Ilios Digital Organizing Blog

23 January 2020

Papers – What to keep and what to toss

Digital Organizing, Office Organizing

I still have my original birth certificate and social security card. They’re both worn with age and tucked away safely until needed. My old pay stubs from working at the bookstore? Those were tossed years ago along with old birthday cards from school friends. Grad school papers on my computer? Yep, still got those. Receipts from four years ago? Those are on my computer as well. 

However, holding on to things only increases the amount of clutter in your office and home. So what are you supposed to do? You can’t, and shouldn’t, keep everything. But how are you to know what stays and what goes?
It can be hard to know what to keep and what to let go of when it comes to your paperwork, especially when you are talking about digital documents. Yes, you could hang on to digital files longer since they appear to take up less space. But the question becomes, do you need to?  

And before you buy additional cloud storage or another external hard drive, consider that purchasing that extra space is equivalent to purchasing a storage unit for your physical papers. Do you really want to do that? 

Instead, review recommended records retention guidelines to determine what needs to be kept and what can be tossed. In general, these guidelines apply to both digital and physical papers. 

Vital documents such as a birth certificate, marriage license, immunization records, etc. should be considered permanent. These are often in paper form, so go ahead and scan them into your computer to have a second copy you can keep ‘at home’ while you put the originals in a safe place. When discussing records retention, financial documents require special attention. I recommend contacting a lawyer or financial advisor if you have specific questions about keeping your investment reports or other financial paperwork. 

For more information, check out these guidelines for how long to keep your records:
Smead Records Retention Guidelines
Better Business Bureau Retention Guidelines

If you need help getting through the actual weeding or organizing process, schedule a Discovery Call and we can talk about setting up a file organizing session! 

For tips like these direct to your inbox, make sure you’re getting my newsletter! http://eepurl.com/gO8xJz

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Ilios Digital Organizing Blog

2 April 2020

Organizing Basics

Digital Organizing

Where did you learn to organize? It isn’t something we’re taught in schools, or by our parents, so how do you know what to do? Who shows you the way? I can help with that! Sorting is the first step in any organizing project – watch the video to learn how!

13 March 2020

3,2,1 Backup for You and Me

Digital Organizing

When it comes to your digital images, having a backup plan is key to peace of mind. Especially with our phones – who hasn’t dropped their mobile device or gotten it wet? And if something happens to your phone, poof, all your images stored on there are gone as well.

To keep your images safe, APPO (Association of Personal Photo Organizers) recommends having 3 backups, in 2 different formats, with one of them being offsite aka away from your house.

3, 2, 1 sounds like a lot of work, but it doesn’t have to be. I have my photos stored on my computer, backed up online using Crashplan, and the most important ones are also stored on an external drive in my safety deposit box. With my phone, all the pictures I take (like this one of me and my sister) are automatically stored in Dropbox, which is then backed up to Crashplan. 

What’s your plan for protecting your photos? Are your phone images safe from disaster? Are you getting tips like this on a regular basis? If no, make sure you’re signed up for my newsletter!  http://eepurl.com/gO8xJz

2 March 2020

What’s Your Excuse for Postponing Updates?

Productivity

Courtesy of XKCD
20 February 2020

App Review – OneNote

Digital Organizing

Purpose: OneNote is a digital note taking app. It provides you a place to collect your thoughts and ideas. In OneNote you can also store articles, images, videos and more all in one place for easy reference. 

Benefits: OneNote provides a centralized place to “brain dump” everything that is in your head, as well as a place to plan and store information. Notes are organized in a Notebook – Section – Page/Note setup, which allows for easy navigation and search. Where Evernote notes are very linear, OneNote notes can be set up much like a collage or inspiration board. This is great for those who don’t always think in a straight line. The app is cloud-based as well as desktop, allowing you to sync across all devices – iOS/Mac and Android/PC

Cost: There is an always free cloud-based option. You can also get OneNote as part of the Office365 subscription from Microsoft.

