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64

WAYS TO BE ORGANISED, COLOURFUL AND AWESOME

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Copyright Š 2013 Version 22 Design LTD All Rights Reserved

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Table of Contents

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Are you using all 10 of these tricks with your Job? 10 Ways to Stay on Top of your Studies Be Organised at Home Be Organised at University Be Organised at the Office Be Colourful Are you ready to get started making changes?

64 WAYS TO BE ORGANISED, COLOURFUL AND AWESOME

Staying organised is something lots of people talk about doing, think about doing, even plan on doing but never seem to get around to doing. Perhaps you’re one of these people or maybe need some help or inspiration in certain areas. Here are a few tips to help you stay organised, colourful and awesome.

Are you using all 10 of these tricks with your job?

01

Write down and commit to memory the three most important things that must get done today, and make sure you do them! This’ll help pull you away from all the distracting and ultimately less important stuff.

Make sure this list is visible at all times too.

02

Keep a notebook with you at all times and write down ideas, appointments, meeting minutes, stuff to do, and doodles. Keeping everything in one place like this makes it a great point of reference and a valuable resource when working out what’s already been done and what still has to be done.

03

If it can be done quickly, do it now. If a task needs doing that will take less than three minutes, do it now and get it over with; it’s one less thing on your list and it won’t be hanging over you all day.

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64 WAYS TO BE ORGANISED, COLOURFUL AND AWESOME

04

If something is too big break it up. Some tasks, like large Easter eggs, are too big to handle in one go and need breaking down into smaller, more manageable chunks. You’ll be surprised how quickly it disappears if you do this!

05

Know when to say no. Already had three coffees this morning? Maybe give the next coffee break a miss!

06

It’s clichéd but a clear desk means a clear mind, or at least less distractions anyway. Don’t use your desk as limbo for notes and paper on the way to the bin, just send them right there.

07

Is something distracting you? A desk toy? An elastic band? A paper clip?

Put it out of sight!

08

Everyone has a calendar, are you using yours? If not, start! Starting each day knowing what you’ll spend your time doing (or if you have free time to do other tasks) puts a stop to that half hour wasted every morning while you’re figuring out what to do first.

09

Getting worn out, sleepy and not thinking straight? Even if you feel like you don’t have the time, give yourself an extra hour of sleep that night.

You’ll be more refreshed the next day and will do more work than you would’ve done half zombified.

10

Sometimes good is good enough. If you’ve finished something to a point where it “will do” then it’s exactly that, it will do the job! Don’t get bogged down trying to make the little things perfect, focus on the bigger picture.

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64 WAYS TO BE ORGANISED, COLOURFUL AND AWESOME

10 Ways to Stay on Top of your Studies

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The first and most important point here is to focus and pay attention during class. This sounds obvious and is probably what your teacher says to the class all the time. But can you honestly say you could do better homework having never been to the class in the first place? Not listening is no better than not turning up.

12

Keep a filing system. This doesn’t have to be a particular type of system, just anything which keeps all your notes and hand-outs for each class in one place. That way you know when you’re missing something and revision is that much simpler too.

13

Make sure you have plenty of pens: who wants to run out mid lecture or the night before an exam?… or worse still during that exam?

14

Are your notes getting filled with bits of scrap paper and things that aren’t important? Get rid of them, it helps clean up your notes and makes it look like you’ve got less work to do than you think.

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64 WAYS TO BE ORGANISED, COLOURFUL AND AWESOME

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Be colourful! Only working in black or blue ink? Get a wider palette and start experimenting with how you take notes. Adding a splash of colour makes everything look more engaging and is less boring to reread when studying.

16

Not clear on something? Ask classmates or your teacher to clarify, otherwise you risk wasting your time working on the wrong thing.

17

Keep the most recent notes from lectures over the last few days with you in your back pack or satchel; if at the next class the teacher refers to a previous lesson you can easily look back and make additional notes on the same pages rather than starting a new one.

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This is a big one…put the date and lesson number on every single page of notes you make, and if there’s more than one page for each lesson, number them too. This will help no end in making sure you have everything you need, in order, in the run up to exams.

19

Always have a spare pad of paper in your room so you don’t run out at a crucial moment.

20

If you miss a class, make sure you get a copy of the lecture notes from your teacher or classmates straight away; there’s nothing worse than realising too late that you haven’t revised an entire topic!

