“The Productivity PRO!”® news"E"letter Number 38, July 2002
By Laura M. Stack, MBA, CSP, (Certified Speaking Professional)
“The Productivity PRO!”® news"E"letter is a monthly electronic newsletter distributed to our clients, human resource personnel, and colleagues to help them leave the office earlier, with less stress, and more to show for it!
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IN THIS ISSUE
· Message from Laura
· Article: “Turn Your Files Into Smiles”
· “The Productivity PRO®” answers your questions!
· Time Tips and Traps
· Words of Wisdom
· Tip Compilations
· Letters to the Editor
· Featured Program: “The Productivity PRO!”
· Contact and Subscription Information
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MESSAGE FROM LAURA
I just returned from a weeklong vacation in Orlando, FL. I attended the annual convention of the National Speakers Association, my professional trade association, and I did a great deal of work. So how could it possibly be a vacation? NO KIDS! John and I left James, 1, Johnny, 2, and Meagan, 6, at home with grandma (John’s mom) and a babysitter. These are the times I celebrate my family! For a solid week, no one called me “Mommy” or needed a fresh diaper. What could be grander? Mom, you are a treasure and a blessing in my life, and I thank you.
My writing retreat the first week of July went very well! Because the 4th was a holiday, I didn’t write on Thursday…and ended up taking an impromptu vacation on the 5th and kept the kids out of school…but I DID write for the first three days. I think I actually have my “rough, rough” first draft. Whew! Now comes the hard part…editing. For those of you who volunteered to test-drive my book, I still plan to have something in your hands by the end of August!
On another note, I’ve been talking with a literary agent about a potential relationship, and she read the first draft of one of my chapters. Her diagnosis? TOO MUCH content. She wants me to “add fluff.” I’m having a hard time with this recommendation. After all, I AM the Productivity Pro! I’m known for content, and that’s what I thought people expected in a professional development book. This book may take me a lot longer than I intended if I have to make up a bunch of stories.
So I’m hoping you can help me! For those of you who have PERSONALLY attended one of my workshops or seminars, I want to ask you a favor. I would like to put YOU in my book. What I need is for you to tell me how something you learned has helped you be more productive, changed your life, or improved your working habits. Tell me the story. What were you like before you took my class, what did you learn, and how did you improve or change? Try to be as specific as possible. In exchange, those of you who take the time to write a testimonial for me will receive a complimentary copy of my new book, so you can impress and amaze your friends. J
Your story should be between 250-500 words in length. Please relate it specifically to one of these ten areas where I helped you the most:
1. Goal-setting and planning
2. Eliminating time wasters
3. Getting organized
4. Becoming more disciplined
5. Reducing stress
6. Concentrating and eliminating multi-tasking
7. Time management
8. Handling information overload
9. Wellness/taking care of yourself
10. Work & family balance
At the bottom of your submission, please write these words, “Laura Stack has my permission to reproduce and use this text in her manuscripts.” I won’t use your real name if you don’t want me to! Stories may be edited for length, content, grammar, and structure.
My sincerest thanks in advance to my future book contributors!
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ARTICLE: “Turn Your Files Into Smiles”
Most people dread filing. I say “most” because I have actually met some strange individuals who enjoy it. I’ve even tried hiring them to do my filing for me! Here are some of the common complaints I hear about filing:
1. I don’t know what to call this file
2. I don’t remember what I called the file, so I create a duplicate
3. I’m unsure about the order and placement my files in the drawer
4. My filing pile gets so large it becomes overwhelming
5. My files are like black holes—once a file enters, it’s rarely seen again
If the above statements sound familiar, your files might need improvement. Here are some questions to ask yourself: Does it take you longer than three minutes to find something in your files? Have you ever filed anything so well that you hid it from yourself? Are any of your files straining from the weight of the contents? If you can answer “yes” to any of these questions, keep reading. I can’t promise this article will make you enjoy filing more, but it will make the task more manageable.
Before you begin filing, take an objective look at each piece of paper. Ask yourself, “Do I really need to keep this?” “Will I ever need to refer to this again?” “Can I get a hold of another copy?” Be ruthless and realistic. Toss as much as you can. According to The National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), we never reference 80% of what we file! Who in your office is known for keeping everything? Let them keep the paper! (Unless that’s you, in which case STOP IT!)
Filing
Tips:
0 Noun First. One of the biggest problems we face in filing is that we title our files as we speak. In the English language, an adjective always precedes the noun (English is one of the only languages that does this). For example, if you had several insurance files, you might call them ‘Automobile Insurance,’ ‘Homeowners Insurance,’ and ‘Medical Insurance.’ When you file these alphabetically, they promptly become separated and spread out in the drawer. Even worse, you can’t remember, “Did I call that ‘automobile’ insurance, or ‘car’ insurance, or ‘Bronco’ insurance?” You would logically want to go to ONE place in your files to find all information related to insurance. So a simple solution is to put the noun first, such as ‘Insurance, Auto’; ‘Insurance, Homeowners’; ‘Insurance, Medical.’ It looks funny, but when you file alphabetically, all of your insurance files will be together. You can title files by subject, by name, customer, project, numerically, geographically, or chronologically—whatever best fits your needs. Ask yourself, “What is this file about?”
