In 15 minutes you can declutter the following areas:

Mail:
Go through your unopened mail and recycle all the outer envelopes. Place your bills in a “to be paid” area and magazines/catalogues where you are likely to read them (next to your bed, in the bathroom, in your laptop bag or briefcase for reading while your waiting for a meeting or appointment). Finally check your calendar for invites you receive and respond appropriately.

Desk Drawer:
Is the top drawer of your desk a collection box for small items? If so, get rid of any obvious trash; crumpled post-its, pens that are out of ink, old receipts and coupons, etc. Put like items together: pens and pencils, paper and binder clips, items you need for mailing (envelopes, stamps, return address labels, etc.). Use old check boxes, small Tupperware containers, or drawer dividers to hold like items together.

Pare Down a Collection:
What’s your biggest clutter culprit? Too many office supplies, coffee mugs galore, or magazines from 10 years ago? Go through your collection and pull out 4 items you no longer want or need. Put the items in a box for donation and make a plan to actually drop-off the donations.

Do a Brain Dump:
Physical clutter can be distracting and frustrating, but your own thoughts can have the same effect. Take out a piece of paper and think about all the little things that have been “nagging you” or keeping you up at night. Spend 15 minutes jotting down these thoughts and then see if you can schedule them into your calendar.

When you’re inspired to spend an hour getting organized:

Closet:
Go through your closet and pick three to five outfits you regularly wear. Put those to the side. Then go through the rest of your closet and choose clothes that are stained, ill-fitting, or qualify for; “why did I buy that?” Plan to get rid of the discards in an appropriate manner. Arrange the clothes you keep by season and like items together (pants, shirts, skirts, jackets, etc.).

“To Be Filed” Pile:
Not a great pile to have, but if you have one, go through it. Give some thought to the paper you are filing. Should you be saving it? Are you really going to need it or refer to it again? Do you have an easy way to locate it again? Make up new files if you need to. Make sure whatever you are filing has a home, so when something like it crosses your desk again, you can easily file it. While you’re at it, scan your file cabinet for any outdated files. Can they be moved to an archive spot, or simply tossed?

Make an Organization Plan:
It’s great to actually clear a space, but what’s the point if you’re just going to fill it with clutter again? Instead spend an hour evaluating one of your problem spaces and make a plan to keep it clutter free. Schedule time to go through the space, decide what containers you will need to keep the space clean, purchase containers, and arrange the space as needed.

Things you don’t want to do often take less time then you originally thought. Once you actually commit to 15 minutes (or one hour) of organizing and decluttering, you may realize getting organized is not the drudgery you had imagined. Bask in the success of a job well done and perhaps be inspired to tackle another space tomorrow.

One of the most important steps to creating a productive environment is to organize the space, use your time efficiently when you are in the space, and ensure the information or tools you need to operate in the space can be located easily. With that in mind, the following are some suggestions to help you create a productive environment in some of the common areas where you work and live.

Office or Desk Space
To make your work space as efficient as possible, I suggest you have and know how to use the following items:

• Desktop Trays - An inbox, an outbox, and “To File” bin. Just be sure to schedule regular times to go through these containers and act on the items inside, in order to keep your piles from mounting.
• Trash and Recycle Bin, Shredder - When you go through the paper in your office you have 3 choices: act on it, file it, or get rid of it. If you don’t need the paper then drop it in your recycle bin, or if it contains confidential information, then shred it.
• Calendar & To-Do List(s) - It’s helpful to always know where you need to be and what you need to get done in order to be your most productive self. Maintain a well organized to-do list that you use in conjunction with your calendar in order to schedule the time to get things done.
• Contact Management System - Searching for contact information on random scraps of paper, within e-mails that are cluttering your inbox, or on business cards strewn about your desk is very inefficient. Develop a well organized contact management system, and for maximum efficiency ensure that it portable and backed-up.
• Project Files - Create project files for each current project you’re working on. Keep them within easy reach so you can access them often.
• Reference Files - Are used to store information you want to keep but don’t need ready access to all the time.

