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Articles by Joshua Zerkel

• Boost Focus and Productivity by Reducing Communication Distractions
  During the course of a given day, think about how many different ways you might be distracted from the tasks you have in front of you - a notification pops up in the corner of your screen letting you know you have a new email, your phone vibrates to let you know you received a new message on Twitter, the phone rings…
  Published 01Jun2012, viewed 7 times

• Choosing the Right Tools for Going Paperless
  Paper takes a lot of space to store, and especially if you're used to searching for documents on your computer, rifling through paper piles and digging into file cabinets can seem practically archaic!
  Published 23May2012, viewed 20 times

• Managing Your Papers: Inbox, Outbox, and Everything In Between
  No matter how organized the rest of your office may be, it's easy to feel like things are out of control when your desk is covered with papers. Although you may have heard rumors that the so-called "paperless world" has arrived, you and I both know that we have more paper coming at us than ever before.
  Published 09May2012, viewed 13 times

• Organizing Your Personal Finances:4 Steps to Getting Control of Your Receipts, Statements, and Bills
  One of my top requests as a Professional Organizer is to help clients organize their personal finances. For many of us, the myriad bills, receipts, and statements that enter our homes are quickly overwhelming us. It's hard to keep track of all that information if you don't have a good system in place to manage it. Here are four simple steps to help you get your personal financial papers organized...
  Published 23May2012, viewed 93 times

• Travel Smart: 3 Tips for Organized Gadget Travel
  I travel quite a bit for both business and for fun, and I can't think of the last time I went somewhere without some tech in tow, whether a digital camera, my mobile phone, iPad, laptop or netbook, or some other gizmo. These devices are so much a part of our lives that it's hard for us to go anywhere without them.
  Published 30Apr2012, viewed 26 times

• Spring Cleaning Project - 4 Steps for Clearing Out Paper Clutter
  For many of us, spring is the time when a certain activity comes to mind - the annual clearing out of clutter that collects in our homes and offices. While it's easy to focus on getting rid of "stuff" clutter - actual physical things - it's important to look for ways to clear out the other types of clutter in our lives that can also get in our way.
  Published 18Apr2012, viewed 132 times

• 3 Steps to Clearing Office Clutter
  It's that time of year again, where resolutions have hopefully been started or implemented, and we're ready to move forward! But before we do, it's a great idea to do some pre-spring cleaning. Why wait for later to clear out the clutter?
  Published 04Apr2012, viewed 98 times

• Two Steps to Organizing Your Computer Files
  Just like with our paper files, we want to able to find, retrieve, and put away electronic documents quickly and easily. Although most computers have pretty effective search functions, that still isn't as effective as simply knowing where your files are.
  Published 23Mar2012, viewed 38 times

• 4 Ways to Spend Less Time Processing Paper
  Being a Certified Professional Organizer, I actually enjoy working with paper - I know, I'm strange! Even so, I don't want to spend too much time on it; like you, I have many other tasks on my to-do list. One of my big goals for 2012 is to reduce the amount of paper that I have to process. Here are a few ways to do it:
  Published 11Mar2012, viewed 44 times

• Time Management for Interruption-Based Professions
  Let's face it - we're all busy, and that can make it difficult for us to manage our time, no matter how diligent we are about organizing, scheduling, and re-scheduling our tasks. Having a routine schedule can make it easier to streamline and group our tasks and activities, but not every profession or job lends itself to this sort of regularity.
  Published 27Feb2012, viewed 47 times

• 4 Steps to Upgrading Your Time Management System
  We all share the same finite resource - time. No matter what we do, we can't magically add more time into our days, or extend our weeks. Therefore, how well we manage our time, and our tasks, is critical to our overall success. There are many time management books and systems out there, along with ones that you can create from whole cloth.
  Published 20Feb2012, viewed 50 times

• The #1 Organizing Mistake
  "I am an office supply junkie! I love to go to the office supply stores and get all the matching organizers like pencil cups, paper trays, folders, covered memo boards...you get the picture.
  Published 03Feb2012, viewed 55 times

• Two Steps to Organizing Your Computer Files
  Just like with our paper files, we want to able to find, retrieve, and put away electronic documents quickly and easily. Although most computers have pretty effective search functions, that still isn't as effective as simply knowing where your files are.
  Published 18Jan2012, viewed 192 times

