[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.

[Organise it] Getting motivated to organise your home and office

Hi everybody

Good thing the beautiful weather is holding up, because I'm on a mission to get my fitness levels up.

There will be LOTS of walking on our upcoming holiday to the UK and I'm starting NOW. It's amazing what happens mentally once I strap on that pedometer – I go into COMPETITIVE mode ;)


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NEW WEBSITE
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I am SO PLEASED with my new website. Already, many of you (the Skypers) have emailed me.

Please go have a look at http://takechargesolutions.org and let me know what you think.

You'll notice that I'm a lot more focussed in my offerings and because of that, I'm having a … clear.ance sale (see below).


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7 THINGS YOU MUST DO TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS
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If you haven't signed up yet for the f-r-e-e audio course, go here to sign up: http://tinyurl.com/2etlkp. These are short snippets of about 3 – 4 minutes each and will be delivered to you every second day.


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IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO BE A PROFESSIONAL ORGANISER
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Are you passionate about organising?

Do you want to turn your uber-organising skills into a business?

The PO group coaching programme started last week but you can still join in and get the MP3 downloads to catch up. This is the ONLY time this programme will be offered at this pri.ce - you have my word on it!

You can check out the details and reserve your place here:
http://tinyurl.com/2gzulg


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CONQUER YOUR EMAIL
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Mark your calendars for Tuesday, 15 April. I'm doing a teleseminar called CONQUER YOUR EMAIL.

Bookings are open NOW because I will be restricting the call to only 10 participants so that everyone gets all their questions answered. The MP3 will be available within a few hours if you can't make the actual call time of 7PM South Africa time/ 1PM Eastern Standard Time (New York). Book your place now at http://tinyurl.com/2bncn2


This week's article lists a number of different ways to GET MOTIVATED and tackle areas we all commonly procrastinate on.


Enjoy the article!


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THIS WEEK'S ARTICLE
GETTING MOTIVATED TO ORGANISE YOUR HOME AND OFFICE
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This week, let's tackle some of those tasks around the home and office that we don't get around to doing.

I'm specifically choosing Quick and Easy ™ tasks so that you can build up some momentum and feel good about getting things done.


WHAT GETS YOU MOTIVATED?

Is it MUSIC? Then put on some 80's tunes to get yourself energised.

Is it COMPETITION? Then challenge yourself and see how many of the tasks you can accomplish in an hour.

Is it being ACCOUNTABLE? Then post a comment telling me what you're going to do and come back to tell me when it's done!

Is it SOCIAL INTERACTION? Then make a coffee date with a friend, but ONLY once you've done an hour's organising.

Is it reaching a GOAL? Then reward yourself once you've done all the tasks.


Right! So now that we know what motivates you, let's get to it!



IN THE HOME

1. Declutter and sort through all the old magazines. Tear out the articles and toss the rest.
2. Organise your launch pad – that place in your home where you DUMP things when you walk in the door.
3. Collect all the clothes you need to dry-clean, declutter or get mended.
4. Clear off the front of your fridge. Toss the magnets and recipes you're never going to use.
5. Throw away any old food in your fridge and freezer, and give the surfaces a good wipe down.

And now for some…


OFFICE ORGANISING

1. Do your filing.
2. Collect all the bills and invoices from around the home and schedule the payment dates in your planner.
3. Shred any junk mail with your name on it.
4. Organise your desk.
5. Delete 100 emails from your Inbox and Sent Items ;)


Whatever you manage to do, give yourself a pat on the back!

Have a wonderful week!


Love and (organising) success
Marcia Francois


P.S. Calling all professional organisers. Check out http://tinyurl.com/2gzulg

P.P.S. Don't forget to check out the store at http://tinyurl.com/2bncn2


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MARCIA'S CLEA.RANCE S-A-L-E
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All the SELF-DEVELOPMENT products will be removed from the store within about 10 days.

So please go have a look at http://tinyurl.com/2bncn2 and get what you've been wanting now. Basically, anything NOT on the MAIN website will be removed.

AND…if you buy any 3 products (downloadable and/ or audio), I'll give you a f-r-e-e ECOURSE.

What's available?

- Dream Life Kit
- Self-confidence MP3 and workbook
- Awesome relationships MP3 and workbook
- 8 secrets to success
- Who am I? A guide to discovering yourself
- And much, much more



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WHERE IN THE WORLD IS MARCIA?

THURS 20 MARCH – 24 APRIL
How to become a professional organiser – Group coaching programme

SAT 29 MARCH
Christian Family Church – 7 things you must do to achieve your goals

SAT 12 APRIL
Business Organising Intensive – spend the morning with the Organising Queen herself ;)
Read more here http://tinyurl.com/2bncn2

TUES 15 APRIL
Teleseminar – Conquer your email

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