Opinion: I’m a big fan of note taking/information management apps. Those who know me, know I am devoted to Evernote. That being said, OneNote is a very similar app, but a great alternative for those looking for a different interface. The collage setup/page option can be very useful when planning a project. Like Evernote, it has a web clipper option for adding online content to your notes.

If you’re interested in learning more about what Evernote can do, check out the following blog post – Evernote and Getting Things Done

If you want to receive these app reviews direct to your mailbox, make sure you’re signed up for my newsletter! http://eepurl.com/gO8xJz

6 February 2020

What to do when your routine falters

Digital Organizing, Office Organizing

My three cats love their routine. Each day at 4:30 I get out the bowls and a can of food and we go through our steps. Murphy circles the kitchen island while I spoon out the food. Then we all go to the ‘feeding rug’ and set down the bowls in a very specific order. Ta da, dinner time!

Everything goes along smoothly as long as the routine is followed. But if dinner is late, or it’s that one time when Mimzy insisted on being fed in the hallway, then everything falls apart. There’s panic, crying, and running around the room like the sky is falling.

It can be like that for us, too. We’ve all got our routines. Those processes we follow that keep us organized and on top of our things. But life happens to all of us and it can throw us for a loop. It could be a family emergency, a change in job status, or even something seemingly unimportant like construction during our daily commute. 

Whatever it is that happens, we fall out of our routine and start to become disorganized. Piles begin to form on our desk and it just gets easier and easier to add to the mess, especially when your time is limited. Next thing you know it seems like everything is disorganized and there’s no way to get back to how it used to be.

Now is the time to call in help. 

I work with entrepreneurs who would consider themselves organized, once upon a time. But life happened, they fell out of a routine, and things got disorganized. That’s okay because it’s never a bad time to reassess your situation and reset your routines. 

My goal is to get you back to an organized way of life – a lifestyle that makes it easier to deal with life’s bumps and stumbles. If you’re ready to reset, give me a call.

If you are looking for tips to get back in order yourself, make sure you’re signed up for the Ilios Digital newsletter!
http://eepurl.com/gO8xJz

23 January 2020

Papers – What to keep and what to toss

Digital Organizing, Office Organizing

I still have my original birth certificate and social security card. They’re both worn with age and tucked away safely until needed. My old pay stubs from working at the bookstore? Those were tossed years ago along with old birthday cards from school friends. Grad school papers on my computer? Yep, still got those. Receipts from four years ago? Those are on my computer as well. 

However, holding on to things only increases the amount of clutter in your office and home. So what are you supposed to do? You can’t, and shouldn’t, keep everything. But how are you to know what stays and what goes?
It can be hard to know what to keep and what to let go of when it comes to your paperwork, especially when you are talking about digital documents. Yes, you could hang on to digital files longer since they appear to take up less space. But the question becomes, do you need to?  

Continue Reading

Ilios Digital Organizing Blog

2 April 2020

Organizing Basics

Digital Organizing

Where did you learn to organize? It isn’t something we’re taught in schools, or by our parents, so how do you know what to do? Who shows you the way? I can help with that! Sorting is the first step in any organizing project – watch the video to learn how!

13 March 2020

3,2,1 Backup for You and Me

Digital Organizing

When it comes to your digital images, having a backup plan is key to peace of mind. Especially with our phones – who hasn’t dropped their mobile device or gotten it wet? And if something happens to your phone, poof, all your images stored on there are gone as well.

To keep your images safe, APPO (Association of Personal Photo Organizers) recommends having 3 backups, in 2 different formats, with one of them being offsite aka away from your house.

3, 2, 1 sounds like a lot of work, but it doesn’t have to be. I have my photos stored on my computer, backed up online using Crashplan, and the most important ones are also stored on an external drive in my safety deposit box. With my phone, all the pictures I take (like this one of me and my sister) are automatically stored in Dropbox, which is then backed up to Crashplan. 

