DrDeClutterBlog.com

How many emails do you have in your email inbox?

How many can you really read in this lifetime?!

Maybe it’s time to take a deep breath and press the DELETE ALL button, declutter your inbox, and start over.

Cluttered, overloaded inboxes waste time and sacrifice productivity. Use these 7 simple ways to declutter your inbox and get time and space back quickly.

1. Set up Priority Inbox.

If you use Gmail, you may be missing out on an amazing feature called Priority Inbox. Priority Inbox puts new emails in two different places within your inbox – one for ones it considers important, and another for ones it considers unimportant, based on the sender and subject line. So, eventhough you might have 90+ new emails when you fire up your computer in the morning, you can immediately see the 12 that need your attention, rather than getting lost in a sea of “daily deal” offers and cat slideshows until lunch.

Check your email provider options and see if it has something like this.

2. Create filters.

Many email providers allow you to set up filters for certain types of emails. You can use these filters to do lots of things – apply a certain label to an email, delete it, send it immediately to a certain folder and more. For the emails that you get a lot of that aren’t urgent, set up filters for them to skip your inbox and go straight into a certain folder to look at later. Then, once a day, go into that folder and see what’s new. I use this for topics I research often and get great ideas to help my blog readers.

3. Create and name folders.

This is like using the auto-filter system, but you create the folder and then click and drag, or click and move the email to your specified folder.

4. Use Boomerang For Gmail.

Boomerang is a free plug-in for Firefox and Chrome with Gmail that allows you to do things like schedule an email to send in the future, bring an email back to your inbox at a certain time (like your flight itinerary the day before your trip) or return an email back to your inbox if you have not received a reply to it after X days. Rather than leaving an email in your inbox just to remind yourself to follow up on it or have it to easily access for later, use Boomerang to clear it out for now and have it come back when you actually need it.

5. Unsubscribe from 90 percent of the lists you’re on.

While you probably just delete most of these unwanted emails every day — like snail-junk-mail that you keep recycling but don’t actually get off their mailing list — they clog your inbox, keep coming back, waste your time checking them off and then pushing delete, and make it hard for you to see the emails that actually matter.

Ways to unsubscribe:

a) If your email system will sort under the FROM column (Gmail will not unfortunately), click on FROM and they will line up A-Z. Find the ones you want to unsubscribe from and click open only one of them. Find the unsubscribe, usually at the bottom, click and complete. Then, go back into your email and delete all from that same sender. Done!

b) Or, for a span of about a week or so, every time you get an email you do not want to receive take the time to open it, scroll down, and unsubscribe from the list. It will require a little more time upfront but it will pay off in the long run when the number of emails you receive on a daily basis goes way, way down.

c) Use the Swizzle. You can also use a service like the Swizzle to help you unsubscribe from a ton of lists all at once or to opt to receive daily digests from certain lists instead of individual emails.

6. Use your calendar rather than your inbox.

People often leave emails in their inbox to remind them to do something – to make a call, start a project, or to follow up with someone. Instead of taking up valuable inbox space with emails you have already read, schedule these to-dos in your calendar to remind yourself. If you’ve been meaning to call to make an appointment somewhere but the place doesn’t open until Tuesday, create an event in your calendar for Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. as a reminder, rather than leaving the related email in your inbox (which you might not even see on Tuesday anyway because you have another dozen to 100 that came in since then and it’s just too overwhelming).

7. Delete them all and start over!

The co-founder of Twitter says that he has “email bankruptcy every 30 days.” He deletes them all and starts over. He said that he gets thousands of emails a month and doesn’t have an assistant or anyone to help, and wants to keep it that way and personal. So, he dumps them all and says, “If someone really wants to contact me, they’ll email me again, or, try Twitter!”

Like decluttering anything, when you finally do it, it really does feel great.

2 BONUS E-DECLUTTER IDEAS:

Like material clutter, every time you opt into a new one new ezine, you have to unsubscribe from one.

Or, just like “you can’t buy anymore because there’s no room, no place to put more,” think of your inbox the same way. You can’t “bring any more home” unless you declutter first!

Personal Note:

Of course, I hope you enjoy my newsletter enough to not delete it or unsubscribe! But, it’s okay if you do too, I understand.

Find more information on decluttering home and office/paper and more in my information packed ebook

Burn Your House Down! And 99 other ways to create an organized life.

Wait for a quick ad and then you’re in!

Using your laptop at your favorite cafe, latte’ lounge or airport?

Many computer and data security experts say you should avoid public Wi-Fi all together due to the rise in free Wi-Fi hacking.

