie

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