What’s your plan for protecting your photos? Are your phone images safe from disaster? Are you getting tips like this on a regular basis? If no, make sure you’re signed up for my newsletter!  http://eepurl.com/gO8xJz

2 March 2020

What’s Your Excuse for Postponing Updates?

Productivity

Courtesy of XKCD

20 February 2020

App Review – OneNote

Digital Organizing

Purpose: OneNote is a digital note taking app. It provides you a place to collect your thoughts and ideas. In OneNote you can also store articles, images, videos and more all in one place for easy reference. 

Benefits: OneNote provides a centralized place to “brain dump” everything that is in your head, as well as a place to plan and store information. Notes are organized in a Notebook – Section – Page/Note setup, which allows for easy navigation and search. Where Evernote notes are very linear, OneNote notes can be set up much like a collage or inspiration board. This is great for those who don’t always think in a straight line. The app is cloud-based as well as desktop, allowing you to sync across all devices – iOS/Mac and Android/PC

Cost: There is an always free cloud-based option. You can also get OneNote as part of the Office365 subscription from Microsoft.

Opinion: I’m a big fan of note taking/information management apps. Those who know me, know I am devoted to Evernote. That being said, OneNote is a very similar app, but a great alternative for those looking for a different interface. The collage setup/page option can be very useful when planning a project. Like Evernote, it has a web clipper option for adding online content to your notes.

If you’re interested in learning more about what Evernote can do, check out the following blog post – Evernote and Getting Things Done

If you want to receive these app reviews direct to your mailbox, make sure you’re signed up for my newsletter! http://eepurl.com/gO8xJz

6 February 2020

What to do when your routine falters

Digital Organizing, Office Organizing

My three cats love their routine. Each day at 4:30 I get out the bowls and a can of food and we go through our steps. Murphy circles the kitchen island while I spoon out the food. Then we all go to the ‘feeding rug’ and set down the bowls in a very specific order. Ta da, dinner time!

Everything goes along smoothly as long as the routine is followed. But if dinner is late, or it’s that one time when Mimzy insisted on being fed in the hallway, then everything falls apart. There’s panic, crying, and running around the room like the sky is falling.

It can be like that for us, too. We’ve all got our routines. Those processes we follow that keep us organized and on top of our things. But life happens to all of us and it can throw us for a loop. It could be a family emergency, a change in job status, or even something seemingly unimportant like construction during our daily commute. 

Whatever it is that happens, we fall out of our routine and start to become disorganized. Piles begin to form on our desk and it just gets easier and easier to add to the mess, especially when your time is limited. Next thing you know it seems like everything is disorganized and there’s no way to get back to how it used to be.

Now is the time to call in help. 

I work with entrepreneurs who would consider themselves organized, once upon a time. But life happened, they fell out of a routine, and things got disorganized. That’s okay because it’s never a bad time to reassess your situation and reset your routines. 

My goal is to get you back to an organized way of life – a lifestyle that makes it easier to deal with life’s bumps and stumbles. If you’re ready to reset, give me a call.

If you are looking for tips to get back in order yourself, make sure you’re signed up for the Ilios Digital newsletter!
http://eepurl.com/gO8xJz

23 January 2020

Papers – What to keep and what to toss

Digital Organizing, Office Organizing

I still have my original birth certificate and social security card. They’re both worn with age and tucked away safely until needed. My old pay stubs from working at the bookstore? Those were tossed years ago along with old birthday cards from school friends. Grad school papers on my computer? Yep, still got those. Receipts from four years ago? Those are on my computer as well. 

However, holding on to things only increases the amount of clutter in your office and home. So what are you supposed to do? You can’t, and shouldn’t, keep everything. But how are you to know what stays and what goes?
It can be hard to know what to keep and what to let go of when it comes to your paperwork, especially when you are talking about digital documents. Yes, you could hang on to digital files longer since they appear to take up less space. But the question becomes, do you need to?  

Read More