Emails demand to be read. Refrigerator doors and bulletin boards become graveyards for lost and forgotten sticky notes. And that million-dollar idea you had during the morning commute? Forgotten in the hectic drama of the first fifteen minutes at the office.

Ballantrae Solutions President Jocelyn Coverdale suggests tech solutions for all of these problems that are easy and inexpensive (or free!) to improve your information’s “findability”.

GTDMail
Imagine that a postal worker comes to your door to deliver your mail. You decide you don’t like most of what he’s got for you, throw most of it at the door and leave it there. You repeat this process every day and soon you’ve got hundreds of unopened letters cluttering your entrance. It sounds ridiculous, but that’s how many people deal (or rather, don’t deal) with their email.

This simple-to-use application is a snap for organizing your email. Create categories like Follow Up, Read and Action for various types of responses you might require. Or create a Snooze folder and just have the email re-delivered to you when it’s convenient or as a reminder. Achieve inbox zero.

Jott
Imagine if you could have a private secretary following you around 24/7 taking dictation from your thoughts. Turn your cellphone into a dedicated personal assistant with Jott. Register for free at Jott.com. Next, record a message for yourself or a reminder for someone else. The message can now be played back as a voice recording in Outlook, or can be automatically transcribed for you to read the note in your email.

Did I mention it’s free to sign up?

Sticky Notes
There’s something awfully strange about putting actual sticky notes on a keyboard or computer monitor. Haven’t we entered the paperless Information Age? There are a wide range of applications offering digital sticky notes that you can put on your desktop without actually adding to your paper clutter. They’re actually better than the real thing, because you can insert functioning hyperlinks and program them to pop up when you think you’ll need them.

A Wired World in Need of Organization
At the office and at home, we’re overwhelmed with information.

• 70 per cent of households have Internet access. Almost half have high-speed Internet connections.
• 51 per cent of adults think computers are now a necessity, not a luxury.
• 51 per cent of adults send and use email every day. About 30 per cent of it is “worthless”, such as junk mail or spam.
• 25 per cent of a professional’s day can be spent reading email.
• 63 million Americans do banking online.
• Almost three quarters of adults use cellphones.

Information courtesy of the Pew Internet & American Life Project

In speaking with a business colleague, Nancy Zimmerman, she concurs that her clients are nearly at their breaking points when it comes to being on top of their money issues. Her company Your Money By Design was born to help people become savvy and in control of their money. Have a look at her website and her monthly newsletters. You may be able to pick up a few money saving tips (and the Organizer in me just cautions you about not buying more ‘stuff’ with your new-found money…).

Many people find it easier to just go out and buy what they are looking for, rather than face the daunting task of actually looking for it. It’s less stressful to just buy another package of post-it notes, batteries, or flat of tomato paste. Not surprisingly, many of my clients eventually all admit to this.

When we dive into the piles and into the disorganized drawers and cupboards, you will not be surprised (nor are they…) to find there are duplicates and triplicates of everything. Enough tomato paste to feed an army. Batteries to light up and operate every electrical device you have and then some.

Stop for a minute and think about how much money you have wasted on duplicate/triplicate purchases. Where else could this money have been spent? Not to mention, how much time would you have saved by not having to make that extra shopping trip?

Being disorganized has its rippling effects through your papers as well. Think about all the late payments and resulting interest charges you incurred because you have misplaced your bills.

Save money by being organized. Yes, I know — where to start, right?

As a professional organizer, I recommend the quick sort. Do not belabour over your piles and end up wasting your whole day over one item. Set your alarm or watch at 15 minutes. You may not have 7 hours or even 4, but we all have 15 minutes. Start small, be consistent and develop a habit.

Use the F.A.T. system. Ask yourself only 3 questions:

• File it?
• Act on it?
• Toss it?

If you want to keep it — put it aside and file it / keep it somewhere.
If you have to do something to this item — put it aside in an action pile.
If you find obvious outdated and unwanted information and possessions — toss it!

Creating your piles is just the storm before the calm. Following through on your action piles is critical to getting yourself organized. Streamlining and developing personal systems will keep you organized.

Remember that the biggest barrier to working through your disorganized piles is your emotional attachment you have to everything and your inability to focus on one task. If you have procrastinated long enough, call in the experts — contact a Professional Organizer.

2. Set aside a regular time to spend with your money. We do it for eating, for exercising (well, maybe), to spend with friends, heck, we even set massive time aside to earn our money. Set aside time at least 30 minutes each week to involve yourself with your money. Check in whether your actual use of money is consistent with your purpose for it defined as above.

3. Equip yourself with tools. There are lots of ways to make organizing your finances easier. We can do better than shoe-box receipts! Businesses like “Out of Chaos” and “Art of Storage” have several suggestions for the handling paper. Software packages like Quicken, Microsoft Money or Excel can simplify keeping track of your cash flow. Online banking can automate most bill-paying tasks.

4. Celebrate. Being organized with your money will result in confidence and a sense of control. Even better, it may well lead to prosperity. Celebrate!