Car
I’m not suggesting you multi-task while driving so that you can be productive, however, you can make the most of your travel time with a few simple tips:

• A Portable Office – When you’re out and about, you never know when you might have a few minutes of available time (standing in line or waiting for a meeting or appointment). Store a portable bag in your car with articles to read, pens/pencils, stationary, sticky notes, a notepad, or anything else that can help you accomplish a few things when you have idle time.
• Navigation System or Maps – Getting lost or taking a wrong turn can throw off your whole schedule when your day is already very busy. If you’re car does not have a built in navigation system or you don’t have a portable GPS, than spend a few minutes (on Google Maps or other navigation site) before heading out the door to determine where you need to be and how you are going to get there.
• Emergency Kit – Keep a well stocked emergency kit so that you’re prepared for minor or major mishaps. You can make your own or purchase a pre-packed kit.
• Your Trunk – Using cardboard boxes or plastic bins to hold the items you store in your trunk (portable files, emergency kit, ball for your weekly tennis game, etc.) will prevent them from rolling around and allow you to find what you need when you need it.

Your Mind
If your mind is constantly filled with negative thoughts such as, “I need to do this…”, “I should have done that…”, “I could never do that.” then you are not being your most productive self. Don’t clutter your mind with these negative thoughts, instead create an action to do something about the problem. Make a list of the steps you need to take to get something done and schedule a time to do them. When you’ve messed up on something, write-down what you would do differently next time to make the situation better. Or if fear is holding you back on a challenging task, quiet that fear, and charge forward with “What’s the worst that could happen if I do this?”

Kitchen
Sharing a meal with those you care about can be a very enjoyable experience. However, if preparing a meal in your kitchen involves first clearing the counters of the daily mail and your kids’ school work or opening every cupboard to find the one ingredient you need, you’re not being very efficient. The suggestions below will make cooking a lot easier and allow you to reap the benefits of time well spent with family and friends.

• Counters - Learn to love clean counters. Clean up dishes after each meal and find alternate spots for your family to drop mail, homework, and other papers.
• Pots, Pans, Spices and Oils – Locate them near your cook top to make meal preparation easy and efficient.
• Tools – If your cooking tools are stored in a drawer, make sure it does not become a junk drawer by limiting the amount of tools you store in one drawer or using drawer dividers to keep items separate. Another option is to store your tools in a utensil holder on top of your counter within reach of where you do meal preparation.
• Pantry – Create zones for similar items: baking, kids snacks, canned goods, pasta, etc. so you can easily find what you are looking for when you need it. If you have deep shelves, use labeled rectangular bins to store like items so that you can pull out the entire bin rather than having to move 5 things out of the way to get to the one item you need in the back of the shelf.
• Clean Up – Try to clean up when the meal is over. The longer the mess sits the less motivated you will be to get the job done. Make clean up a family activity or create a rotating chore chart to ensure everyone is helping out.

Where do you spend a majority of your time? Is it a productive environment? Share your comments and suggestions regarding your most productive space at facebook.com/moretimeforyou.

Since September is National Emergency Preparedness Month, I thought I would share a few tips with you:

Make a Disaster Kit: Buy a large plastic bin to keep in your garage.  At a minimum it should contain enough of the following for each member of your household: water and food for up to 3 days, first aid supplies, clothing and bedding, tools and emergency supplies(hand crank radio and flashlight), and special items for medical conditions.  For a detailed list, visit the American Red Cross website.

Buy a Disaster Kit: If you don’t have time or inclination to make your own disaster kit, I encourage you to buy one. There are many places online you can easily purchase a pre-packed disaster kit.  A few that I recommend:  Prepared Pak,  American Red Cross Store, and The Ready Store.

Make a Plan: Discuss a family plan of where to meet if you are not together during an emergency.  Also, agree upon an out of state person to contact to let them know you are okay.

Safeguard Your Important Records: Invest in a safe deposit box and/or fire proof safe.  Try to store original copies of your important documents (wills, insurance policies, birth certificates, social security cards etc.) in a safe deposit box. If you don’t have access to a safe deposit box, or need ready access to certain documents, like passports, a fire proof safe is a great investment.  If you have to evacuate your home quickly, grab the safe and go. Make photocopies of these important documents and keep them in an easily accessible file in your file cabinet to have the information when you need it.

Document Your Property Assets: Make a video recording of all your belongings and store a digital copy in a fire proof safe.  For especially valuable assets make sure you have an insurance rider if they are not covered by your general homeowners policy.

Photo Mementos: If you only have hard copies, store them in one location for quick and easy removal from your home.  If they are digital, back them up to offsite storage so they are protected.

Maintain a Cash Supply: In the event of a disaster there is a pretty good chance credit card and ATM machines won’t be working. A hidden supply of cash is important to have on hand.  Just remember where you hide it.

