Beyond Folders : organizing tips

Top 10 Ways to Store Summer Gear

Community Manager — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 14:09:00 GMT

Labor Day is approaching faster than ice cream cones melt on a hot August day. Before you know it, cool weather will spell retirement for boogie boards, beach umbrellas and other summer gear. Start your fall on an organized note with ten tips for storing seasonal summer items.

1. Wash and Dry: Before storing beach chairs, pails, etc. give each item a rinse and allow to dry in the sun so sand and salt don't corrode them during the off season.

2. Shrink, Wrap: Reduce the number of bulky items to store by deflating all beach balls and inner tubes and storing like items in a plastic storage bin.

3. Towel, Off: Free up closet space in the off-season by storing all beach towels and bathing suits in plastic storage bins in the garage, basement or attic.

4. Get Vertical: Maximize storage by going vertical: use your garage or basement walls to hang lightweight items. Mark off the dimensions of beach chairs, umbrellas, and surf and boogie boards along the wall. Next, add eye-hold screws along the measurements' perimeter and then use bungee cords to affix items to the wall.

5. Thrill Your Grill: Once the summer BBQ season is over, be sure to dismantle and clean your grill. Once the gunk is gone, coat the grill with a light oil spray to repel winter moisture and store in an indoor, protected environment such as a garage. The exception to this rule? Propane tanks: safety dictates well-ventilated, protected outdoor storage versus indoors.

6. Patio Protection: Hose down patio furniture and clean pillows with a mixture of water and mild detergent. Scrub mildew stains with a stiff brush. Allow all items to dry in the sun, then store indoors in a garage or basement.

7. Repair and Retire: Repair summer sports gear such as tennis racquets and swim goggles before storing for the winter. Make a list of items that need to be replaced before next summer and look for fall and winter sales to snap up bargains before next Memorial Day rolls around.

8. Swap Outgrown Items: Kids grow like weeds so don't waste time storing outgrown summer clothes and bikes, etc. Organize a swap with friends whose kids are older or younger to pass along outgrown items and inherit what your family can use the following year.

9. No Room at the Inn?: Nowhere to store your seasonal gear? Storage items are traditionally on sale in the fall as stores court back-to-school shoppers looking to get organized. Evaluate your current storage needs and stock up on what you're missing.

10. Toss: Sometimes an item just isn't meant to be stored. Turn a critical eye on your belongings. That slip 'n slide that is more slip than slide? Toss. Rusty gardening tools? Toss. Inner tubes that constantly lose air? Toss. You get the idea.

Renew Your Commitment to Your Career

Community Manager — Thu, 12 May 2011 13:46:00 GMT

Flower buds and slender green leaves are popping up all over signaling spring's arrival. Take a cue from this season of renewal to take stock of your career. Too often, we're so busy punching the time clock, meeting deadlines and moving from project to project that there's no time to stop and evaluate where our career is heading. Do yourself a favor and put the spring-cleaning projects on hold for a weekend and instead take some time to assess your career and its trajectory.

Not sure of how to begin? We've assembled some useful reading material to get you started.

Own It

We like the advice in A To-Do List for the CEO of Your Career. The article encourages people to understand that their skills and career are not static, but rather must be constantly reinvented. Adding new skills and embracing new opportunities is not only smart, it's essential in order to remain marketable. In a nutshell, say good-bye to the notion of climbing a corporate ladder, rung after rung, and hello to the idea of a career lattice, composed of different paths and branches.

Be Prepared

Even if a job hunt isn't on your to-do list, advancing a career can look a lot like job hunting. For terrific tips on steps that all employees should take for advancement even when you're happy to say put, read Top 10 Career Moves Even the Happily Employed Should Make. Advice includes networking ideas, building your online brand as well as resume updating.

Get Networked

Nurturing your career isn't just about adding new skills; it's about nourishing your network. Commit time and energy into building your network - both vertically and laterally. Vertical networking might be about finding a mentor and as well as extending yourself to mentees. And don't neglect lateral networking across your peer group. For more ideas on networking as a savvy career move, read Test the Strength of Your Network.