• Working From Home: Pros And Cons
  One of the first decisions you'll have to make if you work for yourself is where to work. You have two choices: either you work from a home office or a separate workspace. Depending on the kind of work you do, there are pros and cons to either scenario.
  Published 04Jan2012, viewed 130 times

• 3 Things No Small Business Owner Can Afford to Do Without
  When you spend as much time as I have working with different folks in their various at-home workspaces, you start to notice some of the things that are consistently important to being a successful work-at-homer. I'd like to shine a light on some of the things that are smaller and more easily overlooked—but are also, in my experience, very helpful.
  Published 21Dec2011, viewed 197 times

• It's Time for a "Time Makeover": 5 Tips for Mastering Your Calendar
  Maybe you're feeling like you can't get everything done, or that you don't really know where your time goes. Sound familiar? If so, a "time makeover" might be just what you need! Here are some simple strategies to help get your calendar under control...
  Published 07Dec2011, viewed 123 times

• What to Do with Your Unwanted Stuff
  A frequent by-product of the organizing process is usually a bunch of stuff you\'ve decided you no longer want, love, or use. Getting rid of all this stuff can sometimes be a challenge - but don\'t let that stymie your progress! Here are three ideas of what to do with your castoffs...
  Published 01Dec2011, viewed 110 times

• 3 Tips for Sticking to Your Top Priorities
  When you've got to stay on top of lots of different tasks in your job, sometimes it's the biggest priorities that get lost in the shuffle. As little fires erupt around you, you fall into a reactive mode instead of a proactive mode. Sooner or later we all fall into that trap. It is really easy to go down that rabbit hole of keeping up, rather than staying ahead.
  Published 21Nov2011, viewed 61 times

• 3 Top Tips for Dealing with Noise Pollution in Your Home Office
  "Is that baby STILL screaming? I need to get this project off my desk!" If any of these sound familiar, then you've run into one of the unique challenges of working from home - dealing with residential noise pollution.
  Published 10Nov2011, viewed 102 times

• Why You Can't Get Organized in a Weekend
  When talking with potential clients, I'm often struck by how distressed they sound with their organizing and productivity challenges, and how their businesses, and their lives, are affected by what's going on in their space and systems. No doubt about it - if you're disorganized, life can be stressful, and needlessly so.
  Published 07Oct2011, viewed 111 times

• The Social Media Time Suck and How to Avoid It
  At first, it was just web browsing that ate your productivity, then it was email, and now with social media it's mushroomed into an all-consuming black hole. Or at least, that's how it can seem. Without a doubt, social media has changed our communication landscape. And whether you use social media for business or personal use, you've probably noticed how much of your time can go down the rabbit hole of social media.
  Published 10Oct2011, viewed 186 times

• 3 Easy Steps to Emergency Preparedness
  September is Emergency Preparedness Month, and for many of us, it's a time when we think about all the things we haven't yet done to get ourselves, our families, and our businesses prepared for an emergency. After all, just like any organizing or productivity project, getting prepared for an emergency takes time and effort - or does it?
  Published 22Sep2011, viewed 79 times

• 4 Steps to Upgrading Your Time Management System
  We all share the same finite resource - time. No matter what we do, we can't magically add more time into our days, or extend our weeks. Therefore, how well we manage our time, and our tasks, is critical to our overall success...
  Published 11Sep2011, viewed 107 times

• 4 Tips for Eco-Friendly Organizing-Simplify Your Life While Being Environmentally Responsible!
  Getting organized can be a fantastic way to simplify and streamline your busy life. The process of getting organized can involve weeding through (and discarding) some of the belongings that have been keeping you from living how you want to live, and finding other products that can help you live in more comfortable, effective way...
  Published 11Sep2011, viewed 150 times

• Managing Your Time
  Time flies when you're having fun, but what if you're not having fun and your time still seems to "fly away?" Do you ever feel like your schedule runs you, rather than the other way around? Maybe you're feeling like you can't get everything done, or that you don't really know where your time goes. Sound familiar? If so, a "time makeover" might be just what you need! Here are some simple strategies to help get your calendar under control..
  Published 16Aug2011, viewed 74 times

• The Task List Master - Lady Gaga's Productivity Secrets
  Between 2008 and 2011, global pop phenomenon Lady Gaga has created an impressive empire - three bestselling albums, nearly a dozen hit singles, and two of the highest-grossing tours of the past couple of years..
  Published 11Aug2011, viewed 141 times