Have an Earthquake Drill: Pretend there is an earthquake (you don’t have to simulate shaking:-) and make sure everyone knows the safest place in the house to go.

Be Prepared on the Road: You may not be at home when disaster strikes.  Store a backpack in your car with food and water, emergency flares, hand crank radio and flashlight, a blanket, gloves,and first-aid supplies.

Check Your Supplies on an Annual Basis: Ensure your water and food are not expired and make sure your emergency clothing still fits. Go over your emergency plan with all family members and make sure kids understand it.

These are only a few tips of many.  There is a lot of information on the web about how to be prepared.  As a professional organizer, I thought I would share some ideas to get you thinking about planning ahead. When disaster strikes I hope we are all safe and the worst that happens is the clutter on your desk becomes a pile on the floor.

A “Not-To-Do-List” allows you to be more aware of where you’re wasting your time and gives you more time to spend on things you need or want to do.  Or in the words of Timothy Ferris, “What you don’t do, determines what you CAN do.”

A few suggestions for creating your own “Not-To-Do-List”:

I will not say “yes” to everything that is requested of me
Otherwise known as: “You can do anything, but you can’t do everything,” – Author Unknown. Some suggested ways to say “no” to things are:

• “I’d love to work on your committee, but not at this time, I just have too much on my plate.”
• “That sounds like so much fun, but not at this time.”
• “I’d love to help you on that project, but I also have my own projects, and if I do yours, I’ll never get mine done.”
• “Thanks for asking, it’s always an honor to be asked, unfortunately I can’t do that this year.”
• “WOW! You thought of me first, that’s very flattering.  It’s just not the right time for me.”

I will not be plugged in 24-7
The world is a busy place, and being “connected” is a great way to stay on top of things.  But there needs to be a limit.  With the amount of daily information coming at you from your cell phone, landline, voicemail, e-mail, the internet, Facebook, Linkedin, etc., it’s often impossible to keep up with it all.  Recognize that things can wait.  Unless you’re the leader of the free world or a doctor with a patient’s life hanging in the balance, nothing that terrible will result if you return an e-mail or phone call tomorrow.

I will not put all of my own priorities last
If you’re the type who’s always giving and doing for others, what price are you paying?  Are you always overworked, overwhelmed, and exhausted?  No one is telling you to be a selfish narcissist, but everyone needs time for themselves; to regroup, to refocus, and to recharge.

I will not try to be a one person show
As much as you try to be strong and independent, trying to do it all yourself is not the way to go.  There will always be things that left in the hands of someone else; they will be done better and more efficiently.  Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but rather it shows that you know what your priorities are and how to accomplish your goals.

I will not give in to self doubt
Negative talk from your inner voice can often leave you feeling paralyzed and unable to move forward on what you are trying to achieve.  Are you procrastinating on something because you’re afraid you might fail?  Try to imagine the worst that could happen and you may realize failure might not be that bad, but success could be HUGE!  Or break the project down into smaller steps – once you get past the first step you might just gain the confidence you need to move forward on each successive step.

Try coming up with your own “Not-To-Do-List” and discover the impact it will have on your own time and productivity.  Hopefully you’ll be able to shorten your “to-do” list and breathe a little easier.

Just like the Dunphy family, many families that I work with lack a good communication system to keep their home running smoothly and efficiently. A helpful solution I have found is creating a central location for communication between family members otherwise known as the Family Command Center.

The Family Command Center consists of several key components:

Central Calendar
It should show everyone’s schedules from sports practices and games, evening meetings, to upcoming parties, business travel and major homework assignments. When creating a central calendar a dry-erase board with color coded pens for each family member is a great option. Or you can print out a color coded electronic calendar from your computer and store it in a plastic sleeve.

Chore Charts
An important component of the Family Command Center is teaching your kids independence and responsibility. Posting daily or weekly chores that your children need to complete eliminates the constant nagging and fighting over “Billy it’s your turn to set the table,” or “Sally you need to take out the trash.”

Communication Board
Phil Dunphy could have saved himself the agony of an angry wife if his family had this handy tool. A communication board is a dry-erase board or notepad stored in a central place where everyone can write phone messages and other information that needs to be communicated between family members. This has been a huge stress saver for my family! When my husband comes home early to watch the kids as I head out to a meeting, all the information from homework yet to be done to what to do with the dinner in the oven is written on the board so he knows what needs to get done. No more blame game because my daughter did not finish her math or my son forgot to practice guitar, it’s all there!