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64 WAYS TO BE ORGANISED, COLOURFUL AND AWESOME

Be Organised at Home

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Put things back where they’re best placed to be used. That sounds obvious, but, it’s no good putting something away in a drawer somewhere if you have to take the time to go and get it several times a day.

22

If you keep losing certain things then it’s time to change where you keep them! Either tether them (if it’s that damn pen by the phone) or find a dedicated place to put them where they can never be misplaced.

23

Found something you haven’t looked at or used in years? Either bin it, put it in the attic, or sell it at a car boot; it’s just taking up space at the moment.

24

Don’t make tidying a rare event because then it becomes a big event.

Making small changes and taking extra steps to put things where they belong when you’ve finished using them can save so much time and hassle in the long run.

25

If you’re re-decorating or re-organising, decide what you want your space to be like first. Is it a busy but quirky space? Then perhaps the odd extra thing is okay. If you’re wanting clean and simple, some things will have to go.

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64 WAYS TO BE ORGANISED, COLOURFUL AND AWESOME

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If storage spaces are being under used - a half full bookcase for example - try repurposing them to hold other things too.

27

Have you got a big area of blank wall? Think of it as a blank canvas.

Adding something colourful and functional will liven up the space and give you more room to store your stuff.

28

Have you got a collection of things or a few items you’re proud of?

Show them off! There are plenty of ways to store items so they’re organised and on display at the same time.

29

Get creative! Using nice furniture that also functions as storage can kill two birds with one stone. And no, TV remotes between the sofa cushions don’t count!

30

Drawers are great places to store smaller items. Make the most of the space they can provide by getting dividers instead of just creating a mess.

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64 WAYS TO BE ORGANISED, COLOURFUL AND AWESOME

Be Organised at University

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3 Words…Under Bed Storage! So many people don’t realise how much room can be hidden, unused, under your bed. If you haven’t done so already, get a few under bed storage boxes, you may be surprised how much space you’ve got there.

32

Get a white board. Having everything you need to do written down on a white board on your wall acts as a constant reminder of the next task.

But boy does wiping each task off when you’re done feel good!

33

Got a lot of computer equipment? Buy a pack of cable ties, sandwich bag ties, or if you’re feeling fancy a proper cable organiser, and get those power cables in shape!

34

Get a desk top stationery organiser, or better yet when you’re done with that can of beans, peel the label off, clean it until it is shiny and use that! (But make sure you use the kind of can openers that don’t leave a sharp edge on the top…)

35

Buying a chest of drawers doesn’t have to be expensive; there are loads of great sets of plastic drawers out there. Some even have castors and can make great beside tables or fit neatly under your desk. And when you move on you can take them with you.

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64 WAYS TO BE ORGANISED, COLOURFUL AND AWESOME

36

Do cables keep slipping off your desk? Clamp a few bulldog clips to the edge of your desk and thread the cables through the handles. Simple!

37

Chair pockets are sleeves that you can put over the back of chairs in your room to give you a little extra space for your stuff. Try seeing if you can get one to fit on your chair.

38

Is it the middle of summer and you’ve got too many clothes for your wardrobe? Put your winter clothes in a suitcase under your bed to free up some wardrobe space.

39

One for those of you with too many shoes. Get some tension rods and fix them at different levels at the bottom of your wardrobe - instant tiered shoe storage!

40

Got a lot of jewellery? Instead of filling your desk with big boxes why not hang it on pins stuck in a notice board? If the cork of the notice board is boring give it a quick lick of paint or cover it in fabric.

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64 WAYS TO BE ORGANISED, COLOURFUL AND AWESOME

Be Organised at the Office

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If you can leave something in the office instead of taking it home, do so. It will mean one less thing to carry and one less thing to forget each day.

42

Get a simple desk or wall organiser for all your important smaller stationery. Yes you use it often but having it strewn all over your desk isn’t helping anyone!

43

Get storage which fits under your desktop. If you can do this, then it’s even better than a stationary organiser; you have the same convenience but without the desktop clutter.

44

Make your space yours. Are notes and pamphlets from the person who used the desk before you still cluttering the letter trays and drawers?

Get rid of them.

45

Add a bit of “you” to your workspace. Yes, “work is work” but have something personal with you that is there simply because you want it to be, whether it’s a photo of friends, family or a pet, your favourite mug.

