This newsletter is sent out to subscribers twice a month. Enjoy! Carol Riggles ======================== :: WORDS TO LIVE BY :: ======================== I have everything, yet have nothing; and although I possess nothing, still of nothing am I in want. ....Terence (c.185 or c.195– B.C.) ======================== :: FEATURE ARTICLE :: ======================== Computer Clutter Counts (Against You) by Carol Riggles Most of us think clutter is just the stuff on top and underneath our desks, and perhaps even the stuff crammed into the drawers. But how many believe the stuff stored on your computer is clutter? Well, believe me, it is. I learned this lesson the hard way just the other day. I had been reviewing a business proposal and was keeping a list of questions to ask at the next business meeting. Two days before the meeting I got a telephone call from the author of the proposal. He wanted to know if I had any unanswered questions. Well, yes, I did, but I was unable to find the file on my computer at the exact moment I needed it. It was lost in the clutter of all the other miscellaneous files I had created since I had purchased this particular computer. Needless to say, as a clutter consultant I was quite embarrassed to admit this. However, I resolved to learn from the mistake and then share my newfound knowledge with my readers. Tackling the job of de-cluttering your computer is daunting to say the least, so it is best to break the job into small segments. Each segment should take no longer than 30 minutes to an hour to accomplish. A checklist is essential so you know what folders have been cleared. You don't want to waste time returning to a folder you cleared of clutter two weeks ago. Speaking of folders, many people don't use folders to keep electronic mail organized. If this is you, you will need to create folders as you sort through all of the email you have accumulated. Anything you decide to keep must be moved to a folder that is appropriately labeled. Email from friends goes in the Friends folder. Email from your credit cards goes into the Credit Cards folder. Email that requires a decision you are not ready to make at this moment goes into the Pending folder. The only mail that should remain in your Inbox folder when you are finished sorting is mail you haven't read yet. Don't worry about creating too many folders because they will stay organized automatically in alphabetical order. Just remember the basic rule - don't file it if you haven't read it, and do file it (or better yet, delete it) if you have read it. Every file you create should go in one main location called "My Documents." This folder is where you create all the other folders based on subject or category. Always think of the folder "My Documents" as a file cabinet, and then perhaps have 4 main subfolders that represent the drawers of the file cabinet. You can create one main sub- folder for each person that uses the computer, or perhaps four main categories like Personal, Home, Financial, and Education. After your hard drive has been de-cluttered, don't forget to go through that drawer of CDs, disks, and floppies. Many of them will either be obsolete, or filled with useless files. You can maintain your clutter-free computer with this mantra: Delete ~ Delete ~ Delete Like paper clutter, electronic clutter wastes our time if we don't learn how to hit the delete button as soon as possible. This is especially true for email messages, but also applies to files we create ourselves. The second a file or message has finished its usefulness, delete it. Once a year, go through your files to get rid of the stuff that you thought you would need, but a year later you realize you don't. Even thought the clutter in your computer is invisible, it is still decreasing your and your computer's ability to work efficiently. If you would like to learn more about computer clutter and some of the reasons we allow it to accumulate, check out this article by Greg Gore: Cleaning Computer Clutter And the following article has more technical advice on keeping hard drives clutter free: Basic Recommended Computer Maintenance About the author: Carol Riggles, owner of Carroll Creek Remedies, provides simple, practical, and effective solutions for better health and a more organized lifestyle. ======================== :: JUST FOR FUN :: ======================== What in the World? One afternoon a man came home from work to find total mayhem in his house. His three children were outside, still in their pajamas, playing in the mud with empty food boxes and wrappers strewn all around the front yard. The door of his wife's car was open, as was the front door to the house. Proceeding into the entry, he found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, and the throw rug was wadded against one wall. In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a cartoon channel, and the family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing. In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the counter, dog food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door. He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of clothes, looking for his wife. He was worried she may be ill, or that something serious had happened. He found her lounging in the bedroom, still curled in the bed in her pajamas, reading a novel. She looked up at him, smiled, and asked how his day went. He looked at her bewildered and asked, "What happened here today?" She again smiled and answered, "You know every day when you come home from work and ask me what in the world I did today?" "Yes" was his incredulous reply. She answered, "Well, today I didn't do it." ======================== :: INTERESTING INFO :: ======================== What Your Computer Says About You The computer in front of you could provide an insight into the kind of person you are. Psychologists say that a computer's virtual desktop can tell you as much about a person's personality as their real desktop. And it is not a matter of analyzing the screensaver you use or the picture you have chosen as the computer's wallpaper. "How people prioritize the order in which certain things come on to their screen tells you about their priorities in their lives," explained Ben Williams, a corporate psychologist. "You can tell whether they are proactive people who are going to make things happen or reactive people who wait for things to happen and then respond to them," he told the BBC programme Go Digital. Personal space Often, one of the first things people do with the computer at work is to try to make it their own. Psychologists say we are staking out the computer as our personal space, creating a sense of control of our surroundings. "If you have cute pictures or toys on your computer, that says you spend a lot of time on the computer," explained Mr Williams. "It says this is my territory; look how exciting or dramatic it is." Some people tend to stick things on to the equipment to make it theirs, or use mouse mats that make political statements. "Mouse mats can display a lot about not only your interests but also your value system," said Mr. Williams. "People like to display their attitudes and beliefs." Virtual clues Your computer provides more than just physical clues to your personality. Analyzing the computer screen, the images you use or simply the way you organize your icons can reveal much about your inner desires and ambitions. Whereas some people may just have company screensavers, others may use something that reflects their personal interests, so a diving enthusiast may have a fish screensaver. The appearance of the desktop may also provide powerful insights into how comfortable someone is with technology. "It could be that the person with not much on their desktop is naive about technology," said Mr Williams. "The person with a lot of whizz bang stuff is very technology aware. They know how to download these things, install them and store them." In some cases, a person may just be trying to show off. "It says look at me, I can afford it, I have the most expensive, the biggest, the longest, the hardest, the sharpest," explained Mr Williams. "It's that sort of macho stuff." Article Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2045175.stm ======================== :: TIME-SAVING IDEA :: ======================== Feng shui reminder - Mirrors should never face the front door! Keep a small bowl and a large wall mirror near or convenient to the front door. Just before you rush out of the house (late as usual!) take a minute to check your appearance. The bowl should contain lipstick or lip conditioner, a small tube of hand lotion or sunblock, a small comb or brush, and a few pairs of go-with-anything earrings or tie pins. That last minute self inspection can really make a difference. You can quickly remove that bit of broccoli from your teeth, put on that last bit of makeup or jewelry, fix that strand of wayward hair and adjust that tie or collar. When you leave the house, you know you are looking good and you won't become frustrated trying to make these final adjustments in the car or on the subway. Instead, you can relax and focus on the day or task ahead. =========================== :: COPYRIGHT INFORMATION :: =========================== Copyright 2003 - CCR Enterprises - All rights reserved in all countries. 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