0
Use
Markers.
I don’t like having to repeat the word ‘insurance’ every time I
label a new file. So I create a
marker (a hanging file cut in half lengthwise; it doesn’t hold any
information) called ‘INSURANCE’ and file the individual files behind it.
Think of how your computer files are arranged in Windows Explorer.
The ‘folder-within-a-folder’ scheme breaks out levels and
groupings—getting narrower as you go. You
can do the same with your paper files. Designate
different positions and tab colors within your files to designate the placement.
I use a yellow tab in the first position for the marker; a white tab in
the second position for the main file (subdirectory); and a blue tab in the
third position for a sub-file.
File alphabetically by the markers, which are so broad you never forget what you called them. Once you set up your system, make a list of all the titles for reference. You can check the list before making a new file to see if it already exists or to trigger your memory about where to file existing information.
Gymnastics
Holidays
Halloween
Christmas
Ocean Journey
Zoo
Bank Statements
TCF, business
TCF, personal
Credit Cards/Statements
American Express
Discover
Express Toll
Norwest
USAA MasterCard
United VISA
Credit Report
Financial/Retirement Planning
Flexible Spending Account
Insurance
Automobile
Business
Claims
Homeowners
Life
Medical
Personal Articles
Investments
American Century
Solomon Smith Barney
Thrift Savings Plan
Waterhouse
Merchant Accounts
American Express
Discover
National Processing Company
Mortgage
Burberry
Cordova
Cottoncreek
Paystubs/Invoice stubs
Social Security
Taxes
Receipts, Business
Receipts, Medical
Returns
Burberry
Community Association
Cordova
Cottoncreek
Repairs/Improvements
Yard
Collectables
Ashton-Drake
Easton Press
Lenox
Religious Studies
Accidents/Lawsuits
Estate Planning/Will
Power Of Attorney
Security Clearance
Stack, James C.
Stack, John J.
Stack, Johnny K.
Stack, Meagan E.
Stack, Laura M.
Dental
Diet
Eye
Stack, James C.
Stack, John J.
Stack, Johnny K.
Stack, Meagan E.
Stack, Laura M.
Osteopathic
Physical Therapy
Brochures
Frequent Flyer
American
Continental
Delta
Northwest
United
US Air
Hotels
UTILITIES
Cable
Electric/Gas
Phone
Lightyear
Qwest
VoiceStream
Trash
Water/Sewer
0 Color Code. If you have a large quantity of one type of file—clients, projects, forms, and administrative files—assign each type a different color to make the system easier to use and more attractive. Identify each major section of your files by color: Clients—orange, Projects—yellow, Forms—green, Administration—red, etc. Use whatever colors make sense to you. For example, if you think of red tape and administration at the same time, use a red folder for that section. Then alphabetize within each section. You then have, in essence, four separate filing systems instead of one. Color-coding makes accessing files and refiling easier and less time-consuming. It also serves to identify misplaced files.
0
Add
Information Consistently.
When you add information to a file, don’t put it in the file randomly.
Because then you must dig through the entire file to locate a particular
piece of paper. Consistently add
information to the front or back of the folder to create a chronological order.
It doesn’t really matter which method you choose, so long as you’re
consistent. I prefer to file paper
in the front of the file. That way,
when I open a file on my desk, the papers on top are the most recent and the
items in back are older. Being
consistent in this manner helps tremendously when purging files because you
don’t have to peruse the entire contents to find outdated material.
0 Purge Regularly. Purging is essential. The only alternatives to purging are getting bigger office space, adding a room to your home, or buying more filing cabinets! You can purge your files in one of two ways: once a year or whenever you use a file. Throw away or recycle any unnecessary duplicates, outdated draft copies, and otherwise unnecessary materials BEFORE you clutter your life with more filing cabinets! If you haven’t touched a file in four weeks, move it to your central files instead of keeping it at your desk. Once a year, archive the central files you no longer need except as a record of history. For example, move all your tax returns and related receipts/documents to archive files down in your basement. Keep only current information in your central files.
0
File at least weekly. Once
you have your system set up, don’t let your filing build up!
That’s where you get into trouble.
It you wait a month before filing, it will seem as if you poured
fertilizer on your filing pile. File
at least once a week on a day and time when you have low energy anyway.
Try these tips, and you will turn your files into smiles!
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THE PRODUCTIVITY PRO® ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS!
Please email questions you'd like me to answer in future columns to Laura@TheProductivityPRO.com. I only have one question left to answer next month, so I need YOUR question to continue this segment of the newsletter!
