10 Tips on Computer Clutter Clean Up

Written by Eve Abbott, the Organizer Extraordinaire


10 Tips on Computer Clutter Clean Up by Eve Abbott, excerpted from her new book, How to Do Space Age Work with a Stone Age Brain TM

The secret to getting and staying organized isrepparttar same asrepparttar 141479 answer to "How do you eat a computer?". The answer is "One byte at a time!". Set a monthly reminder and use these tips to crash clutter instead of your hard drive.

Do it for you! Even an occasional clean up will reduce your daily frustration.

BACKUP BACKUP BACKUP Backing up your work on a regular basis gives yourepparttar 141480 security of knowing that even if you do toss something before its time -- you can retrieve it. This makes maintenance a worry free activity. You will be amazed at how much you never refer to again.

Remember, 80 percent of what we file never gets referred to again. I back up my entire hard drive with Norton Ghost onto an external hard drive every week!

EVERYDAY BASICS: Regular maintainance eliminates wasting time searching long directory lists every time you open a file.

Put an exclamation point (!) in front of any folder or subdirectory that you use frequently so it appears atrepparttar 141481 beginning of any directory. (ie, !seminars).

Always review temporary (.tmp) files before deleting.

Back-up large unused files (or when finishing a project) to CD Rom.

10 TIPS to COLOR CODE YOUR PAPER: FROM CHAOS TO COHERENCE

Written by EVE ABBOTT


10 TIPS to COLOR CODE YOUR PAPER: FROM CHAOS TO COHERENCE BY EVE ABBOTT, EXCERPTED FROM HER NEW BOOK, HOW TO DO SPACE AGE WORK WITH A STONE AGE BRAIN TM

Color-There Is No Substitute In anatomical illustrations you seerepparttar brain's visual system, whererepparttar 141478 optic nerve is actually 25 times faster than our audio nerves (hearing). No matter which processing style you depend on, 90 percent ofrepparttar 141479 sensory perceptions received by your brain are visual.

This is undoubtedly why color-coding works even for Auditory and Kinesthetic Learners. Color-coding will reduce mis-reads by as much as 90%, even if you don't change anything else about your systems.

In my workshops, even at 50 feet you can see there are three different manila files as I hold them up. It'srepparttar 141480 magic of color - that 1/8-inch wide 3-inch long strip of color onrepparttar 141481 labels is enough to do it.

It's a clear demonstration of how much difference color-coding can make to whether you can tell one folder from another. And that makes a big difference in how quickly you can find something.

Only Color-Code What You Can See What'srepparttar 141482 only part of a filing system that you can actually see? The top tabs onrepparttar 141483 hanging and interior files. That's why you don't need to use solid-color folders to color-code your drawer files, only for Action files which you keep on top of your desk.

You can userepparttar 141484 less expensive manila files for your Reference, History, and Archive material. This will save you at least halfrepparttar 141485 money it would cost you to set up a solid color file system.

Out of Sight, Out of Mind That's why so many people try to keep everything on their desktop. Except, there just isn't enough room!

You can greatly improverepparttar 141486 "visibility" of your files by using one-third cut clear plastic up-tabs for hanging files to color code so as soon as you openrepparttar 141487 drawer, everything in it easy to see and use.

Do not makerepparttar 141488 mistake of ordering 1/5 cut tabs on your files or up-tabs. They are just too small. Andrepparttar 141489 older I get-the smaller those labels get!

When you alternate warm color labels (red, orange, yellow) with contrasting cool color labels (blue, green, purple) in your file sections, it's even easier to distinguish each section instantly.

Use large fonts or writing on your labels to reduce your visual fatigue and errors.

Upgrading Your Current system to Color If you've already got a good filing system going, here's a great way to punch up visibility insiderepparttar 141490 file drawer.

Take your one third cut colored file labels, rip offrepparttar 141491 paper insert that goes insiderepparttar 141492 plastic up tab, apply your label directly torepparttar 141493 insert, and voila! You've got a color-coded filing system started.

Naturally you wantrepparttar 141494 interior file to haverepparttar 141495 same matching color file label.

The key to color-coding is consistency. Once you "substitute" (or stop using) color labels and matching files in your office, it's chaos all over. Because you've re-created disorder, you'll never be sure if it's really a "blue" project or not.

Don't pick Parisian Lavender for file label color-coding. If you use them up andrepparttar 141496 label color isn't trendy this year - there goes your system.

Go for primary colors (red, blue, green, yellow) and black and white - they'll be printing those labels next year for sure.

Keep one hanging file filled with blank manila files and some of each of your colored labels inrepparttar 141497 front ofrepparttar 141498 file drawer closest to you at your desk. That way it's fast and easy to make up a new color-coded file.

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