There are ways to be more secure. If you need to check something on the internet, you can follow these suggestions to keep your risk to a minimum.

Here are 9 suggestions and tips to help you out.

   You can also read more about FREE Wi-Fi tips from John Sileo.

1. Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection.

Check with your work or school to see if it offers this connection. Turning on a VPN connection on a public Wi-Fi network is like creating a secure digital tunnel your data can travel through that is out of reach of hackers. Data is encrypted. Some companies will provide you with a VPN client, which is software on your computer.

2. Use encrypted browsing.

When connecting to websites, see if there is an “s” after “http” in the your browser. It should look like “https://” This insures the data you’re sending and receiving from this website is encrypted on a Wi-Fi network. Watch out while using websites that don’t use this type of browsing.

3. Turn off sharing!

Many laptops have “sharing” enabled on some of their hard drives and printers. This allows someone using the same network as you to open up whatever you have “shared.” To find out how to turn off sharing, you can usually find the answer in the help section of your computer software. Right-clicking on your hard drive and folder icons can also open up the properties section in Windows so you can disable sharing.

4. Set up firewalls on your computer or device. Firewalls can be set up using software that will filter data. Firewalls can be set to stop connections to certain websites while on a public Wi-Fi network.

5. Don’t do any banking or shopping on public networks.

Even if you’re using an encrypted connection, it’s best to avoid plugging in credit card numbers while using pubic Wi-Fi. Thieves have been known to watch people type in their credit card numbers on keyboards.

6. Don’t automatically connect to Wi-Fi networks.

Some devices and computers have a setting that allow you to “remember” Wi-Fi network so you don’t have to repeatedly click on it to connect. Leaving this function on can cause your computer to connect to the network without your knowledge.

7. Use reputable anti-virus software.

Hackers can also install malware on your laptop if you’re using their bogus Wi-Fi network. The malware can be used to log your keystrokes.

8. Question the Wi-Fi network.

If you must use public Wi-Fi, ask the business behind it to make sure you’re connecting to the legit network. Employees or management at a hotel or coffee shop should be able to recognize the network.

9. Change your passwords routinely and use multiple passwords.

Hackers know people have a habit of using the same two or three passwords for their email, banking and social media accounts. Try not to use the same passwords and routinely change them to something complex. Avoid incorporating children’s names or birthdays in your passwords.

See this full article and tips at Denver 9news.com.

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While growing up in my parent’s home my mom was adamant that we kids thanked people for gifts, as in “Thank you notes.” I’m really big on sending thank you’s. I love sending them and receiving them! Mom did a great job of training us up right on this one for sure! Well, at least I learned it!!

Thank you notes are important for any reason, but for this post I’m focusing on the holidays.

WHAT CONSTITUTES A THANK YOU NOTE IN OUR HIGH-TECH CULTURE?

There a lots of ways to say thank you.

1. Make a phone call.

2. Email.

3. Text.

4. Facebook DM.

5. Tweet.

6. But, really, this is the way I’m talking about – mail, real paper and envelope and stamp in “snail” mail.

Why real mail?

Our tech-savvy world is all interesting, necessary and etc., but standing still, taking real time, effort and thought and truly being grateful is getting lost quickly in our digital age.

Real cards in the mail mean a lot to people. They really stick with us as opposed to a fleeting email or text that is lost in the e-stack of others, read so quickly that, like Teflon, it slides right off our mind, emotions and memory.

Have you sent thank you’s to people for your Christmas gifts yet? Don’t wait until February, do it this month while it’s still fresh in your mind.

Click on card above to order if you don’t have any!

9 REASONS TO SEND THANK YOU NOTES

1. You are grateful, appreciative and thankful for the gift, gesture, event or whatever, right? Show your gratitude.

2.  We all love to be acknowledged for what they are doing well.

3.  By sending a thank-you note, you show others common courtesy and respect.

4.  A thank-you note lets you say lots of other good stuff too that you might still want to share, a nice completion to Christmas before the new year rolls in and over us too quickly and it’s all forgotten.

5. Because, love is a verb.  A thank you note means that you took your time and attention and “loved” this person and what they did.

6.  Sending a “real” thank you note is a learned skill for most people that is all about social skills, communication skills as well as life, business and relationship skill building. (Teach your kids now!)

7. You will get good back 180 for doing this. What we give, we receive 100 fold in ways that may surprise you.

8. Because it feels so good! And, when we feel good and share love back, we are helping our mental, emotional, physical and spiritual selves.

