Secrets of Organized People

This mess beside my computer started innocently enough with just one cord that I didn’t know what to do with but didn’t want to throw away. I’m sure you’ve been there, too.

As you can see, it then became the repository for any questionable electronic thingy in the computer room.  Some atttempt was made at keeping order with twistie ties, but that only goes so far.

To take control of a mess like this all you need is:

• -several empty cardboard t-paper tubes (one for every cable)
• -a container that fits in your space
• -15+ minutes, depending on how tangled your mess is

Next, simply grab a cable, find both business ends and hold them together.  Wrap the rest of the cord around your hand, leaving the ends proud of the wraps.  Once done wrapping, tuck the whole thing into a t-paper tube, leaving the ends sticking up.  Repeat with all remaining cables.

Fit any non-cable items in the leftover space, or find another container.

Now at a glance you can see what each end of each cable is for.  If you want to get really organized you could measure the length of each cable and write that on the side of each tube. 

If you do decide to have a container next to your computer, make sure it doesn’t inhibit the free flow of air.

Happy organizing!

Technorati Tags: decluttering, getting organized, home office organization, how to organize, how to organize clutter, organizing clutter

So Many Blogs, So Little Time

If you’re like most of the rest of us, you probably have several blogs that you like to keep up with on an ongoing basis.  However, it can be a huge drain on your time to click on each one every day to see if there’s something new.  There must be a better way.

A Brilliant Solution – The Feed Reader 

With a feed reader, you “subscribe” to each blog you want to read.  Then you can check in one place to see all the new posts on all of the blogs on your list without having to go to each individual site.

I was hesitant about using a feed reader, because I really like seeing the layout of each blog, the colors the author has chosen, etc.  But when I realized how much more efficient this is, and how much time it could save me, I made the switch. 

Sounds Good, How Do I Get Started? 

First of all, you need to choose a feed reader.  There are several out there.  If you search Google for “best feed readers” you’ll find a multitude of opinions.  I chose Google Reader because the reviews said it was simple to use and easy to organize.  Works for me!  (However, here are several others you can choose from:  NewzCrawler, FeedDemon, OmeaReader, NewsGator, Awasu, Blog Navigator and SharpReader, just to name a few.) 

Now, Subscribe To All Your Favorite Blogs 

Next you’ll need to follow the directions on your feed reader to subscribe to the blog you want to watch.  On Google Reader it’s as easy as clicking on “Add a Subscription” and typing or pasting in the website name.  Google will find any related feeds for you.  If Google can’t find it, you may need to go to the blog website and click on their little  button.  This will bring up the feed address in your address bar, and you can just paste it in to “Add a Subscription.”

Finally, Let’s Keep ‘em Organized 

The last thing I recommend you do, especially if you have a lot of blogs on your list, is to organize them into folders by category.  Google Reader makes this very easy to do.  (I’m sure it’s fairly simple on any of the other readers as well.)  Some examples of my categories are:  People (friends & family blogs), Fun Stuff (this includes www.icanhascheezburger.com, a must!), Crafts, Organizing and Shopping (sites like Woot.com.) 

I hope you find this a helpful tip to make better use of your precious time!

Wishing you blessings,

Sandy

Technorati Tags: blog, blogging, blogs, feed reader, get organized, getting organized, google reader, organizing lists, rss feeds, simplify, subscribe to blogs, time management

There are many occasions where it’s helpful to make organized lists.  Often these are things were do regularly, but not frequently.  Annual events like Christmas or vacations fall into this category, as do special events like throwing a wedding or shower, or even a large dinner party. 

Make sure that once you’ve gone through all the hard work of figuring and planning that you don’t have to do it all over again the next time.  Make a master list of everything, including all the details and information you’ve come across in your research.  Keep this in a safe place, filed and labeled clearly. 

Some examples of master lists would be:  people to give Christmas gifts, a packing list for vacation, things to do before taking a trip, packing for a move, yearly household organizing or vehicle maintenance.

One of the most useful master lists I’ve ever made I call “Settings on My Computer.” 

Sadly, there have been a few times when the best option for solving my computer problems was to reinstall the operating system.  Sounds daunting, I know, but it’s much less so with this list. 

It contains:

• Every program that is installed, listed in the order that I’ve found they need to be installed
• Notes next to each program for how to solve problems or deal with quirks.  For example, the first thing I need to install on my computer is the drivers and I have this note: 

Drivers (from Dell Resource CD – make sure to get Sigmatel for the audio even though it’s not checked)         

• What programs need drivers and where to find them
• Usernames and passwords for online access to my web server
• Serial numbers and passkeys for several programs
• The icons & folders that I like to keep on my desktop 

As you can imagine, this makes the process a million times easier than if I had to dig up all this info all over again. 

So the next time you find yourself working on a project and realize, “I know I’ve done this work before,” do yourself a favor, get organized and start making a list for next time.  You’ll be glad you did!

Wishing you the best,

Sandy

Technorati Tags: getting organized, home office organization, home organization, home organizing, how to get organized, how to organize, time management

Most of us probably do the same several things every day when we get on the computer.  Or there are certain things we need to keep track of.  For example:  I like to check the library to see what books are coming due soon, I check the bank to make sure there’s no surprises (there have been!), I check Woot.com to see the deal of the day, etc.

Email alerts are fine and helpful, but sometimes we just don’t need yet another piece of email.

Instead of having to remember every site you want to check daily, use the links bar in your browser to list them.  (I shorten the names as much as possible so they’ll all fit in the window.)  Now, when you sign on, you can just click your way across and be confident you haven’t missed anything you wanted to stay on top of.

Technorati Tags: get organized, getting organized, home office organization, how to get organized, how to organize clutter, simplify, time management