Directories
Your kids can call their friends for play dates and you can easily coordinate carpools when school and club directories are stored in one central place. Magazine holders are a great option for containerizing these.

Emergency Contact List
All relevant contact information for you and your partner or spouse as well as phone numbers for doctors, neighbors close by, and an out of town relative can be helpful in case of an emergency. Your contact list should be printed, laminated and easily seen so that it is there when you need it.

Inbox(es)
Incoming mail, homework in process, articles to share with your spouse…where does it live until the person responsible has a chance to deal with it? Create an inbox for each member of your family so that their work and school papers do not overtake your kitchen table, counter, or other flat surfaces. You can use traditional office style stacking trays, magazine holders, or any container you find works in your Family Command Center and can hold an 81/2 X 11 piece of paper.

Shopping List(s)
Have you ever started to make a sandwich and realized you’re out of mustard? From groceries to personal care items it’s helpful to have one spot where items needed are written so whoever does the shopping can pick up the necessary supplies.

Computer (optional)
The list above assumes your command center is primarily in paper form. If your family is more technology savvy, then you can compliment your Family Command Center with a centrally located desktop or laptop computer or an iPad.

• Create a web based Central Calendar that is accessible from anywhere.
• Use electronic sticky notes as your Communication Board.
• Shopping lists can be created and stored in a program like Grocery Gadgets or other cloud based applications for easy access on the go (from a smartphone or other device).
• Directories and Emergency Contact Lists should still be in paper form for ease of use and access.

Many homes have the above components in place, but what I often see is that they are not in one central location — e.g. The family calendar is on the wall, the directories are piles in a drawer in the hall table, and the shopping list only exists in the mind of the person who does the cooking. So I encourage you to create a centralized Family Command Center that includes some or all of the aforementioned tools, depending on your family’s need.

Share photos of and information about your Family Command Center at facebook.com/moretimeforyou.

Making lists to organize thoughts and information can be very helpful, but it is also the equivalent of buying a bunch of containers to organize a physical space. The lists, like the containers, won’t suddenly make you organized if you don’t first sort through the clutter and get rid of the unnecessary items. In order for lists to be effective they also need to be complete, easy to use, easy to access, and in the case of a to-do list, invoke you to take action.

Separate Lists – make your lists easier to use.

• Reference Lists are for information you want to access when you need it: names of restaurants, books to read, websites of interest, meaningful or useful quotes, project ideas, travel information, and more.
• To-Do Lists consist of the very next action you need to take on any particular project or task. If you need to contact a friend about a possible job opportunity, the item on your list should read, “E-mail Susie about PR job at Company X” (instead of simply, “Susie”). When you look at your list you will know exactly what you need to do without thinking about it.
• Project Lists are a subset of your to-do list. Instead of keeping all your project steps on your to-do list, keep a seperate to-do list for each project. By breaking projects down into actionable steps they’ll seem less overwhelming and more likely to get done. For example, launching a blog for your business takes many steps to complete. Create a “Blog Project” list and record the individual actions you need to take to make your blog happen. For example; “1. Determine platform for hosting,” “2. Research copywriter,” “3. Decide how often to post.”
• Someday/Later List is for projects and tasks that you want to take on, but can’t right now due to time or monetary constraints. If you don’t want to lose site of those items, your “Someday List” can include things like, “Sign-up for French lessons,” “Research college advisors,” “Create family tree”. Some of these tasks may happen and some may not. Consistently review your “Someday List” so you can determine when it’s appropriate to add an item to your to-do or project list or remove it from your “Someday List” because it’s no longer important to you.

Organize Your Lists – How you arrange the items on your list will certainly make them more meaningful. Reference lists can be broken down by topic. For example, I use Evernote to keep a separate “notebook” of Articles, Resources, Family Information, Travel, Personal, and Business. To-Do lists are often more effective if they are arranged by context as recommended by David Allen in his Getting Things Done® system. Context organization means arranging your list by how your going to perform an action and grouping like items together; i.e. a list of phone calls, errands, to-do’s that require a computer, to-do’s you can only accomplish when you are home (think “honey-do list”), etc. It’s much easier to decide what you can work on at any particular moment when similar items are organized together. For example, if you are out and about, you cannot work on a proposal for work or research your next family vacation, but you can run a few errands and then cross them off your list.

