Before you start anything, determine its goal. If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you ever get there? Set mini-goals and reward yourself for successes.

An clutter-free desk erases unnecessary distractions and helps keep your mind on tasks that need immediate attention. Keep only the items on your desk that relate to your current projects.

You run the risk of letting things fall through the cracks. The best way to never forget an appointment, a deadline, an event or a detail again, is to write everything down.

Instead of starting and stopping at different levels of activity, you’ll save time by making all of your outgoing telephone calls together, taking care of all your errands at once, etc.

Before you go through the expense of purchasing more file cabinets, folders, etc., take the time to purge all unnecessary paperwork and materials.

The biggest mistake people make when using planning calendars is to have one for personal, another for the office, and yet another for the family. Keep personal, professional and family items on one calendar. It will help to eliminate scheduling conflicts. Remember, "The man who wears two watches never knows the correct time."

Plan telephone calls (whether to doctors, plumbers, clients, etc.) whenever possible. Have all necessary materials in front of you. Write key questions down in advance.

Don’t waste time searching for papers. Keep all paperwork that pertains to a certain project together in one large folder.

Say, "I’ve got only 5 minutes to talk." Outline your calls by saying, "I’d like to discuss these two possible solutions to this problem . . ."

Make at least one screened appointment with yourself each day. Screened time is quiet, uninterrupted time allowing you to concentrate on a project or catch up on your reading.

Get over 1,300 more in Gracia’s book, Finally Organized, Finally Free. Every idea, tip and technique is simple, proven effective and ready for you to use immediately. There are over 1,300 simple organizing ideas in 60 chapters, plus fill-in-forms and checklists. For more information, check out Gracia’s website, www.getorganizednow.com