SOS Organizational Services - Articles & Information

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How Organized Are You

Organizer is
Batting Cleanup

The Paper We Keep

"How Organized Are You" Quiz
Score 1 point for every "Yes" answer. Improving your organizational skills can take time, so make a note of your current score and come back later to try again. If a question does not apply to you, score it as "Yes." Good luck!

			Yes	No
1.	I do not spend most of my days responding from a crisis mode (or "putting out fires").
2.	I have no unfinished projects that are causing me stress because I have procrastinated beginning or completing them.
3.	I do not collect more reading material than I can keep up with.
4.	The amount of time I spend sitting at my desk wondering what to do next is minimal.
5.	I can find any piece of paper in my office in one minute or less.
6.	There are no pieces of paper lying in my office, my car, my briefcase, or my home that are there because I don't know what to do with them.
7.	All business cards, names, phone and fax numbers, addresses, and e-mail addresses are in system that allows me immediate access and is up to date.
8.	My monthly bills are consistently paid in full and on time with no interest, late or overdraft fees incurred.
9.	I purge all of my financial records every year (generally around tax season) and archive only those that may be necessary for my legal or a tax protection.
10.	I regularly keep less than one screen of unprocessed e-mail in my inbox.
		Score

Your Score
9 - 10 Excellent
7 - 8 Competent
6 - 7 Needs Improvement
0 - 5 Disorganized

Need help organizing your work or life? Send an SOS for professional help. The above quiz is part of a 100 question "Organize Your Life Survey" as an assessment tool for individual and team clients. Click on Contact Page or call
SOS Organizational Services at
610-827-2767 for more information.

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Organizer is Batting Cleanup
From the Philadelphia Inquirer Business Section

Barbara J. Bergeron is now a player in a growing national profession that is coming of age this
year. . . .

. . . What she tries to do, with careful observation and through classes and personal coaching, "is teach organizing skills that last a lifetime."

Bergeron with client

Read the
complete article

"My office has a whole new look now. It's lean, integrated, and coiled for action. I now look for excuses to escape to this vibrant serenity. Mary Ann Heimark, Wellness Advisor

The Paper We Keep . . . Purging and Pondering
By Barbara J. Bergeron
(reprinted with permission from "Tips & Trends" Newsletter)

What happened to the paperless society? Have computers really reduced the amount of paper in our lives?

Apparently the answer is a resounding "NO!" In fact, Hewlett Packard reports that when e-mail is introduced into a company, paper usage actually increases by 40%. Paper consumption has been growing at the rate of 6% a year and is expected to reach 1.54 trillion by the year 2000.

In today's society an annual purge is an absolute must. Our survival mantra for the 21st century should be "simplify, simplify, simplify." But too often the process is overwhelming both in time and thought because . . . clutter is delayed decision-making. Simplifying the volume we keep and the choices we make can make us more productive and less overwhelmed.

As you ponder what to purge and what to keep try asking yourself these questions:
What's the worst that could happen if I throw this away?
Can it be obtained somewhere else, if need be?
In what specific situation would I use this?
Will it be outdated or obsolete when I need it?
Can I keep the source of this and let go of the rest?
Am I keeping all of this for one nugget?
Does this item or project support my goals and values?
Will more of this be available when I need it?
Will I really do this?

Whether it's paper, time, commitments, to-do's, bank accounts, credit cards or your life, remember: simplify first, organize what's left.

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SOS Organizational Services
Phone: 610-827-2767 Fax: 610-827-1860
e-mail: info@SOSorganize.com
405 Partridgeberry Lane • Chester Springs, PA 19425-1723

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