Ilios Digital Organizing Blog

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Anti-anxiety meds and organization have more in common than you would think.

I used to be a nervous wreck – stressed out about everything, constantly second-guessing and wondering if I was making the right decisions or saying the right things. Heaven forbid if a major disaster or life change came along and amped everything up to 11.

But now I take pills to manage my anxiety. Sanity savers, I call them, and they really do help me keep control of my life. Somebody once told me that anti-anxiety pills help us manage the day to day things so that when the major issues come along, we’ve got the bandwidth or energy to deal with them.

Organizing works the same way. Having an organized workspace, an organized life, seems to make things flow smoother. Makes getting things done a little easier. You stress less about missing documents, or too many emails, or getting out of the office on time.

And when everything is humming along as it should, you’ve got the energy for that last-minute client request or that project deadline that just got moved up by two days.

So how is your day going? Could you use a little organization to make it easier? Ilios Digital can help! Schedule your Discovery Call and we can get started today!

20 July 2019

What business tools do you need to survive?

I love post-apocalyptic stories and I’m writing this while watching my husband play a post-apocalyptic video game (Days Gone, in case you’re wondering). In these games, it’s always about the tools you can acquire, and how you use them. The right tool can make the difference between life and death.

Especially when there are zombies.

It got me thinking about the tools that I rely on every day.

What couldn’t I live without?

Anyone who knows me should have already guessed Evernote. Evernote is my multi-purpose tool. It’s a place to store information, plan my day, create content, and a place to park idea’s until I’m ready to use them. Without Evernote, my brain would be a whirling, jam packed mess no good for creating new ideas.

Dropbox is another tool I depend on. I work between three different computers, and when I need to access documents or forms, Dropbox is right there. Because all my documents are stored in the cloud, they’re accessible from everywhere. This cuts down on the time I would have to spend wondering where I put something.

Rounding out my top three tools would be Zapier. Zapier allows me to connect different software – like Evernote and Google Calendar for my task list – that normally wouldn’t speak to each other. This means one less step in my workday, which saves me time and energy. Not to mention, it means I don’t forget the little things.

What about you? What software tools do you need to survive and thrive? Are you using them as well as you could? Comment below and let’s talk about how to get the most out of your software!

27 June 2019

What to do with a bulging computer

I was working with a client the other day on photo organizing. Like so many of us, she had photos on her computer, in various storage places online, and on USB drives. With two teenagers in the house, there were a lot of photos. First day of school photos, birthday photos, photos that show the folly of being the first in a group of teen boys to fall asleep, and more.

My client was like most of us these days, she’d taken multiple shots of the same thing trying to capture the best image. Easy to do with a digital camera or your phone. But all those images take up space, and who has the time to manually go through and weed photos? Not us.

As we were gathering all these photos in one place to sort them, her computer decided that, nope, it didn’t really have enough room for all those photos. And unlike with a bulging suitcase, when a computer says it’s full you really can’t squeeze one more thing in. Not another photo, document, or file.

So what are you supposed to do then?

Ilios Digital can help you get your computer back. If photos have taken over your device and left you with no space for anything else, let’s talk about how to take back control.

20 June 2019

App Review – Pocket

Purpose: A content collection software that allows you to store items/articles/videos you want to read or view until later when you have time.

Benefits: Pocket is a great alternative to having 50 web browser tabs open because you haven’t had time to get back to reading the article on that page. It also offers articles that might be of interest to you, just in case your reading list isn’t long enough. In addition, Pocket can be utilized when you are offline, making it great for car trips, plane rides, etc.

Cost: Free, $5/mo for Premium

Opinion: Pocket is a great content collection software. I highly recommend it for people living with those 50 open tabs and a fear of their browser accidentally closing. However, like with any content collection software, there is always the risk of over collecting and disorganization making it hard to find what you originally wanted to read. Being organized can make the difference between Pocket being a black hole or being a bookmark tool.

Are you looking for help when it comes to managing your reading list? Ilios Digital is here! We can provide software suggestions and hands on assistance.

13 June 2019

Why Inbox Zero Worries is better than Inbox Zero

Schedule Your Discovery Call!

You’ve heard of Inbox Zero, right?

It’s the philosophy of getting your email inbox all cleaned out, zero emails. It’s a great goal, one that a lot of people strive for. Strive and then are disappointed when they can’t reach it. Because to be honest, I think Inbox Zero isn’t realistic for the majority of us.