Determine Your Tool(s)

• Paper – If you’re someone who likes to keep things simple and needs to write things down to remember them, paper is probably your preferred method. However, random scraps of paper and miscellaneous sticky notes are not considered a system. Choose a notebook or paper pad in some color or style you love and carry it with you wherever you go to capture notes, ideas, and to-do’s. The downside of paper is that you often have to re-write your lists to keep them current.
• Electronic – Electronic lists are great in that they can be easily edited and searched with the click of a button. You can use a product like Microsoft Outlook which allows you to manage to-do lists, projects, and notes in the same workspace as your e-mail, calendar, and contacts. Or manage your lists with a cloud based solution that suites your particular style and needs. Some that you might want to consider; Toodledo, Todo, Evernote, 2Do, Organisemee, Remember The Milk, Google Apps, Manymoon, OmniFocus or Things. For my personal productivity, I use a combination of Microsoft Outlook, Google Calendar, Toodledo and Evernote.

Make Your Lists Portable – Keeping your lists current and complete is key to your success. You never know when you’ll think of something you need to do, come up with an idea you want to explore, or find a product you want to remember. Having your lists with you at all times gives you a place to record all the things you want to remember so that your mind does not become overloaded with thoughts of “I need to do…” or “I don’t want to forget about…”.

Review Your Lists – Review your To-Do, Project, and Someday Lists as often as you need to so that you can focus your time and attention on the items you deem a priority. A regular review also ensures that your lists stay current.

Creating and maintaining well organized lists can seem time consuming. However, once you have a good system in place, you will save time. You’ll always know where to find what you need when you need it and you will always have a list of your commitments so that you can prioritize your time.

To help you clear some of your clutter, keep the following in mind when donating your unused or outdated possessions:

Where to Give
There are so many worthwhile causes, but there are also some questionable ones.  By giving to a reputable 501c(3) charitable organization you can ensure your goods are helping others.  A few local organizations I can recommend: Ecumenical Hunger Program, Goodwill, Salvation Army, Innvision, local library (books and media only). Most provide on-site pick up which is helpful when you finally decide to tackle that messy garage.  Arrange pick-up in advance and your clutter will be hauled away without the hassle of having to find a drop-off location, get there during open hours, and unload your stuff.

What to Donate
In recent years, many charitable organizations have gotten very specific on what they will or will not accept.  Before donating an item check the charities list of acceptable items.  Also ask yourself, “If the tables were turned, would I feel good about accepting this item myself?”  Some examples of what NOT to give – items that are broken and no longer useable, products that have been recalled, and furniture that is in poor condition (ripped/broken/missing pieces/rusted/moldy).

Get your Deduction
The tax benefit of giving away your clutter is very helpful.  But in order to recognize the benefit you have to follow the rules (IRS Publication 561-Determining the Value of Donated Property).  Make a list of the items for donation including; date and location of the donation, item description, condition (fair, good, excellent) and the fair market value.  You can make your own Excel spreadsheet, use a pre-printed donation form, or a software program such as TurboTax ItsDeductible Online (it’s free).  Store the list of donations with the supporting documents for your tax return.

Check for Valuables and Personal Information
Don’t make the mistake of sending your long lost diamond ring to charity.  Before dropping off donations check pockets of clothing and bags for valuables.  Also remove name labels or use a laundry marker to cross-out any personal information written inside an item.

Give Complete and Working Items
Donating a game with missing pieces or a blender that doesn’t work is not helpful to anyone. Use plastic bags or small boxes to keep pieces together.  Test electronic devices to ensure they are safe and in good working order.

Recycle Instead?
Based on some of the comments above, you may realize that donating items can sometimes be cumbersome or not an option at all.  Instead of sending items to the nearest land-fill, help the environment by recycling them:

• Freecycle or Craigslist (“Free” section is under “For Sale”) – Both sites are easy to use (although you need to join Freecycle in order to use it) and items posted tend to move very quickly.  When creating a listing, for privacy and safety reasons, only provide your e-mail contact information.  Respond to the first person who contacts you and ask for a phone number.  Then call them to arrange pick-up of the item.
• Curbside – People have been doing it for years and setting your old furniture or unused items on the street with a big “FREE” sign is often very effective.  However, depending on where you live your neighbors may not favor this practice, so use your best judgment.  In addition, if the item is not gone in 24-hours, out of respect to others, you might want to remove it and find a different way to dispose of it.
• Recycling Center – The Palo Alto Recycling Center accepts your typical recycling items like paper, cans and bottles.  They also have convenient drop off for electronics (working or not), mattresses, books, CD’s, audio tapes, video tapes, etc.  There’s also a Goodwill donation truck on-site, which makes drop-off of your donatable and recyclable items very convenient.  The Palo Alto Recycling Center is located at 2380 Embarcadero Road.
• Green Citizen – They will accept all electronic equipment whether working or not.  They also do disk destruction of computers and cell phones as well as accepting packing peanuts and Styrofoam (which very few places accept for recycling).

