Using Technology to Stay Organized

Sometimes the technology that is supposed to make our lives easier both professionally and personally, while keeping us better organized and more productive, seems to do just the opposite. Take time to set up systems to work in your favor, including performing some regular maintenance. These actions are critical for using technology to successfully schedule meetings, control paper clutter, and organize e-mail.

Google Calendar is one of the best tools available for keeping all of your meetings straight. Set up your calendar to color code certain types of project activities. For example, company meetings can be blue, client appointments yellow and a key project's commitments green. Synch this information with all of your devices so it’s easier to make additions and changes at any time. Another great time-saving option is sharing select information, such as available meeting times, with colleagues and clients.

To control paper clutter, make digital copies of paperwork. A scanner such as NeatDesk takes an entire stack of paper and feeds it through without assistance. It’s useful for keeping paperwork, receipts, and business cards organized in one place, clutter-free.

Use electronic tools to keep your email organized; for example, flags can be used to identify important items and archiving is helpful for saving messages you may need to refer to later. And if you do archive, consider organizing archive folders by client or project.

These are just a few examples of how to capitalize on technology that has been designed to make our lives easier. For more organizing ideas, search for How To videos and tips available on the Internet.