How do you nurture you career? How often do you evaluate your career? Share your thoughts here and on the Pendaflex Facebook page.

by Candie Harris

Living Without Your Computer

Community Manager — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 18:54:00 GMT

In our 24/7 global world, where even our phones our smart, going without the connectivity and computing power of our laptops, PCs and tablets seems unthinkable.

Technology journalist David Lake went computer-free for 20 days and lived to tell the tale. Lake's computer-free diet taught him that the pangs of computer withdrawal are real, the absence of the Internet creates oodles of free time, and it's hard to find a typewriter repairperson.

Could You Live Without a Computer?

For many of us, work and computers are inextricably linked and going without is impractical. But could you put down your Blackberry and back away from your Facebook page for 24 or 48-weekend hours? And does taking a break from technology enhance, or compromise, one's productivity and efficiency?

Deprived of email, texting and Facebook, would you write a letter to a friend or pick up the phone to call? When You-Tube goes dim, would you head to the movies or visit the library rather than your Kindle iPad app? How about abandoning Wii Fit for a brisk walk outside?

Experts agree that downtime at work is necessary to reboot productivity. So would technology-breaks further recharge the batteries? Every individual is different but New York Times journalist Mark Bittman found that his self-imposed weekend technology-breaks over a six-month period restored a "thoughtfulness, a kind of calm" to a life that otherwise runs at breakneck speed.

Do you ever "unplug" from technology for set periods of time? How does technology-free time change you day-to-day? Share your thoughts here and on the Pendaflex Facebook page.

by Bradley Eggers

Refresh Your Office, Reboot Your Productivity

Community Manager — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 17:07:00 GMT

Office blahs got you down? Feeling ho hum at work? For a quick pick-me-up, try transforming your office space.

Whether you call home, a cubicle or the corner suite the office, we all clock many hours a day at work. Experts say your day-to-day environment can have a profound effect on your attitude. And if "familiarity breeds contempt" - or at least the blahs - then a change, even a subtle one, can create a sense of vitality and energy. A new look for your office can give you a new outlook at work!

Ready to reboot?

Create breathing room: A simple clean up may be enough to do the trick. Toss old newspapers, magazines, coffee cups, unused office accessories and clutter in the trash. Look around, the view is better already!

Let there be light: Fluorescent lights provides visibility, not atmosphere. If your office policy permits, add a task lamp to your desk. Look for one in a fun color - bright yellow, hot pink - or add a decorative lamp with a shade casting a warm, soft light.

Seek inspiration: You work for a reason: to provide for your family, for money for hobbies or travel, to further your career. Use pictures to remind you of what matters most or what inspires you. Perhaps it's a travel poster of a longed for destination or photos of your children or pet. Screensavers of nature shots or family vacation photos can also perk up your mood. Rotate these images periodically for a fresh source of smiles.

Nature's Bounty: Fresh flowers are a mood enhancer but there's no need to spring for costly bouquets. Think holly branches in the winter and daffodils in the spring. Even clear bowls of pine cones or seashells are beautifully decorative and wonderfully free. Take pains to brighten your space, you spend enough time there to make it worthwhile.

Move it!: If possible, rearrange the furniture. In a cubicle this can be difficult to do, but even within a cube, you can often shift your monitor or move your filing cabinet. In a larger office or at home, try repositioning your desk to afford a different perspective. Again, depending on where you work and what's permissible, a fresh coat of paint, new wall art or rug can also do wonders in giving an old office a new look.

Does your work space affect your productivity? How do you create a nurturing work environment? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Carly Fadako

Thriving During the Holidays: Advice from Across the Web

Community Manager — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 14:26:00 GMT

Getting organized for the holidays can be a big nut to crack. Luckily its Nutcracker season! If your holiday to-do list is so long you're worried about finding time to enjoy yourself, we posted some great holiday organizing advice last week and this week have rounded up wonderful holiday tips from a few of our favorite bloggers.

So sit down, grab a cup of hot chocolate and get ready for some rocking holiday advice.

Remember the Reason for the Season: Zen Habits, the blog about mindful living and doing more with less, shares thoughts on making the season meaningful in How to Be Mindful During the Holidays, in 350 words.