• 3 Easy Ways to Get Tasks Off Your Plate (and Onto Someone Else's)
  You can streamline, combine, and massage tasks ad infinitum, but most of us will reach a point where there are simply too many things for one individual to do. At that point, you have a few options - 1) reprioritize and remove some tasks from your list; 2) work around the clock to finish all your tasks; or 3) share some of your tasks with others. I typically recommend the third option.
  Published 17Jul2011, viewed 102 times

• Boost Focus And Productivity By Reducing Communication Distractions
  During the course of a given day, think about how many different ways you might be distracted from the tasks you have in front of you - a notification pops up in the corner of your screen letting you know you have a new email...
  Published 21Jun2011, viewed 111 times

• 4 Tips For Eco-Friendly Organizing!
  Getting organized can be a fantastic way to simplify and streamline your busy life. The process of getting organized can involve weeding through (and discarding) some of the belongings that have been keeping you from living how you want to live, and finding other products that can help you live in more comfortable, effective way....
  Published 07Jun2011, viewed 159 times

• What Is A Professional Organizer, Anyway?
  What can a Professional Organizer Do for Me? According to the National Association of Professional Organizers (the industry standard professional association), a Professional Organizer helps people take control of their surroundings, their time, their paper, and their lives by using organizational principles and concepts....
  Published 12May2011, viewed 224 times

• Controlling Your Closet
  San Francisco living is great - many of us are fortunate to live in beautiful, historic buildings that are just bursting with character. Another thing that's bursting is our closets. With more clothing and belongings than ever before, it can be a constant struggle to find places to put all our "stuff," especially in closets that were designed twenty-five, fifty, or a hundred years ago.
  Published 28Apr2011, viewed 223 times

• 3 Top Tips for Protecting Your Data
  One of the things I frequently work with clients on is making sure that their data will be safe in the event of an emergency. Just imagine what would happen in your business or your life if you lost all your data and your key documents. Unless you're confident that you could re-create everything from scratch, it's essential to have a strategy for data and information backup and restoration. Here are some ideas for how to do it...
  Published 24Mar2011, viewed 175 times

• Organizing Your Personal Finances:4 Steps to Getting Control of Your Receipts, Statements, and Bills
  One of my top requests as a Professional Organizer is to help clients organize their personal finances. For many of us, the myriad bills, receipts, and statements that enter our homes are quickly overwhelming us. It's hard to keep track of all that information if you don't have a good system in place to manage it. Here are four simple steps to help you get your personal financial papers organized...
  Published 03Mar2011, viewed 206 times

• Strategies for Success! Reach Your Organizing Goals With These Easy Tips!
  The prospect of getting organized at home or at work can seem pretty daunting. Working towards your organizing goals can be energized with anticipation and effort, or can be derailed by frustration and confusion. It's critical to understand that getting organized is a process - and as such, it will have its highs and lows. Here are some strategies to help you to hit your target!
  Published 10Feb2011, viewed 183 times

• Simplifying and Streamlining Social Media
  The world of social media can be completely overwhelming. In addition to knowing and understanding the various networks and social media sites, you need to spend time managing your presence on each one. For most of us, managing social media is something that happens in our spare time - but there are several effective ways to organize and streamline how you interact with your online social world.
  Published 10Jan2011, viewed 175 times

• Top Organizing Tips for Creative Professionals
  Self-employed creative professionals needn't work in chaos: set up systems, schedule administrative time and be inventive with organizing and storage tools.
  Published 19Dec2010, viewed 304 times

• Organize Your Marketing with an Editorial Calendar
  Being an entrepreneur or small business owner, it's easy to get overwhelmed, that's why it's important to organize your marketing with an editorial calendar. Here are some helpful ways to get started!
  Published 21Nov2010, viewed 196 times

• Maintain Your Systems to Stay Productive
  Getting organized being productive is an ongoing effort. Devoting a few minutes on a regular basis to your organizing systems is one of the keys to maintaining success. It requires ongoing attention and this article offers guidance for specific parts of the system to review, to yield your best results.
  Published 21Oct2010, viewed 278 times

• Switching from Laundry Mode to Work Mode
  Getting work done at home can be a challenge, here are some helpful tips on how to stay motivated, organized and productive.
  Published 29Sep2010, viewed 239 times

• Get "Smart Busy" with the 3 P's
  If you're feeling overwhelmed by your tasks and to-do's, you're not alone. In this article, learn a simple 3-step strategy for prioritizing and accomplishing your tasks.
  Published 14Sep2010, viewed 160 times

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