Q: I am totally overwhelmed with paperwork at my house, because I don't know what to keep and what to toss. Can't remember a time that I have needed a past gas bill to see my check number written on the stub and when I paid it, yet I do file the darn thing. Sometimes it may be a month or two later when I finally get around to putting statements in the folders. Is there an answer to how long you should keep old bills (i.e. phone, gas, water, sanitation, electric, etc.)? I keep these items filed in a file drawer in folders labeled the month in which they were paid. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Paige C.
A: Paige, unless you are self-employed, you can toss most of the statements for the accounts you mentioned. The purposes of those statements are: (1) for you to know the company received your payment last month and (2) to receive the payment amount for this month. Unless you can write off a portion of the invoice on your income taxes, you can toss the old one when you receive the new. If you ever needed any information, you can call the company, who will have all your information on file for at least the past three years. People keep this type of information, but never refer to it.
There are, however, certain things that should be kept. Bank statements and canceled checks should be kept, so if you ever did need to know the check number, you could look it up. At the end of each year, you should pull the records related to that tax year, box them up, and put them in a storage area, so you only have the current year’s record in your file.
In general, here’s what you should keep for your PERSONAL records:
For seven years:
· W-2s, 1099s, and 1098s
· Canceled checks and tax receipts
· Bank and stockbroker’s statements
· Any papers that show income or document/support deductions
Indefinitely:
· Records of home ownership and improvements
· Investment records
· Records of IRA contributions and withdrawals
· Records related to tax disputes
· Copies of tax returns
For information you do decide to keep and file, don’t file it by month paid. To find the phone statement, you would have to look through several folders. Instead, file by category. “Phone,” “Electric,” “Sewer,” “Trash,” etc. would all be filed behind the “Utilities” marker. (See article above.)
In general, here’s what you should keep for your SMALL BUSINESS records:
· Canceled checks
· Paid Vendor Invoices
· Employee Payroll Expense Records
· Inventory Records
· All Other Records Relating to Expense
· Bank Statements and Deposit Slips
· Sales Records and Journals
· Other Records Relating to Revenue
· Employee Expense Reports Relating to Travel and Entertainment Expenses
· Tax Life of Asset + 3 Years
· Depreciation Schedules
· Other Capital Asset Records
· Copies of Tax Returns as Filed
· Tax and Legal Correspondence
· General Ledger and Journals
· Financial Statements
· Contracts and Leases
· Real Estate Records
· Corporate Stock Records and Minutes
To see what one CPA firm said on the subject, visit (http://www.clhp.com/Articles/Records%20Retention.html)
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TIME TIPS AND TRAPS
Federal Trade Commission
(FTC) links
to No-Call Lists around the Country: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/dncalrt.htm
Colorado
residential telephone customers can now place their telephone and fax numbers on
a no-call list free of charge!
http://www.ColoradoNoCall.com. Or call 303-785-3942.
Great article on removing yourself from lists! http://money.cnn.com/2001/11/01/saving/q_junk_mail/
A great
organization catalog!
Lillian
Vernon’s Neat Ideas for an Organized Life 1-800-285-5555
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WORDS OF WISDOM
“If the success or failure of this planet and of human beings depended on how I am and what I do, how would I be and what would I do?” --- Buckminster Fuller
“To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end in life.” --- Robert Louis Stevenson
“I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve (or save) the world and a desire to enjoy (or savor) the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.” --- E. B. White
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TIP COMPILATIONS
Recent compilations:
http://www.TheProductivityPro.com/JA.html
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Please send your comments to Laura@TheProductivityPro.com.
Dear Laura,
A comment about
your last newsletter in which you gave tips for writing more concisely.
Absolutely correct. Why do people use more and bigger words than is
necessary and that are often incorrect? Here's another tip.
The English language is mostly based on words from either Greek/Latin roots or
Norse/Germanic roots. The Greek/Latin words are often used because they
sound more learned. The Norse/Germanic words usually are short and more
powerful. A kind of gross example is the difference between "The
physician operated on my abdomen" and "The doctor cut my gut."
But we see these differences in such everyday words like canine/dog, feline/cat,
bovine/cow. You get the idea. This tip isn't original -- I ran across it
somewhere. Our writing should incorporate words of both origins, not just the
academic Latin.
Duskey M.
Avaya
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CONTACT AND SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
For more information on bringing Laura Stack, The Productivity PRO®, in for a keynote or seminar, please visit our website at http://www.TheProductivityPro.com or call 303-471-7401.
If you enjoyed this newsletter, please forward it to interested associates. To subscribe or unsubscribe, visit www.TheProductivityPro.com and select “Newsletter.”
ã 2002 Laura Stack, MBA, CSP. All rights reserved. Portions of this newsletter may be reprinted in your organization or association newsletter, provided the following credit line is present:
Laura M. Stack, MBA, CSP, is “The Productivity PRO,”â helping people leave the office earlier, with less stress, and more to show for it. She presents keynotes and seminars on time management, information overload, and personal productivity. Contact her at 303-471-7401 or visit her website at http://www.TheProductivityPro.com.