When there are so many things to fit in to a day and a multitude of distractions, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and unable to cope with your workload. Over the coming weeks I will be sharing top tips that keep me on track and my work space clutter free.

‘Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.’ John Ruth

You may have heard the saying ‘touch a piece of paper only once’. You probably think it’s impossible and in most cases, you’re right. However, if you keep that purpose in mind it could save you from getting bogged down in a soul destroying paper mountain.

When a piece of paper comes your way, think to yourself ‘Why do I need this?’

• Can it be actioned, or do you need more information before this can happen?
• Can it be passed on to someone else to deal with?
• Do you need to refer to it for something else you are working on?
• Do you need to keep it for future use?

If it doesn’t answer any of those questions, bin it. Even better – recycle it.

If you do need to keep a reference copy, consider scanning it and keeping that copy on your computer. This is a great way to reduce your paperwork and clutter. Do take the time to file is appropriately from your computer desktop.

This system can be applied to almost anything. I first heard this phrase before email was a necessary form of communication, (not that long ago!) but I apply this approach to my email in-box, blackberry and texts to keep them workable. Despite what you may think, it takes seconds while being a huge time-saver, and it will help keep your mind clear so you can concentrate on the next task.