Just make sure it has it’s own space and doesn’t get in the way of your work or clutter your desk.

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64 WAYS TO BE ORGANISED, COLOURFUL AND AWESOME

46

Have sleeves and binders, or folders, for everything. As soon as you have a pile titled “miscellaneous” that’s where everything will end up and your desk will start to overflow.

47

Have you got dividers between you and your colleagues? Don’t waste this space. Add a splash of colour and use it to pin up important stuff that need to be addressed. Don’t forget to say hi to your neighbour while you’re doing this, you don’t need to be anti-social!

48

If you catch that bug that’s going around the office make sure you rest well on your time off. Equally though make sure you catch up straight away with any work you’re behind on otherwise those few days off work will cause weeks of stress!

49

Let’s face it, the only computer equipment you need on your desk is a monitor, mouse and keyboard. If you can move your computer tower and printer onto the floor or a shelf, do so. You’ll be surprised how much room this frees up.

50

Tidying up the files and folders on your computer is as important as keeping your hardcopy files and folders organised. Spend a few hours cleaning up your PC and you will spend weeks enjoying the results.

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64 WAYS TO BE ORGANISED, COLOURFUL AND AWESOME

Be Colourful Do you want to liven up your house, bedroom, or office? Go for it! There are tons of things you can do without ever picking up a brush. Here are a few good ones to get you started.

51

Bedding is something that can be easily changed. If you want to add a splash of colour to your bedroom this has to be one of the easiest ways.

52

Lighting goes a long way to setting the ambiance in a room; simply buying a new colourful lamp or even lampshade can make a huge difference. If you’re feeling extra adventurous you could even change those white light bulbs for a different colour.

53

Rugs are a great way to break up floor space and make somewhere feel more homely without having to spend a bunch tearing up the carpet.

54

Posters. Obvious perhaps, but one that can’t be left out. Even a simple landscape or abstract colour poster can add a lot of personality to an otherwise bland space.

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64 WAYS TO BE ORGANISED, COLOURFUL AND AWESOME

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Do you head out a lot? Well produced event flyers or posters can make great decorative souvenirs.

56

Photos. Yes, it’s another obvious one, but many people never seem to have the time to get their photos on display. With the introduction of great value websites that print photos for you this is now easier than ever to do so there’s no excuse!

57

Framed posters and prints. Have you got a particularly nice poster or a print you paid a little more for? Show it off by putting it in a nice frame.

While you’re at it that frame itself could add some colour too!

58

Kitting out your desk with new stuff? If you’re buying new desktop accessories don’t go for mundane; pick something colourful or quirky to perk up your workspace nicely.

59

Make the boring stuff interesting. Is something just sat there and looking out of place? Give it a splash of colour with some fabric or stickers - cheap and easy.

60

Floor cushions and bean bags can be great way to increase the amount of seating you have even if you’re on a budget, as well as adding some colour and a warm, homely feel too!

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Mirrors – as well as opening spaces up, they usually have frames, which again can add colour to a dull room.

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64 WAYS TO BE ORGANISED, COLOURFUL AND AWESOME

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Storage boxes or baskets are a must have in many living spaces and offices, but there’s no reason why these have to be boring looking pieces of furniture that you hide out of sight all the time. You know what to do!

63

Framed wall-paper. This is a neat tip! If you want to add a little touch of patterned wallpaper to a room there’s no need to get the table and wallpaper paste out. Simply frame a nice piece and hang it where it fits best.

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Accessorize. Not everything you have in your space needs to serve a function and look nice. Sometimes it can just look nice. There’s always room for a few things like these.

and finally the secret to being awesome...

Some people may place the secret to being awesome alongside the all-time greats such as the meaning of life, the origins of the Universe or why chocolate and peanut butter work so damn well together. It’s much simpler than that really… you’ve taken the time to download this e-book and give it a read so you are awesome!

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Are you ready to get started making changes?

Hopefully you’ve found reading this e-book helpful and that at least some of the suggestions mentioned here will help be you more organised. If not then you’re probably doing just fine already and if you aren’t doing any of them... well that means you have some serious work to do! Either way we’d love to hear what you thought of this e-book so give us a shout.

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Well that’s all this time round so if you want to find out more about how best to stay organised and liven up your living spaces come and say hello on Twitter or Facebook. It’s always nice to see new faces!

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