Piles of Paper – What To Do With Them?


We have all been in offices or homes where plies of paper are stacked high on every available surface, including the floor. Stacks of paper, drawers full of paper, boxes of paper, rooms full of paper are taking over our lives. Lets take back our lives and our time!
Wasn't the invention of the computer supposed to decrease the amount of paper we use? It didn't! The average office worker handles over 10,000 pieces of paper every month! Even people who are somewhat organized can have difficulty keeping up with the sheer volume of paper.
Paper clutter is about not knowing what to do with the paper when you receive it, or what to do with the paper while you are performing tasks generated by the paper, and what to do with the paper when you are through with it.
Many have heard the advice to handle a piece of paper only once. Most of the time this is not practical or even possible to do unless you throw out the piece of paper.
The advice that has worked best for my clients is to advance the paper forward one step every time you handle it, until the paper can be filed or tossed. It is also much more time effective to group activities together whenever possible. For instance if you need to make copies throughout the day, rather than jumping up from your desk every few minutes, use a file folder and make copies a few times a day. Fewer trips to the copier can save you both time and energy.
Everyone has a system for handling paperwork, the key is whether the system is working, or not! Some systems are very complicated, but complicated paper handling systems are time-consuming and it is unlikely that you will keep using it, or only use it sometimes.
Five Paper Handling Tips:
Have the following within easy reach:
a garbage bin
a paper recycle container
a shredding container
Play the game "get rid of as much paper as possible".
Reduce the amount of paper and junk mail that you receive.
When you pick up a piece of paper your goal is to advance it forward at least one step closer to being completed.
There are several action choices that can be taken for each piece of paper:
garbage
shred
action folder
Schedule time to handle the paperwork and not let it pile up.
Whatever system you choose to use you will want to adapt it to your own personal needs and style.
Start with the most current papers and piles of paper first.
Action Folder Tips: To get started you will need several file folders, marking pens and a stair-step file rack or other file holder.
Locate the file rack with-in arms reach of where you sit at your desk of where you sort the paperwork and mail at home.
Clearly mark file folders in large bold writing - use action words, for example.
"To Pay"
"To File"
"To Copy"
"To Call"
"To Read"
Add more folders according to actions that you frequently perform.
If you have partners or an assistant that items need to go to, then make folders up for them too that say "To Patty", or "To Jim". They can check the folders for items when you are out of the office, or you can hand the folder contents to them when they walk in.
These ideas can be adapted for roommates, spouses and children in your home.
Once you set up a system some minor adjustments might be needed. The important thing is to NOT let the piles of paper start gathering again. Let's get our papers organized and take back our lives from the piles of paper!

Basics About How To Choose Curtains – Color Schemes and Plain Vs Printed


Choosing window drapes for your home or curtains for your office can be a daunting task. Generally keeping a few basic principles in mind will help you cruise along in the selection process. This article is all about choosing the right window drapes for when you go shopping for curtains.
When choosing window drapes for your home or office, the first thing that you need to consider is the degree of formality of the place. This degree will determine the kind of settings you need. As a basic thumb rule, the more formal the place the more simple yet elegant the settings. On the other extreme, places like personal bedrooms can have all the frills that you desire.
An office is definitely more formal than a home. Naturally your office would require a somber setting that sets the mood for a comfortable yet elegant work space.
Take Inspiration
Look around your office for clues to how you should be setting it up. Is the furniture plain leather or upholstery? Are the walls simple with sober light shade colors like off white, mauve, light pink et all? If so, think no more and go for plain colored curtains to compliment the overall settings of the place.
In case your office is more contemporary and caters to the bright side of things, like in the case of some hotels, restaurants, children schools, educational institutes et all, you can go for bright colors for the window dressings as well. This will go with the overall mood of the place. You can go for colors like bright yellow, orange, red, parrot green or even ink blue as per the settings of the place. Even contrasts look good in such a setting and you could have a kaleidoscope of colors to brighten up the place.
Size Matters
The size of your room will determine the color of the curtains that would look best in your office. In case your office space is small in size, say like a cabin, you should go in for light color curtains. Beige and gray look best in such a case.
In case of a larger, more ornate office, you can afford to have more stark contrasts between your walls and the window dressings. For instance, if you have off white walls, you could go for brown, dark blue, maroon, even bottle green curtains to give a look of richness. Using these bright colors will also tend to cheer you up whenever you are having an off day.
Prints For the Office
In case you a prints buff, there are certain prints you can comfortably put in the office without their looking out of place. Opt for simple designs such as geometric designs, or self motifs in your window drapes. Look for prints that blend well into the curtains. Checks generally do well here.
Avoid too bright a contrast between the print and the background as that will make the wall curtain look garish and ungainly.
So go ahead and choose your curtains carefully. Watch this space for more ideas and basics coming your way soon!