One of the easiest steps we can take to getting organized and managing our time is to get the “going paperless” mindset.

Clutter can be a great thief of time and can leave us frustrated and stressed. Today we can eliminate an amazing amount of this clutter by creating a “paperless mindset”.

Below are some suggestions for getting started.

• Bank Online (check out an online service like Paytrust – the ultimate service for paperless bill management)
• Receive credit card statements electronically, and pay online
• Receive and pay utility bills online
• Receive and pay cell phone bills online
• Cancel newspaper delivery and read newspapers online
• Many magazines now offer complete online versions
• Create an online calendar (most email programs provide these for free). Plus, you can set them up complete with email reminders for events.
• If you still fax, use a paperless service like efax

Are you sensing a pattern here?

The truth is that much of the clutter in our lives can be eliminated by using the internet.

It’s even better for the environment!

Start your paperless campaign today!

My 10 year old son recently had his parent/teacher conference at his school.

His teacher said he was doing very well in class but could be doing better if he got more organized. His desk and class binder were often cluttered and in a condition that made it difficult even for her to make sense of the contents. Several of his assignments that were completed, he didn’t receive credit for because they couldn’t be found.

I got to thinking about my own organizational skills and asked myself if I was setting the proper example and the answer was no! My home office desk is littered with papers, unopened mail, coffee cups and more…

WOW! what an eye opener! So my son and I worked out a little challenge for each other. Each day when he comes home from school he brings me his binder for me to see if it is neat and organized. While I am doing that, he inspects my home office for the same thing. I haven’t been so organized or productive in years! Knowing that he will be checking it and holding me to a higher standard is an astonishing lesson in self discipline.

Something else has happened that I hope will carry over to my son. We all know how we run around to get the home cleaned up when company is coming over, or the extra attention we pay to our office environment when we know that there will be a visit from corporate management etc. Got me to thinking…Why not maintain those high standards each day? In other words, should we not be as eager to impress “ourselves” as we are other people? Here is another way to look at it. If we are at a friend’s or relative’s home we always hope our children are on their best behavior and we ourselves take special care to respect the people and their home. We make sure we bring our drink cups to the kitchen, throw any trash away etc. While at our own homes, sometimes it is just easier to leave that coffee cup on the end table until later, that newspaper or junk mail can sit on the counter, the car can stay dirty another day etc…

I have been astounded at just how much more organized I am becoming since changing the way I handle the simple daily tasks we all face. Give it a try, you too will be amazed!

And here is the greatest gift… I have more “time for life”!

Perhaps some of it!

Google has become a central point in the lives of anyone that goes online. The search engine, email, business tools and more make it easy to find what you need and the correspond quickly with family, friends or co-workers.

Google’s latest service may help you organize an area that often takes valuable time from our day…the telephone.

Most of us today carry cell phones, some still have home phones or “voip” services and then we also have our number at work.

Google’s new voicemail program makes it easy to direct your calls to a certain number(s) or to voicemail. It works with their email program “GMail” and allows you to direct calls from anyone in your gmail address book to a specific number and even record custom greetings for each caller or groups.

How do you get it? Visit google.com/voice. Once accepted you can select a Google Voice Number from your local area. Then simply give out your Google number and take your time back!

For more information see the video below.