Archive for category Office

The Top 10 Ways to Keep Your Conference Calls Professional and Effective

Oct 24

Posted by doostangkaitlin in Doostang Jobs, Office, Uncategorized | No Comments

Senior Associate / Vice President – Investment Banking Firm – New York, NY

Manager of Strategic Investments and Portfolio – Premier Financial Firm – New York, NY

Portfolio Manager – Premier Asset Management Firm – Chicago, IL

Senior Director of Finance – Boutique Strategy Consulting Firm – Boston, MA

Senior Financial Reporting Analyst – Elite Financial Firm – San Francisco, CA

1. Plan the Call

The most effective way to run a great conference call is to be prepared.  At a minimum, you should have the names, phone numbers, email addresses and job titles of the people who will be on the call. This way if anything goes wrong, you can reestablish communications quickly.

2. Plan Your Location

Background noise is a conference call killer.  Don’t try having a conference call from a shared cubicle area.  If you don’t have a private office, try reserving a conference room.  If none are available, ask someone who does have an office if you can borrow it.  If all else fails, sneak into an empty office at your organization.

3. Send Email Alerts

Email alerts are great way of making sure that no one forgets the call, or is missing the call in information.  Send an email out the day before the call, to everyone involved, stating the time of the call, the participants, the subject matter, the length and most importantly, don’t forget to include the call in phone number and password.  Send this email again 1 hour before the call.

4. Start Early

Don’t wait till a minute before the call to dial in.  Log into the call 10-15 minutes early so you have time to fix any problems like bad passwords, wrong numbers, bad sound, or any other problems that might arise.

5. Bring the Right People

Think about what the call is for, and make sure the right people are invited.  If the subject matter is likely to cross into one of your cooworkers responsibilities, ask them to sit in on the call.  Its better to include people than not include them, since they can always leave or decline if they aren’t needed.

7. Start the Call Professionally

Mute the phone.  When waiting on participants to enter the conference call, leave your phone on mute, so the other callers don’t hear any confidential information that you may discuss while waiting for their arrival.  When everyone has arrived, introduce everyone, with their full name and title, and why they are on the call.  Thank everyone for coming, let them know the agenda and length of the call, and begin.

8. Leave Time for Questions

If you expect the call to last 30 minutes, schedule it for 60 minutes.  At best you’ve wisely left time for the call to run long, or to include a question and answer session.  At worst you let everyone out early, so its a win-win for everyone.

9. Send a Follow-up Email

Send an email to the people on the call, summarizing what was discussed, and about any action items.  This way you can be sure that everyone on the call understands what they are expected to do next.  If there is a followup call, this is when you should tell everyone when it is.

10. Buy a Headset

Headsets with a microphone and earpiece are easy to find, but they won’t connect to your workplace phone if you have the standard Cisco VOIP phones, like most companies do.  You need to order a special headset from a maker like Plantronics.  Make sure you get both pieces, the dialer and the headset itself.  It can be expensive, anywhere from $200 to $400, but if you are a salesperson who lives and dies on the phone, this may be a great investment for you.  Your contacts will hear you much clearer, and you will hear them much better too.

Conference calls are a great way to stay connected and to convey information efficiently.  Just try to make sure you stay on track so that they remain sessions that people look forward to in order to touch base, rather than time wasters that everyone dreads.

Until next time,

Team Doostang

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The Top 10 Ways to Keep Your Conference Calls Professional and Effective

Oct 17

Posted by doostangkaitlin in Office, Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Senior Associate / Vice President – Investment Banking Firm – New York, NY

Manager of Strategic Investments and Portfolio – Premier Financial Firm – New York, NY

Portfolio Manager – Premier Asset Management Firm – Chicago, IL

Senior Director of Finance – Boutique Strategy Consulting Firm – Boston, MA

Senior Financial Reporting Analyst – Elite Financial Firm – San Francisco, CA

1. Plan the Call

The most effective way to run a great conference call is to be prepared.  At a minimum, you should have the names, phone numbers, email addresses and job titles of the people who will be on the call. This way if anything goes wrong, you can reestablish communications quickly.

2. Plan Your Location

Background noise is a conference call killer.  Don’t try having a conference call from a shared cubicle area.  If you don’t have a private office, try reserving a conference room.  If none are available, ask someone who does have an office if you can borrow it.  If all else fails, sneak into an empty office at your organization.

3. Send Email Alerts

Email alerts are great way of making sure that no one forgets the call, or is missing the call in information.  Send an email out the day before the call, to everyone involved, stating the time of the call, the participants, the subject matter, the length and most importantly, don’t forget to include the call in phone number and password.  Send this email again 1 hour before the call.

