Organize your instruction manuals

Do you read the instructional booklets that come with tools or "some assembly required" toys? I do. My wife laughs at me when I read the instructions for something that she thinks should be simple. But it can save time and frustration. Saving those booklets can also be helpful later. Last week I sold a weight machine that I no longer needed because I am working out at a new Wellness Center that opened up in Fremont. I still had the assembly manual and instructional booklets so I could pass them on to the new owner. That made it easier to sell when I could say I had all the booklets for him. It made reassembly easier for the buyer since I had to take it apart to get it out the door. So, how was I able to locate the manuals from something I had purchased years ago?

I keep all my instruction manuals in organized in alphabetical order in a portable file holder. That way I can easily find a booklet I might need again some time. When I need a part for something that needs repair, I can look in the booklet that came with it to find the item number. If I forget some of the ways to work some of my electronic gadgets, I can find the instructions again. Every once-in-a-while I go through my folder to get rid of the booklets I no longer need, like a lawnmower instruction book for a mower I no longer have. I have saved a lot of time by still having those booklets. And I have saved a lot of time searching for them since I keep them all in one place, and all filed alphabetically. I use a fireproof hanging portable file holder. That way, besides having them organized, they will be protected from fire and water. Organize your manuals in a place you'll easily find them when you need them. You'll be glad you did.

By the way, a fireproof file holder should be used for all important documents, like birth certificates, insurance information, wills, etc. That will keep them organized and safe.

Organize by putting things back

A big time-waster is looking for things we've misplaced. Just a few days ago, I found a water nozzle on top of the air conditioner. I had intended to put it away when I was finished putting the hoses away for the winter. Several weeks later, it was still laying outside. If I had wanted to use it in the mean time, I would have had no idea where to start looking for it. Whether we are in a hurry, feeling lazy that day, or whatever excuse we want to use, it wastes time later. Or things get ruined in the rain, or simply lost forever. All this is because we didn't take a few seconds to immediately put it back where it belonged.

This can all be avoided if we simply discipline ourselves a little more. Teach yourself, remind yourself, train yourself to put things away immediately. Tell yourself you will never wait until later. If you discover you didn't put something away, gently remind yourself that you want to put things away immediately. Then put it away now.

So, when you get done with the garden tool, put it away. Hang up the car keys where they belong as soon as you get home. Put the screw driver back in the tool box. Hang up the towel. Put the pen in the drawer. Replace the book on the shelf. Put the DVD or CD back, file the paper you want to keep, and put the cordless phone where it belongs. This one bit of organizational discipline will pay off in time and equipment saved. You will have been good to yourself.

Organize by dealing with it once!

Keeping ahead of the pile takes a little organizational effort. But getting rid of the pile takes a lot of effort. It is better to stay organized by "dealing with it once!" Some examples:

When you are looking through your mail or e-mail, do what needs to be done with it immediately -- respond to it, file it, forward it, delegate it, or toss it. Then you can put it out of your mind and be satisified that you took care of it. Otherwise it is easy to forget about it until it is too late or forget it is there and never get to it.

If you run across a magazine or newspaper article you want to keep, tear it out and file it where you'll be able to find it when you need it again. Then go back to reading. When you would like to refer to it again, you will know where it is, rather than trying to remember which magzine it was in, where you put the magazine, and which earmark it was.

When you get a phone call requiring follow-up, do it right then. If you are busy at the time, jot down a note. Then take care of it as soon as you have time and deal with the note just once. Then when it is time to leave work, or do something fun you'll thank yourself when you don't have to make a bunch of phone calls first.

If you are finished with a tool or a piece of garden equipment, deal with it once by putting it back where you always keep it. That way you won't have to try to remember to put it away later, or where you left it when you need it the next time. And it won't get left out in the rain.

By dealing with things once, you will be able to avoid the proverbial "To do pile." The pile just keeps getting higher with the things you should take care of first on the bottom "out of sight, out of mind." You'll notice that by the time you get to the pile, many of the items are out of date and it is too late to do anything about it. Being too late has some advantages. Now you can toss it. However, it may have been an important task which needed to be taken care of days ago. Now it is too late. But if it didn't matter enough deal with it right away, you should have tossed it then.

Taking the extra few moments now to deal with it once will save you a lot of time later and prevent missing some important tasks before it is too late. Try it and see how much time and frustration you save yourself. Then give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done and the feeling of being much more organized!