9. It keeps us grounded and human in our fast-paced, distracted, detached world.

Writing thank-you notes shouldn’t be hard, but will take a bit of your time. Find or make the time and love others back with a real thank you today. My mom will be proud!

Here are more generic examples. Click to buy now if you don’t have time to shop! Use all year long for all notes of appreciation!

Do charities and causes reaching out to your mind and pocket during the holidays wear you down?

During the upcoming weeks you may be bombarded with “opportunities to donate” in the form of pamphlets, flyers and whatever else comes handed to you at the doors of your grocery store (feed the poor); at work (give); on your door (donate); at your place of worship or community (upcoming events), in your mail box (we need your support again this year) and more.

Flyers. Pieces of colored paper promoting something important. Are they really?

STOP PAPER OVERWHELM

Yes, well… some of these things ARE important and you may even want to be a part of them, donate or whatever. However, you don’t have to take the flyer to do it. The plan here is to stop more unwanted, unsolicited pieces of paper from cluttering up your car, purse, briefcase, pockets and house.

KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOUR SELF!

I’ve learned that the easiest way for me to do this is to keep my hands in my pockets or behind my back. I “used to” be one of those people who just automatically accepted stuff that was put in front of me. The first couple of times I didn’t accept those pieces of paper I felt odd, kind of wrong, like something was missing. I got over it!

HOLIDAY DONATION CLUTTER PREVENTION PLAN

It’s okay not to accept pieces of paper, including business cards! It’s okay to listen to the pitch. It’s great to give and participate. But, be selective.

1. Plan your giving. You literally can not give to all charities or causes. It’s not possible.

2. Do all accepting and giving from an open and loving heart, not begrudgingly or from duty.

3. Feel free to contact the cause organization and get off their mailing list.

Happy Holidays. Give from your heart and have a wonderful (less cluttered) holiday season!

Kim

Did you know that your iPhone is a perfect organizing tool?

The iPhone can be used for everything from listening music to recommending a nearby restaurant. With the addition of thousands of downloadable apps, there’s little the phone can’t do. This makes the device the perfect organizing tool for the busy student or worker on the go.

THERE ARE 8 APPS FOR THAT!

Whether users need help remembering a date or sharing files, the follow eight apps are sure to help users organize their lives.

1. Due – to Remember Important Dates

2. Mint – for Personal Finances

3. eWallet – for Account Management

4. Dragon Dictation – for Texting And Typing

5. Air Sharing – for Wireless Transferring

6. Dropbox – for Automatic Sharing

7. Quickoffice – for Typing Notes.  Quickoffice is ideal for the iPhone user who is still in love with Microsoft Office.

8. Scanner Pro – for Scanning

Find out more specifics and the links for each here. 

– Guest post: Eric Thompson www.officespaceforrent.org 

If you had a crisis of any kind that demanded that you show one or more important documents, how quickly could you get your hands on it?

There are many different vital documents that you need to keep at hand, including car titles, living wills, birth certificates and many more. 

• Do you know where yours are right now?
• Could you grab them and go if you needed to?
• Do you know how to organize them?
• If something happened to you today, would your family know where your vital documents are? 

It’s not a fun job compiling all of your vital documents, but it must be done. (Knowing which ones really helps.) And, when it is done, you’ll feel so much more peaceful.

Order your copy of How To Organize Important (Vital) Documents now and get peace of mind for yourself  . . . and for your family who will need to know where your documents are as well “some day.”

Have ever heard someone say, or heard yourself say, “I know I put it away, but I don’t remember where – I can’t find it.”

Most people define being organized as being neat or tidy, or being spotless, clean and nothing around that you don’t want – or that “shouldn’t” be there. Do you know people who are really neat and tidy, clean and spotless… but are unorganized? I do! And, the opposite view, do you know those who are clutter-bugs and “look” unorganized, but are very productive and efficient anyway? I do! Can you say “Albert Einstein?”

VISUAL LEARNERS CAN LOOK MESSY

People who are visual learners (most of us, just some more than others) need to have things “out” in order to remember they have them. So, filing cabinets, drawers, cabinets are blocks for these people. “If I can’t see it, it’s not here.” The solution is finding and devising systems that can stay “out” that look nice in order to get work done, and then put away what doesn’t need to be out all the time with easy access and reminders as to where to find them again.

Now, back to Organizing Defined 101. The point being, it doesn’t matter how “it” or “you” look, it’s how productive you are in spite of it! Can you FIND what you need when you need it? High five, you’re organized!

There are many different personalities when it comes to how space and stuff is used. And what people do with all their space and stuff is just as varied.