Next time you’re wondering what to do with your framed picture of “Dogs Playing Poker” or your complete collection of 80’s cover bands remember, “One man’s trash in another man’s treasure” and donate to a worthy cause.

On a basic level Evernote is a note-taking tool.  But on a higher level, it’s so much more than that.

• Evernote captures text, voice, web clippings, and photos.
• The information you record in Evernote is accessible on your PC, Mac, iPhone, Blackberry, or the web.
• You can enter information into Evernote via e-mail, web clipper, copy and paste text, or send a photo or screenshot.
• Evernote is FREE!  Although there is a premium service, the free version works fine for most people.
• Evernote has a very powerful search feature that makes finding your notes when you need them seamless.  It even recognizes handwriting and text within photos.

Travel – When planning a trip, I clip all my airline and car reservations directly to Evernote.  I also clip information on activities we are scheduled or planning to do.  I then tag them “Travel” so they are easily found.  When we are on our trip, I have all the information readily accessible on my iPhone.

Resources, Tips, and Tricks – There are certain websites, e-mail settings and resources that I like to share with clients during one-on-one sessions.  The information is saved in Evernote so I can share it with clients without having to say, “I’ll e-mail that to you later.”

Decorating and Remodeling Projects – I recently did a bathroom remodel and Evernote was a great tool for capturing fixture and tile ideas.  If I found a product online, but wanted to see it and feel it in a store, I captured the information in Evernote on my PC and later accessed it from my iPhone when at the store.  Or, if I was at a store and found a product I liked and wanted to further research, I snapped a picture of the product (including the store label) and saved it to Evernote.  Later I had all the information I needed to do a more detailed web search on the quality and price.

Articles and Information – Reading on your computer screen is not always convenient.  Clip or scan interesting articles to Evernote and then read them while you’re waiting in line or have a few minutes to spare before your next meeting.  It also captures information from Twitter Tweets.

Lists – Packing Lists, Shopping Lists, Books to Read, Movies to See, Gifts to Buy; create these lists in Evernote and then edit and access them when and where you need them.

Meeting Agendas – If you receive a meeting agenda via e-mail, saving the e-mail and attachment only clutters your inbox.  Copy the agenda directly to Evernote and have it ready and available when you arrive at your meeting.  Often after the meeting, you no longer need the agenda, so delete the note.

Passcodes and Account Information – Evernote allows you to encrypt text within a note so that it is secure.  I use this feature to store things like my kids’ savings accounts.  When they receive birthday and holiday money that they want to deposit, the account information is stored within Evernote on my phone and available when we go to the bank.

Consolidate To-Do Lists – If you have not found a to-do system that works for you, try this tip from Evan Kline editor of 40tech (my comments are in parenthesis).  He has a rudimentary to-do list in Evernote that consists of a “Do Now” list, a “Do Next” list, and a “Do Someday” list.  They are marked as Favorites in the Evernote iPhone app (Only notes starred as “Favorites” are accessible when you do NOT have an internet connection.), and then easily accessed and edited when on the go.  Using a secret email address (provided by Evernote) he emails reminders to himself in Evernote, and adds them to one of the to-do lists the next time he’s at his computer. (It’s a bit quicker than trying to edit an existing note on the go.)

Remember A Product – Have you ever tried a wine or food product at a restaurant or friend’s house and wanted to remember the name so you could order it again or buy it yourself?  Evernote let’s you take a photo and tag it for easy searchability later on.  You’ll never forget those healthy crackers your kids tried and loved or that great bottle of wine you shared with your spouse.

Cooking – If I’m making a recipe, I’ll often snap a picture of the ingredients page and save it to Evernote.  When I’m at the store, I have easy access to everything I need to buy without having to transcribe it to another list.

These are just a few practical uses for Evernote.  For me it’s been a lifesaver in helping me reduce overwhelm from incoming information as well paper overload (I print and file much less).  Share your favorite uses for Evernote by posting a comment at www.facebook.com/moretimeforyou or sending me an e-mail.