[Organise It] 4 ways to banish e-clutter for good

4 ways to banish e-clutter for good
By Marcia Francois

You know how when the seasons change, the shops start stocking gorgeous, new clothes?


I get very excited; don't you?


Dion and I have a house rule - we have to get rid of some things BEFORE we bring new stuff into the house. Or if we really couldn't resist, then as we pack the new clothes away, we have to
unpack some other items to give away.


That is my number ONE decluttering tip - one in, one out.

Because of the August Decluttering Challenge on my Organising Queen blog, I've decluttered things every single day of the month. I do the happy dance when I can give things away - seriously!


The thing is, I use the exact same principles to keep my inbox, digital photos, PDF and other
documents under control.

Here are some other tips to eliminate electronic clutter:

1. Make time daily to delete emails. I've told you before that my goal is to delete 100 emails daily
so I go through my inbox, sent items, folders, etc. every couple of days.

2. When you download photos from your digital camera, choose the best ones there and then and delete the rest. I don't know about you but I usually take about 3 or 4 pictures if I can (if the subject is not moving) so that I can choose the absolute best pictures.


**Bloggers, once you've published your post, delete the photos from your hard drive.

3. If you download checklists, forms, recipes and e-books regularly (like from my site), set aside
some time to regularly go through your folders (!) to delete the ones you no longer find useful.


When I read e-books, I make a note of the ideas to implement and then delete the PDF file unless it's really something WOW or I've paid for it :)


This tip applies to PDF files, Word and Excel documents. The only things I don't delete with such ruthless abandon are the tools, checklists and e-books that I've created ;)

4.Make a date with yourself for 15 minutes every week (starting this week) to eliminate your
electronic clutter.

Your challenge this week is to spend at least 30 minutes decluttering electronically.

Are you up for it?

Want to use this article in your ezine or on your blog? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb.

Marcia Francois Marcia Francois is a time management and organising coach who empowers small business owners and other busy professionals who want to make the most of their time. You'll get simple, practical organising and time management secrets to help you work less and enjoy life more! Visit http://takechargesolutions.org for your free Organising Success Pack.

Make big leaps with a step a day

How to make BIG leaps with just a step a day

by Marcia Francois

Remember that HIGH importance, LOW urgency quadrant we spoke about before??

What if you took just ONE step closer to your goals every single day?

Just one.

It sounds harder than it is.

Honestly.

Let's say your goal is to write a book. Would it surprise you to know that the majority of people have this on their "things to do before I die" lists? That's why I know this resonates with a lot of you.

What is the absolute first step? Decide what to write about. This step looks simple but you need to see if people would read it, if publishing houses would buy it, if there’s a market so it will actually sell.

So maybe the first two weeks is spent checking all that out.

The rest of the month might be outlining the whole book - what do you need to cover, how many chapters? Etc, etc.

And then comes the writing. Now if I were coaching you, I'd make you write at least 5 minutes a day because writers WRITE.

To some, that seems like nothing much but 5 mins a day is 35 mins a week which is over 2 hours a month, at the very least.

And of course, some days just getting those 5 minutes done will be a miracle ;) but other days, you’d spend 30 minutes or more easily writing.

That's exactly what I mean when I say you can make big leaps with just a step a day.

People ask me how I get so many things done and it's because I do exactly this.

Now I will tell you I don't always feel like writing or working on marketing or _______ (fill in whatever it is you don't always feel like doing) but I do know that it will move me towards my goals.

I have a rule. EVERY WEEK, come hell or high water, I need to do AT LEAST one thing to move me towards my goals. This helps me focus on outcomes even when I'm really busy.

Think about one of your goals. Let's say you want to go on a holiday to Ireland ;)

Let's break it down.

1. Decide exactly where in Ireland you want to visit.

2. Investigate prices of airfare, hotels, B&B's, tourism, food, etc.

3. Check your savings account to see what you have available.

4. Based on the shortfall, decide on the amount of money you need to save every month.

5. Decide length of holiday and itinerary while there.

6. Book flights and check if you need a visa.

7. Book accommodation.

8. Book car rental/ decide on method of transport.

9. Pack your bags

10. Go!

Grab a piece of paper and write the steps for your own goal.

Your challenge this week is to take at least ONE step towards your goal this week.

Want to use this article in your ezine or on your blog? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb.

Marcia Francois Marcia Francois is a time management and organising coach who empowers small business owners and other busy professionals who want to make the most of their time. You’ll get simple, practical organising and time management secrets to help you work less and enjoy life more! Visit http://takechargesolutions.org for your free Organising Success Pack.

Tuesday 9 September

Ask the Organising Coach Q&A call

Marcia answers all your business, time management and organising questions on a live coaching call

F-r-e-e- to all VIP Inner Circle members. Not a member? Join now

12PM - 1PM Eastern Standard Time/ 6PM - 7PM South African Time

Tuesday 23 September

Everything you need to know about organising your computer

Coaching call with guest expert and computer whizz Janet Barclay

F-r-e-e- to all VIP Inner Circle members. Not a member? Join now

12PM - 1PM Eastern Standard Time/ 6PM - 7PM South African Time