So, what does it mean to be organized? To be organized means:

1) You are productive… getting everything done when it’s due.

2) You find everything you need when you need it.

That’s it!

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How much do you sit every day at your job, or home watching TV, or at the computer (that’s my most often place to sit.)

SITTING IS KILLING US

Around 80% of Americans will experience chronic pain in their lifetime
as a result of too much sitting. Desk work is putting a huge
mental and physical stress on our bodies.

Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., a health psychologist at Stanford University and a leading expert in neck and back pain explains, “When you sit, you distort the natural curve of the spine, which means your back muscles have to do something to hold your back in shape because you’re no longer using the natural curves of the spine to lift yourself up against gravity.”

Bad posture makes the sitting disease even worse. Slipped discs is a direct result.

New York City chiropractor Dr. Jan Lefkowitz  says, “When the posture breaks down, it causes a lot of spinal problems. If you are sitting down with bad posture and you’re slouching, you can only handle 20 minutes of that before it deforms your ligaments.”

GENERAL TIPS FOR CHANGE

1. Stand at least every hour at your desk.
2. Do simple stretches throughout the day such as placing your hands on your lower back and stretching backwards.
3. Get moving! Make conference calls on your feet or suggest a moving meeting — walk up and down the hall.
4. When seated, make sure you maintain good posture with your butt all the way back to the chair, feet flat on the floor, head straight and with lower back naturally arched inward.

Can you change your desk set up? Can you stand and work at your desk even part of the time?

I’ll add another… stand to answer all phone calls. You actually are more verbally focused and powerful when standing talking on the phone too.

Get creative!

CLICK HERE for the full article and more ideas.

When I’m working on a new presentation or training, ebook or article, I end up with lots of information printed out as I edit better that way. Sitting by my computer to go through it can be frustrating, so I’ve always been a floor sorter to make more sense of it all.

1. I pull all the papers together in a pile and then put them on the cleared off floor.

2. I sit down on the floor and sort out the pile in a fan around me.

3. Then, I put them cross-hatched back into a stack and carry back to the computer ready to work from beginning to end.

Sometimes there’s just not enough room on a table. Use the floor!

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Paper management . . . in our “paperless society!” . . . overwhelms most people. I love helping my clients get their paper organized to make it easy to find what they need when they need it – the very definition of being organized.

BEING A VISUAL LEARNER AND PAPER

In this example, my client is very visual, like myself, so I really understand how he has verticle and horizontal piles all over his office because he has to “see” them all the time to remember them. He has several file cabinets, but as soon as something goes into a drawer it’s gone forever, because he can’t see it and therefore can’t remember it. Is this an issue for you too?

STEPS FOR SORTING PAPER

1. Have your Prep Tools ready. A trash can for real trash, recycle bin, shred box and reroute container – for things that need to stay in the office as a whole, but maybe not in your area. (When you’re done with your organizing project, take the reroute box out and redistribute those items to where they belong.)

With your sorting containers nearby you can stay in one place and easily toss into each as needed.

 2. Clear a working or staging area to move items around on.

3. To start sorting – sometimes years and decades of files and piles – start with one “chunk” and “chip” away at it. Don’t move onto another file or pile until you’re done with the one you have in front of you.

Remember, clutter is only two things:

One decision and one action not taken.

4. As you pull out only one file, or chunk, at a time decide what to do with it, and follow through.

     a) Does it stay? Why and where? Put it there.

     b) Is it someone elses? Reroute.

     c) Old, out-dated? Recycle.

     d) Private or important but old? Shred.

5. Check your labeling. You may need to relabel a file or folder to make more sense.

6. I always say to think about your filing and flow of your office as if a stranger needed come in and use it effectively. Are files marked well? Is everything labeled? Does it make sense where you have your categories and paper information placement?

When you have a big, old, clogged paper-pipe in your office, schedule one to three hours at a time, shut off phones, no distractions, and dig in! Working in an culled out, organized and streamlined office makes a huge difference in ones energy and efficiency.

A WORD ON TRANCING

It’s normal to “trance” while you’re dealing with paper. Trancing is standing, looking at the same piece of paper for minutes and not really seeing it at all! It’s normal. That’s why it’s helpful to have someone stand by you and hand you the “chunks” to help keep you focused and moving. Plus, sometimes we need to think outloud while dealing with paper too, your helper doesn’t have to say anything, but when there’s someone right there listening (instead of being alone) it can make all the difference in your decision making and speed of your organizing project.

If you need my help, just let me know! See my Organizing Fees page - I travel anywhere! .