Picture this. You work and work and work and finally achieve the holy grail of Inbox Zero. You step away from the computer to get a celebratory drink of something tasty and when you return…you have four new emails.

So much for Inbox Zero.

What if instead of trying to get down to zero emails in your inbox, you got to a place where you spent zero time worrying about email?

Imagine this – you go to your inbox and find a handful of new emails.
Two minutes later you’ve got them sorted, filed, and ready to be followed up with. You check your Waiting folder to see who is still outstanding, then continue on with your workday. No more worrying about emails getting lost below the fold. No more stressing, wondering if you actually followed up with someone.

Zero worries. Carefree as a child.

It can happen!

If you’re ready to stop worrying about your email and start enjoying the time you’ve reclaimed, Ilios Digital can get you there. Schedule your Discovery Call today and let’s take you to Inbox Zero Worries!

6 June 2019

Delayed Decisions Lead to Clutter

My husband takes off his socks at night when we’re sitting in the living room playing on our computers and pretending to watch TV. No big deal, right? Except for the next three days, both of us will walk past those lonely white socks four or five times a day and still, the socks stay where they fell.

Email is like this too. We get a new action email, read it – and decide it would only take a few minutes to complete – then leave it in our inbox while we wander off to do something else. We come back to our email how many times a day, re-read that action message, but still leave it undone until ‘later’. Well, later comes with twenty other action emails waiting for your attention.

What would have happened if you had taken 2 minutes to respond to the email instead of putting it off till later? Probably the same thing that would have happened if my husband had taken 2 minutes to pick up his socks and put them away.

Less clutter.

Our delayed decisions lead to clutter – both in your inbox and in your living room. David Allen of Getting Things Done says if you have a task that will only take a couple of minutes, you should complete the task then, don’t put it off till ‘later’. Doing those two-minute tasks right away is another way to keep your inbox under control. Sure, some action emails require more effort but don’t ignore those two-minute tasks.

Too many emails to tackle on your own? Let me know! Ilios Digital Organizing offers an Inbox Detox program that can get you back on track.

Ilios Digital Organizing Blog

8 August 2019

Organizing to Fight Anxiety

Schedule your Discovery Call!

Anti-anxiety meds and organization have more in common than you would think.

I used to be a nervous wreck – stressed out about everything, constantly second-guessing and wondering if I was making the right decisions or saying the right things. Heaven forbid if a major disaster or life change came along and amped everything up to 11.

But now I take pills to manage my anxiety. Sanity savers, I call them, and they really do help me keep control of my life. Somebody once told me that anti-anxiety pills help us manage the day to day things so that when the major issues come along, we’ve got the bandwidth or energy to deal with them.

Organizing works the same way. Having an organized workspace, an organized life, seems to make things flow smoother. Makes getting things done a little easier. You stress less about missing documents, or too many emails, or getting out of the office on time.

And when everything is humming along as it should, you’ve got the energy for that last-minute client request or that project deadline that just got moved up by two days.

So how is your day going? Could you use a little organization to make it easier? Ilios Digital can help! Schedule your Discovery Call and we can get started today!

20 July 2019

What business tools do you need to survive?

I love post-apocalyptic stories and I’m writing this while watching my husband play a post-apocalyptic video game (Days Gone, in case you’re wondering). In these games, it’s always about the tools you can acquire, and how you use them. The right tool can make the difference between life and death.

Especially when there are zombies.

It got me thinking about the tools that I rely on every day.

What couldn’t I live without?

Anyone who knows me should have already guessed Evernote. Evernote is my multi-purpose tool. It’s a place to store information, plan my day, create content, and a place to park idea’s until I’m ready to use them. Without Evernote, my brain would be a whirling, jam packed mess no good for creating new ideas.

Dropbox is another tool I depend on. I work between three different computers, and when I need to access documents or forms, Dropbox is right there. Because all my documents are stored in the cloud, they’re accessible from everywhere. This cuts down on the time I would have to spend wondering where I put something.

Rounding out my top three tools would be Zapier. Zapier allows me to connect different software – like Evernote and Google Calendar for my task list – that normally wouldn’t speak to each other. This means one less step in my workday, which saves me time and energy. Not to mention, it means I don’t forget the little things.