4. Start Early

Don’t wait till a minute before the call to dial in.  Log into the call 10-15 minutes early so you have time to fix any problems like bad passwords, wrong numbers, bad sound, or any other problems that might arise.

5. Bring the Right People

Think about what the call is for, and make sure the right people are invited.  If the subject matter is likely to cross into one of your cooworkers responsibilities, ask them to sit in on the call.  Its better to include people than not include them, since they can always leave or decline if they aren’t needed.

7. Start the Call Professionally

Mute the phone.  When waiting on participants to enter the conference call, leave your phone on mute, so the other callers don’t hear any confidential information that you may discuss while waiting for their arrival.  When everyone has arrived, introduce everyone, with their full name and title, and why they are on the call.  Thank everyone for coming, let them know the agenda and length of the call, and begin.

8. Leave Time for Questions

If you expect the call to last 30 minutes, schedule it for 60 minutes.  At best you’ve wisely left time for the call to run long, or to include a question and answer session.  At worst you let everyone out early, so its a win-win for everyone.

9. Send a Follow-up Email

Send an email to the people on the call, summarizing what was discussed, and about any action items.  This way you can be sure that everyone on the call understands what they are expected to do next.  If there is a followup call, this is when you should tell everyone when it is.

10. Buy a Headset

Headsets with a microphone and earpiece are easy to find, but they won’t connect to your workplace phone if you have the standard Cisco VOIP phones, like most companies do.  You need to order a special headset from a maker like Plantronics.  Make sure you get both pieces, the dialer and the headset itself.  It can be expensive, anywhere from $200 to $400, but if you are a salesperson who lives and dies on the phone, this may be a great investment for you.  Your contacts will hear you much clearer, and you will hear them much better too.

Conference calls are a great way to stay connected and to convey information efficiently.  Just try to make sure you stay on track so that they remain sessions that people look forward to in order to touch base, rather than time wasters that everyone dreads.

Until next time,

Team Doostang

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Overcoming Perfectionism

Sep 11

Posted by doostangkaitlin in Doostang News, Office | No Comments

Doostang News: September 12, 2011
Overcoming PerfectionismVice President of Investor Relations, New York, NY
Pre-MBA Associate, Incline Village (Lake Tahoe), NV
Junior Analyst, Richmond, VA
Market Developer, Nationwide
Senior Content Product Manager, Mountain View, CA

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Strong attention to detail is something employers value in the people that work for them.  But when your tendency to check, and recheck, and recheck again gets in the way of your productivity, it’s time to pause and determine if perfectionism is getting in the way of your ability to do your job effectively.  If you find yourself spending too much time and energy trying to achieve the perfect result, consider these pointers.

Weigh the Costs

If you spend countless hours going over your work until it reaches perfection, you’re likely doing this at the expense of other activities or projects.  So make a list of all of the things – both personal and professional – that you aren’t able to focus on because you are caught up with one particular task.  When you start to see what you are missing out on, you’re more likely to want to change your behavior.  You may also find that the quality of one “perfect” project doesn’t outweigh the numerous assignments you failed to get to on time.

Set Limits

If you struggle with knowing when to cut yourself off, set limits for yourself ahead of time.  Allocate a certain number of hours to completing a task, or allow yourself to review a certain project a set number of times.  It’s also important to set deadlines for yourself and to work to meet them.

Embrace Criticism

Many perfectionists fail to see constructive criticism as something that is positive, but rather, as an attack.  As a result, they work to create a product that others will be unable to criticize because it is flawless.  The fact is, criticism can be healthy and help you to see weaknesses in your work that you wouldn’t have noticed on your own.  Criticism can help you to perform better on future projects, and is a healthy exercise in helping you to see your work in another light.

Learn from Your Mistakes

On that note, it’s okay to make mistakes – everyone does – and it’s important to learn from them.  No one will fault you for being less than perfect, so you shouldn’t dwell on it, but take it for the character building experience that it is.

Give Yourself a Break

Force yourself to unplug from your work when you go home at the end of the day.  Your evenings should be reserved for relaxing and indulging in activities that you enjoy – not spending more time on projects that can wait for the morning.

The fact that there is always something you can improve upon should be heartening, as you can constantly work to better yourself.  That said, perfection is difficult, if not impossible to come by, so ease up on yourself and just focus on doing your best.

Until next time,

The Doostang Team

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Doostang News August 22: How to Spice Up the Office Working Environment

Aug 21

Posted by doostangkaitlin in Advice & Tips, Doostang News, Office | No Comments

Associate Banker, New York, NY
General Manager, Washington, DC
Portfolio Management Analyst, Chicago, IL
Marketing Manager, San Francisco, CA
Economic Intern, New York, NY

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The office doesn’t have to be the drab, depressing place it’s often made out to be. First of all, it’s full of the characters that make our lives interesting, dramatic, happy, and stressful day to day. And while you sorta kinda have to focus on the work while you’re there, this doesn’t mean that the company you serve has to suck all the joy out of life. Here are a few ways to put some kick in your Monday through Friday!