When Family is Frustrating: Not all holidays are Brady Bunch-perfect. Family get-togethers can be stressful. The blog "The Happiness Project" dispenses sound advice on dealing with challenging family members in 7 Tips for Getting Along with Your Difficult Relatives Over Thanksgiving.

Give the Gift of Organization: What's better than a book? A book that will get you organized and off on the right foot in 2011! Creative Organizing recommends these reads in Holiday Gift Ideas for the Organizer on Your List: Books.

Hooray for Useful Gifts!: Organizing maven Erin Rooney of the Unclutterer doesn't want you (or your friends and family) struggling under piles of useless junk. Rooney dishes out useful gift ideas in the Unclutterer's 2010 Holiday Gift Giving Guide: Practical Presents.

Twelve Days My Foot!: When the holiday decorations begin to go up after Halloween, the season can seem a lot longer than the 12 days of yore. And in truth, the shopping, baking, decorating and wrapping can take weeks. Time for the handy planners on the blog Life, Your Way. They're called Christmas planners but they work for any holiday or major event you're planning.

Do you have any favorite holiday organizing tips? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook page.

by Candie Harris

Assessing Your Daily Routine

Community Manager — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 14:09:00 GMT

Be honest. How often do you hit the snooze button? We've all had days where the only time for quiet contemplation are the moments between the alarm's brrrring and when our feet hit the floor.

Stop moving on autopilot. This fall carve out time to assess your daily routine. Do a soup-to-nuts overview of where you are in your life and how it functions.

Take Time to Make Time

This assessment is going to look different for different people. Some of you want to squeeze fifteen more minutes of productivity into your day, others hope to create that much efficiency in an otherwise disorganized day. Regular readers of our posts may have time-management and organizing firmly in hand, but might be looking to add another dimension to their days, be it extra energy, sense of purpose or even greater happiness. Yes, happiness.

Writer Maria Robinson has observed "Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending." So take a look at your day and work towards your new ending.

Create Extra Time

Are you a juggling, multitasker who has most bases covered but needs an extra 15 minutes? Tips for squeezing more productivity out of an otherwise organized day include:

Steal time from tasks. Emails take 20 minutes a day? Allot yourself 15.
Delegate. Older kids can take over certain tasks. Ditto spouses or hired professionals.
Take advantage of technology. Coffee timers can brew your pot while you shower. Grocery shop and pay bills online.
Remember good enough works, perfection is not necessary. This is crucial for the hyper organized amongst us to remember.
Say no

For more tips, read 15 Ways to Find Extra Time and 5 Time-Management Tricks.

Organize Your Time

Do you move through your day haphazardly? Hoping to make it through your to-do list, running late and constantly in search of a missing item? Taking the time to organize your time and belongings will make your days more productive and less stressful.

Make a to-do list and prioritize it
Set a schedule for tackling tasks
Schedule your day/week to include time for organizing and downtime

Find a personal organizing solution that works for you and stick with it. At a loss for where to begin? Consider hiring a professional organizer or try a popular system such as David Allen's Getting Things Done.

For more tips, read our past post Tackle Your To-Do List with Time-Blocking and Time Management Training: How to Manage Time and Maximize Effectiveness.

Add Meaning to Your Time

Effective time management adds productivity to your days and decreases stress but it can also do more. Spend time to add value to your days: organize your calendar to find time for exercise, meditation or that wholly American pursuit, happiness.

These innovative resources suggest ways to add what you value to your days:

What does your daily routine look like? Do you have any tips for assessing your routine and making the most of your days? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Carly Fadako

Downside of Disorganization

Community Manager — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 13:09:00 GMT

"One of the advantages of being disorganized is that one is always having surprising discoveries." A.A. Milne

Stumbling upon a long forgotten pot of honey might have delighted A.A. Milne's most famous literary character Winnie-the-Pooh but for most of us, disorganization leads to unpleasant surprises. Unpaid bills. Overlooked invitations. Expired documents. The list goes on.