What about you? What software tools do you need to survive and thrive? Are you using them as well as you could? Comment below and let’s talk about how to get the most out of your software!

27 June 2019

What to do with a bulging computer

I was working with a client the other day on photo organizing. Like so many of us, she had photos on her computer, in various storage places online, and on USB drives. With two teenagers in the house, there were a lot of photos. First day of school photos, birthday photos, photos that show the folly of being the first in a group of teen boys to fall asleep, and more.

My client was like most of us these days, she’d taken multiple shots of the same thing trying to capture the best image. Easy to do with a digital camera or your phone. But all those images take up space, and who has the time to manually go through and weed photos? Not us.

As we were gathering all these photos in one place to sort them, her computer decided that, nope, it didn’t really have enough room for all those photos. And unlike with a bulging suitcase, when a computer says it’s full you really can’t squeeze one more thing in. Not another photo, document, or file.

So what are you supposed to do then?

Ilios Digital can help you get your computer back. If photos have taken over your device and left you with no space for anything else, let’s talk about how to take back control.

20 June 2019

App Review – Pocket

Purpose: A content collection software that allows you to store items/articles/videos you want to read or view until later when you have time.

Benefits: Pocket is a great alternative to having 50 web browser tabs open because you haven’t had time to get back to reading the article on that page. It also offers articles that might be of interest to you, just in case your reading list isn’t long enough. In addition, Pocket can be utilized when you are offline, making it great for car trips, plane rides, etc.

Cost: Free, $5/mo for Premium

Opinion: Pocket is a great content collection software. I highly recommend it for people living with those 50 open tabs and a fear of their browser accidentally closing. However, like with any content collection software, there is always the risk of over collecting and disorganization making it hard to find what you originally wanted to read. Being organized can make the difference between Pocket being a black hole or being a bookmark tool.

Are you looking for help when it comes to managing your reading list? Ilios Digital is here! We can provide software suggestions and hands on assistance.

13 June 2019

Why Inbox Zero Worries is better than Inbox Zero

Schedule Your Discovery Call!

You’ve heard of Inbox Zero, right?

It’s the philosophy of getting your email inbox all cleaned out, zero emails. It’s a great goal, one that a lot of people strive for. Strive and then are disappointed when they can’t reach it. Because to be honest, I think Inbox Zero isn’t realistic for the majority of us.

Picture this. You work and work and work and finally achieve the holy grail of Inbox Zero. You step away from the computer to get a celebratory drink of something tasty and when you return…you have four new emails.

So much for Inbox Zero.

What if instead of trying to get down to zero emails in your inbox, you got to a place where you spent zero time worrying about email?

Imagine this – you go to your inbox and find a handful of new emails.
Two minutes later you’ve got them sorted, filed, and ready to be followed up with. You check your Waiting folder to see who is still outstanding, then continue on with your workday. No more worrying about emails getting lost below the fold. No more stressing, wondering if you actually followed up with someone.

Zero worries. Carefree as a child.

It can happen!

If you’re ready to stop worrying about your email and start enjoying the time you’ve reclaimed, Ilios Digital can get you there. Schedule your Discovery Call today and let’s take you to Inbox Zero Worries!

6 June 2019

Delayed Decisions Lead to Clutter

My husband takes off his socks at night when we’re sitting in the living room playing on our computers and pretending to watch TV. No big deal, right? Except for the next three days, both of us will walk past those lonely white socks four or five times a day and still, the socks stay where they fell.

Email is like this too. We get a new action email, read it – and decide it would only take a few minutes to complete – then leave it in our inbox while we wander off to do something else. We come back to our email how many times a day, re-read that action message, but still leave it undone until ‘later’. Well, later comes with twenty other action emails waiting for your attention.

What would have happened if you had taken 2 minutes to respond to the email instead of putting it off till later? Probably the same thing that would have happened if my husband had taken 2 minutes to pick up his socks and put them away.

Less clutter.

Our delayed decisions lead to clutter – both in your inbox and in your living room. David Allen of Getting Things Done says if you have a task that will only take a couple of minutes, you should complete the task then, don’t put it off till ‘later’. Doing those two-minute tasks right away is another way to keep your inbox under control. Sure, some action emails require more effort but don’t ignore those two-minute tasks.

Too many emails to tackle on your own? Let me know! Ilios Digital Organizing offers an Inbox Detox program that can get you back on track.