Digital Spring Cleaning

The last few weeks I’ve been doing some digital spring cleaning. A major overhaul of some of my systems and digital filing! Organising is being able to find what you need when you need it. And when it came to some of my files, documents and images this was not the case.

Furthermore, I’m a huge fan of Lean Six Sigma and I have a green belt in this. If you haven’t heard of this, Lean Six Sigma is a methodology which seeks to improve business performance and efficiencies by reducing waste and defects. Part of Lean Six Sigma is to create a 5S Lean Workplace. The 5S are:

1. Sort
2. Set
3. Shine
4. Standardize
5. Sustain

This is what we do with clients every day in their homes at Organised Chaos – 5S is just a more official term for it! We eliminate objects that are not in use – store or discard them. We arrange items so that they are easily accessed and stored. We then ensure everything is clean and functioning properly. Next we standardize, or create a system whereby maintaining these new homes is easy and efficient. Finally, we sustain by creating a culture – or new habit – that allows this new system to be used and followed every day. Which all leads to an organised, enjoyable, easy to use space!

For example, when it comes to my business, there should be a clear process from the time a lead comes in to the time a client finishes with us. All the ways we liaise with the client, all the files we use, how we take payment etc should be streamlined, easy, protected and efficient. Some are, and some aren’t. So I’m sorting all this out and it will take a few weeks to do.

First up are the google drives I use. You possibly use them also for your business, or for photos for your home life. And boy can they build up. The reason this fell into disarray for me was because I had a problem originally with my previous Apple phone and it wouldn’t save photos properly. I started to use Google drive associated with my personal email but this became full after a while as I was too busy to sort it out. I also then moved from Outlook to Google Mail and with that came two more drives. But yet again – as can happen so often in our home space – I was too busy to put a proper system in place from the word go, and then too busy to take time out to sort it. Until now.

Thankfully, I am nearly there. The two drives associated with my emails are organised. And the other drive associated with my personal email is better. I still have a few business folders to go through and either delete or move over to my business drives. I want to have my personal drive for exactly that.

Next up to declutter are my business emails. I have the standard “Info@organisedchaos.ie” email (which is what you use if you want to talk to me about a home organisation project!) and then I have my own one. My one is organised now and I’m back down to Inbox zero there. Delighted with that. By the end of today, I will have caught up on my “Info@” emails too to clear the inbox. However, part of that work will be organising my ‘follow up’ system so that I can make sure everyone has been contacted properly. As you can see one system flows into another. 

Finally to declutter are my computer folders. This shouldn’t take too long. However, with some folders, documents are loose and not filed away or mis-labelled so I need to fix that.

This is a long process but one that will be absolutely AMAZING once it’s done. I’ll continue to share how I’m tweaking my systems as I go to show you how you can do it too.

Just a reminder that our Virtual organising sessions are currently open for appointments until 26th March. There are limited slots and once closed on 26th, they won’t be available again until booking reopens mid April for May. If you have some digital files that need sorting out, our virtual sessions would be perfect for that! However, we can organise everything online!

Happy Organising!