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3 Ways to Overcome Mess and Reduce Your Stress

Written by: Lorraine Pirihi

Article Overview: I've mentioned this many times, but I am constantly amazed at how the simple things that I take for granted, to other people it's a great revelation. Do you feel that you're snowed under with paperwork and clutter and cannot seem to get a grip on it? Do you get confused by the vast array of gadgets available to help you manage your time? Are you determined to use that palm pilot or Iphone because you can avoid having to write things down or you get excited that it syncs to your computer?

3 Ways to Overcome Mess and Reduce Your Stress

I've mentioned this many times, but I am constantly amazed at how the simple things that I take for granted, to other people it's a great revelation.

Do you feel that you're snowed under with paperwork and clutter and cannot seem to get a grip on it? Do you get confused by the vast array of gadgets available to help you manage your time? Are you determined to use that palm pilot or Iphone because you can avoid having to write things down or you get excited that it syncs to your computer?

Have a read of what one of our subscribers said...

" As you suggested I first read through all of the material contained in the Productivity and Profit Home Study System, and then went back to the start determined to put some things into action.

I had my first "free" weekend for many months coming and so got stuck into the clear the clutter and the "big clean up" right off the bat.

Now this may sound crazy but I have been in professional practice for nearly 25 years and yet have never had a structured filing system for paper based and electronic material relating to the many and varied business roles I am involved with day by day.

Sure my business has a very efficient and structured client filing system but beyond that well.....let's say "things" were a little less than ideal in this area.

So guess what happened after 25 years? Prompted by your suggestions I spent a couple of hours putting together a meaningful and logical filing system (loosely based around your suggested headings) and right now my PA is busy putting the system together both for paper based and electronic filing and retrieval.

For years I have been working (struggling!) with electronic diaries and "to do list" "gadgets" of every variety. I thought these were amongst the essentials to stay on top of and efficiently manage everything from appointments to reminders to maintaining and tracking work in progress and a million other things that seem to require attention when you are in business.

But I had a hard think about these things over the weekend and decided to hell with them all. Instead I decided to return to something that worked so well for me years ago I now wonder why I ever stopped using it, a paper based diary!

I went online checked out a couple of the website addresses you mentioned and I am now loving life again! May be a bit "old school" to some but who cares? It works for me and I have everything I need at my finger tips every minute of every day.

Early days Lorraine but, already you have won me over. I know none of the above is rocket science; but it is the prompting to actually do something about these things that has been the real winner so far.
My offices are now tidy and organised, I know where I need to be and when and I know exactly where to find things when I need them.

Finally, I have always known that I should spend some time each day planning for the next day's work and preparing, knowing is one thing actually doing it another, have just started allocating some time at the end of each day to do this and already feeling the stress levels dropping !

So, many thanks Lorraine, I have only got a little way into the course material and already feeling like I have accomplished a great deal."


3 Ways To Get On Top Of Your Mess and Reduce Your Stress

1. Allocate time in your diary to clean up.
Make an appointment with yourself.

2. Do it!

3. If your 'gadgets' are causing you headaches, you can do the following:

a. Learn how to use them (could waste enormous amounts of time)
b. Ditch them and get yourself a paper diary and write everything
down.
c. Do nothing and keep achieving the same outcomes.

The FINAL WORD
Simple stuff but hey...it works!

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Article Tags: appointments, array, business roles, clear the clutter, electronic diaries, electronic filing, electronic material, filing system, gadgets, headings, home study system, iphone, palm pilot, paperwork, productivity, professional practice, reminders, revelation, right off the bat, work in progress



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