"A place for everything and everything in its' place."
Do you remember hearing this from your mother? "A place for everything and everything in it's place." I bet if I haven't heard it once, I've heard it a thousand times. I often roll it over and over in my head when I feel like life is out of control.

Getting organized is a process and it doesn't happen overnight! It's like quitting a bad habit. In the beginning it is very difficult but it gets easier until one day....you've begun the new habit of "being organized" without even thinking! Below, I'm listing some of my favorite tips that others have been so gracious to pass on to me. Some of these tips will work for you, others won't. You don't have to do everything; you just have to do something!

*Before you leave for home each day, take the time to review your calendar for the next day and prepare any documents that you might need for the next day.

*Keep a generic manila folder labeled "Meeting". Place meeting papers in this folder. Meetings may include your booster club, officer, principal, or even your superintendent.

*Before you leave for the day, file papers, schedules and wheatever else you used during the day. Put pens and pencils back in their place. Listen to your voice messages, check your e-mail. You may not return calls or answer e-mails but at least they will be on top of your "to do" list for the next day.

*In the morning, re-check your calendar and plan the day. Take a deep breath and jump right in!

*If you are in a busy season (and when isn't it a busy season?) make a plan and stick to it. For example, keep a box for all competition information, catalogs, etc. You'll know where everything is located everytime you need something.

*If you attend a conference, cleanout your conference bag before you go home. Trash the stuff that isn't pertinent. Have a plan for the rest of the information (a handout might just be the thing you need to spark an idea) so file the information within the right subject for future reference. Bringing it back to school won't do you a bit of good if you don't know where it is!

MAIL
*Throw away junk mail without even bothering to open it!

*If there is a trash bin close to the mailbox, dump junk mail there and don't even bother taking it to your office.

*Touch each piece of mail only once. This means you need to make a decision on what to do with it ( and no fair stacking it in a pile to read later. You know you never will!) You can:
*POST it wherever you post information,
*DISTRIBUTE it to the person who should have gotten it in the first place,
*TRASH it,
*FILE it in the appropriate file (Not a "to be filed" file!),
*ACT upon it.

IN YOUR OFFICE:

*Take a critical look around your office. Do you like it? If not, try making a few adjustments without spending any money. Rearrange Furniture. Hang things YOU like on the walls. Display your diplomas and awards. Let students and parents see bits adn pieces of your personality instead of a sterile environment. Be creative. Your office should be both professional and a reflection of you.

*Organize your desk, inside and out. Clean out your drawers. If you have 20 different note pads, get rid of some. Throw away pens that don't work. Sharpen pencils and throw away nubs or those without erasers. Organize your reference materials so they are within reach. Arrange things so that they are in a logical order that works for you. Browse the Container Store or Target for gizmos and gadgets that will get and keep you organized.

*Get rid of your stacks! Go through your stacks and find a home for everything. File it, trash it, or distribute it. Develop a "To Read" file. Carry it with you. Read on a trip, at home, in the doctor's office etc. (When using this file, place in it information that does not have to be immediately acted upon because it isn't frequently used.

*Maie it a priority to put things away as you are finished iwth them. If you don't, you'll be stacking again! Contrary to what you would like to believe - a cluttered desk does not make you appera to be busy - only disorganized. A clean desk is far more welcoming to visitors.

*Work on one project at a time, even if you have three or four projects going on. You are far less likely to get distracted and will accomplish more. If you are a stopping point with one - put it away before starting another.

*Take the time to update and purge your files. Be RUTHLESS! Get rid of material, unless you are responsible for knowing it. Keep only current information on hand. It is less confusing. Consequently, when you get information, replace (don't keep) the old!

*Find a new home for the files you've been keeping for reference. They're probably just taking up space. If space is an issue, consider TRASHING them or using a portable file box that you can keep in storage.

*Label your files. Try to have access to two file systems within arms-length of your desk. One should contain your current projects, the other should hold future projects and references.

*Use a two label system. Label a Pendaflex hanging folder with the general subject heading, with related files behind it, each in their own hanging file. Of you can consider filing by title instead of subject. When labeling the interior folder so that whne you remove it form the Pendaflex file you will remember where it came from.

*Notebooks are a great way to keep large quantities of information together. Label the outside spine of the notebook for quick reference.