The Beyond Folders bloggers spend a lot of time offering tips and resources for turning piles into files and for clearing clutter from your desk tops (both virtual and physical!) but sometimes what's really needed is not how-to advice but why-to inspiration.

Why be Organized?

Being disorganized is a luxury most of us can't afford. Late bills equal extra finance charges and fees. Lost receipts leads to footing bills for company expenses rather than getting proper reimbursement. Crammed cabinets results in duplicate and triplicate items piling up, unused. Read on for what being disorganized is costing you:

Being disorganized not only exacts a financial toll, it can cause unwanted stress and can even make you sick. Sound extreme? Consider how your blood pressure skyrockets when you're frantically searching for that must-have document that is who-knows-where? And dust mites and germs lurk in piles of clutter. Unclutter and unwind. For more about the link between being disorganized and your health read on:

Do you see a downside to disorganization? What inspired you to kick your clutter habit? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Carly Fadako

Organizing by Deputizing

Community Manager — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:50:00 GMT

Want to be organized? Not sure how to proceed? Consider outsourcing the job to a pro.

Professional organizers can help you deal with everything from papers to your kitchen cabinets to your time management challenges. They have the been-there-done-that expertise in every area of organizing that many of us lack.

How can a pro help?

Professional organizers offer a wide variety of services, ranging from general organizing for home and office to specialists who provide services in niche areas such as estate planning or home staging and moving services. This comprehensive article by ProfessionalOrganizersOnline.com lists the many areas where pros can be helpful

How to find a get-organized guru?

Start with the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). For 25 years, this industry group has served as a clearinghouse for information and experts working in the organizing industry. NAPO has a state-by-state database of professionals and offers information about criteria to consider when hiring a pro.

Once you've found a few good candidates, be sure to interview each just as you would any prospective hire. Does the pro have expertise in the particular area you need help? Check to see if they are licensed and insured and be sure to check references. Also, be clear about fees and expenses before getting started. For more questions to ask when hiring a professional, check out these two helpful resources:

Investing in organizing pays dividends

Hiring a professional to tackle your organizing might seem like a luxury but consider that the investment can actually free up time and money.

Do you restock your pantry with items you already own? Keep buying items for the home that you know are already there...somewhere? Is your home office running on slo-mo because invoicing and paperwork keeps piling up? Would you rather hit the beach than tackle the task of locating those beach chairs in your buried basement?

If you've answered yes to any of these questions, it's time to outsource your organizing.

Have you used a professional organizer? Was it helpful? Do you have any tips for maintaining organization after working with a pro? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Carly Fadako

Best Old and New Organization Tools

Community Manager — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:31:00 GMT

Life requires organization. Fortunately a host of tools can help. We've assembled a must-have list ranging from the simple notepad and pen to the latest iPhone app. Read on and study up, it's time to get organized.

Old School

Not all organizing tools are high-tech. Consider that lowliest of office items, the waste basket. Tossing unneeded items is Organization 101.

Other so-simple-yet-so-useful items include:

A stack of 3×5 index cards. Use for lists, notes. Easy to file or toss. Cheap and portable.
A notebook and pen. As old-fashioned as it gets. Find a size and style that works and buy in bulk.
A Filofax. Keeps your calendar and contacts close at hand.
Post-it notes. Highly visual reminders when used sparingly.
Label maker. Defines where items belong.
Shredder. Eliminates sensitive and/or unnecessary documents.

New School

Take advantage of technology. Digital note-taking, to-do lists, mind-mapping, and personal organization tools all make being organized just a click away.

PDAs. Provide calendar, address book, to-do lists, documents/applications such as Word and Excel, clock and can sync with work calendars.
Scanners. Go paperless; scan must-keep documents/biz cards then toss.
Digital note taking and to-do lists. Backpack, Task Toy, Remember the Milk, and Ta-da lists are just a few examples of mostly free, easy to use eLists.
Personal organizing tools. Again, too many options to list; Google Calendar, Ecco Pro and Time & Chaos are a few standouts.

For more information on leading digital note taking, to-do lists and time tracking tools, read Blogging Bit's comprehensive article 40 Best Personal Organization Tools To Boost Your Productivity.

