That's why work area available to you on your desk is so crucial. It's also why you want an L- or U-shaped workstation: you can turn your chair and be in a whole different Function Zone.

If you have an L-shaped setup, set it up so your Computer Function Zone is on one side, and your Paper Function Zone is on other side of L.

Making Room on Your Desk Ditch all those cracked coffee cups of pens and pencils and use one small desk caddy like this, which circles around for easy access. It has all basic desk tools in here that you usually need.

If you took all tools that fit in here and spread them on your desk it takes up two square feet. (I confess I'm a little nutty, I actually did this). The desk caddy footprint only uses up eight inches square.

If you like to spread out big projects, you can pick up desk caddy, take it into another room, spread out your materials, and you've got an instant "office" no matter where you are.

Desk Drawers EQUAL Action Drawers In shallow "bureau" drawer in my desk, I keep a 10-key solar calculator, a tray for my expenses, business cards, stamps, return address labels, and Post It notes-all things I use frequently while working at my desk.

Another good way to use these small drawers is to get a tray-style organizer for your desk tools instead of a desk caddy like mine. When you sit down at your desk, just leave drawer open so your tray is available entire time you're working. Then none of those tools is cluttering up your desk surface.

When you're sitting at your desk and your file drawer is pulled out, instead of having your files face front of drawer, turn files 90 degrees, so file tabs face your chair. Then when you pull drawer out files (and their labels) are facing you.

The categories in my Action Drawer are: Business, Finances, Clients, Networks, and Eve. These are files that I'm into on an almost daily basis. This is where my quarterly expenses and invoices go.

Come end of that quarter, these files get moved into Expenses part of my History File Zone, and I set up new files for next quarter in Action Drawer. Keep paper flowing through and out!

Keeping Your Desk Clear

1. Don't let it land on your desk unless it's an action item. Establish a separate inbox for mail and a "file pile" away from your desk.

2. Keep your Action files vertical and clearly labeled, so you can see what you need to do today. Use same categories for sorter on your desk and your Action file drawer.

3. When you finish working with any piece of paper, move it out of your Action Zone. Put it into that file pile-or recycle it if you really won't need it again. Have fun getting control over your desk again!

For more time-saving tips go to http:///www.organize.com Copyright 2005 Eve Abbott. All Rights Reserved.

Many people skip outgoing messages automatically. Other people simply don't listen to what is actually being said because they've heard it many times before.

Be as specific as possible when referring callers to another source. Give person's name, phone, e-mail, and/or web address. The more specific you are more likely it is someone will make effort to get their questions answered by your alternate.

The goal is to keep delivering services, even in your absence. This also whittles down backlog awaiting your return.

Electronic Calendaring Programs Most computer calendaring programs are connected to a contact database wherein all pertinent contact information is accessible. It is truly a relationship-based way of thinking.

Today's Contact Management Programs are best generation of much simpler contact/calendar software, and are designed to center all your information about contacts by automating and documenting your communication (e-mail, phone, documents, e-fax, notes, etc.).

Color-Coding Your Calendar Color-coding is highly effective way to keep yourself straight with modern life's many and varied activities. Color-coding will reduce misfiles by as much as 90%, even if you don't change anything else about your filing system.

For those who use a paper planner, using pencil or erasable pen can be helpful especially if you rewrite your calendar often. I recommend that clients carry two erasable pens in their organizer; black for business appointments and blue for personal ones.

I also suggest you use four-color ballpoint pens for scheduling appointments with categories like black-business, blue-personal, red-travel, green-project action items. Buy plenty of whatever kind of pens/pencils you use to color code your calendar!

Your color-coding doesn't have to be this complicated and if you use one of many excellent computer calendars around you can automatically color code your entries as they appear on screen and in printout.

Most Contact Management programs including ACT have option to assign a range of priority colors to any activity. However, since I don't schedule anything that isn't high priority I use colors for my categories of black-business, blue-personal, red-projects.

Color display PDA's are highly recommended over black/gray/white displays. The display area of PDA is limited so having color provides you with improved visual function.

Be careful when using calendar function to check day before and day after one you are looking at scheduling for any complications in coordinating your activities.

Applying any of these guidelines will help you out some. Applying all tips that you possibly can, will change way you work for better. Just do it!