Too Cool for School

Technology adds a "wow" factor to staying organized. Tools so innovative, you didn't even know you needed them, keep popping up on the technology landscape. Here are some funky (and functional!) tools:

JotNot. An iPhone app that turns your phone into a scanner.
reQall. Turn your phone into a personal assistant. Dictate your to-dos, reminders, appointments and ReQall translates your commands into actionable tasks.
do.Oh. A to-do list with a twist-a zany poll-making this web app a fun use.
RoamBi. Excel docs and phones don't mix well. RoamBi takes spreadsheet files and turns them into "visualizations" - pie charts, bar graphs, flip books and other designs made especially for a small interface.

Do you have any favorite organizing tools we overlooked? What is your must-have list? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Carly Fadako

Clean Sweep for Productivity

Community Manager — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:53:00 GMT

Do you hear the birds singing as you walk to your car for your morning commute? Can you look out your office window and catch a glimpse of colorful trees and flowers in full bloom?

Make A Clean Sweep

Yes, spring is here. That time of renewal and reawakening when some inner or - more likely - outer force compels us to take a good look around and clean sweep our lives into order.

I am in the business of helping people work and live more efficiently. So, naturally, I consume lots of information on how we can all be more productive. To honor the new season and create room for new insights, I thought I would clean sweep my virtual library and share some of my favorite productivity articles with you. I hope you enjoy them. And if they inspire you to get into the sweep of things, feel free to share your spring productivity tips with us here or at the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

To start things off, the Productivity 501 blog shares some funny anecdotes about that major productivity buster, the messy desk. Here is my favorite quote: "Your mind doesn't organize everything in neat little boxes. However, this might be even more of a reason to try to keep your work environment in some semblance of order."

While we are on the subject of quotes, here is a great compilation of personal productivity quotes you can mine for self-motivation or to inspire others at your next team meeting. You might also want to share Peter Bregman's pair of Harvard Business Review posts on optimizing productivity by curbing time wasters at work:

The Worth-Your-Time Test

The Cardinal Rule of Rules

If you like handy tips and tools for greater productivity, take a look at:

10 Simple Google Search Tricks

10 Apps You Can't Do Without

Twelve Cool Tools for Writers and Others

Last, but not least, if you would like to create your own productivity resource library, you can start with this list of The 20 Best Productivity and Personal Development Blogs.

by Carly Fadako

Workspace Design Inspiration

Community Manager — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 12:36:00 GMT

"The evolution of office spaces toward greater comfort and visual appeal has been taking place for about 15 years. Then why do so many workspaces remain devastatingly ugly?"

Christina Nunez poses this compelling question in her NPR article, When Bad Office Design Happens to Good People. Writing with empathy for cubicle dwellers everywhere, Nunez culls a list of suggestions for beautifying these workspaces - or, at least, for making them a bit less dreadful. Here is a sampling:

Add a task lamp to "counter a washed-out lighting scheme"
Bring in a plant or two
Change things around with some books from home, an inspiring quote display and/or some photos
Place cushions on low filing cabinets to brighten the area and provide seating for visitors

If you work at home as I do, or have a good amount of freedom when it comes to designing your workspace, you can take some creative direction from Smashing Magazine's gallery of inspirational workplaces. There's more inspiration on tap in this post offering 90+ Home Office Hacks and this one showcasing 10 Cool Items for Your Design Workspace.

But, you might want to temper your design impulses with these practical tips on setting up a healthy, usable workspace (courtesy of Lifehacker):

Keep things ergonomically-friendly (pay attention to your posture and the position of your computer's keyboard, mouse and monitor)
Take regular breaks
Keep your desk clutter-free and organized

Need some help with this last tip? Try taking the 3 Steps to a Permanently Clear Desk detailed in a post from zenhabits.

by Carly Fadako

Cutting Paper Clutter in Five Easy Steps

Community Manager — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:20:00 GMT

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Mountains. Stacks. Cascades. Whatever word you use to describe it, paper clutter can be overwhelming. Here are some practical paper management steps you can take to embrace the old adage everything in its proper place and regain control of your workspace.

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