Join the Office Extracurriculars

Say your office is part of a softball league or has a bowling club. Right on! Go get involved and recruit others to join in on the fun. And if your office doesn’t partake in these awesome activities, organize them yourself or with a group of coworkers. Your office extracurricular activities are what you make of them, and sadly, many company softball teams lose steam in the second inning. Sure, it’ll take time and effort, but if you feed into the positive energy of these pastimes, you’ll get far more joy out of them.

Go Out to Lunch

No, “going to lunch” with an office buddy doesn’t mean taking your soggy PB&J and “fun size” bag of Doritos to the break room. Get out and explore the neighborhood. Gather a group of friends and try out the new restaurant on the corner. Get your mind off of work and really enjoy your break to its fullest. This will break up your workday and give you that second wind you need to get through the afternoon. And if you’re trying to save money, fine – grab that soggy PB&J and chips and take it down to the park. If you step outside the office for a little while you’ll have a much more positive attitude going into the second half of your day, and chances are you’ll be much more productive at work.

Mix Food and Work

Here we go – another tip centered on food. But it’s true that we derive a lot of satisfaction out of eating. So incorporate it into your workday! Suggest a potluck once a quarter, and ruthlessly hold everyone to it. Assign a different person to bring in baked goods each Friday. Put someone on hot chocolate duty during the winter months. No one will be able to peg work as “dull” if you make it a point to engage all the senses!

It’s important to be happy at work. After all, this is where you spend most of the daylight hours. So don’t discount the value that a little office cheer can add to your life. Always make the most out of your days!

See ya later,
The Doostang Team

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Doostang News August 1: Adding Pleasure to Your Business Trip

Jul 31

Posted by doostangkaitlin in Advice & Tips, Doostang News, Office | No Comments

IB Analyst, New York, NY
Advertising Copywriter, Atlanta, GA
Analyst, Washington, DC
Strategy Consultant, SF Bay Area
Fund Accountant, New York, NY

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Oftentimes, the people who travel most for work are ironically the ones who have the most difficult time finding time to travel for personal purposes.  Perhaps it’s hard to find a good chunk of time to get away; or maybe the typical hassle that comes with airports and hotels is the last thing they want to deal with on their time off.  Whether or not this is the case, adding a little pleasure to a business trip can make constant traveling a lot more bearable.  And now that it’s summer and vacation is on everyone’s mind, a strategically planned business trip might actually double into that quick getaway you’ve been yearning for.  Here are some tips for spicing up those trips meant solely for work:

Plan Ahead

It’s hard to take advantage of what a new city has to offer if you’re doing it at the last minute.  However, if you do some research before your trip and figure out when you will have some spare time, you can plan to do a little sightseeing or fine dining on your own.  Not to mention, you’ll be more likely to stick with your plans if you think them through beforehand.

Spice up the Client Meetings

Wining and dining your clients is an expense that usually falls on your company’s tab, which is really nice.  But how many salmon dinners or rounds of golf can you take?  Try to plan some more interesting outings or explore unique restaurants in the area, so long as they allow you to maintain a professional environment.  Consider asking those local clients for suggestions on what they might like to do.

Squeeze in an Extra Day

Consider showing up a day beforehand or leaving a day after, especially if your business trip falls near a weekend.  It’s definitely possible to squeeze in personal activities between meetings, but it’s a lot less stressful if you have a day to yourself.  If you decide to do this, make sure to inform your boss of your plans, and to show him or her that you will be keeping business and personal expenses separate.

Bring Along Your Significant Other

Maybe your significant other has the flexibility and willingness to travel with you and spend time with you when you aren’t stuck in meetings.  If so, you can turn parts of your business trip into a small getaway, and explore the city and some nice restaurants together.  Again, be sure to keep your personal expenses separate, and to stay focused on work when you need to be. 

Traveling for work doesn’t have to be a drag.  All you need to do is find some creative ways to spend your down time, and a boring business trip can all of a sudden become a fun escape.

Happy traveling,

The Doostang Team

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Doostang News July 11: Behaviors that Tarnish Your Office Reputation – Part 2

Jul 10

Posted by doostangkaitlin in Advice & Tips, Doostang News, Office | No Comments

Financial Planner, New York, NY
Capital Markets Analyst, Houston, TX
Investment Banker, Denver, CO
Brand Marketing Fellow, New York, NY
Corporate M&A Group Associate, Chicago, IL

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Welcome back to our next installment of reputation-tarnishing behaviors at work.  Last time we explored how being too assertive, overextending yourself, and failing to communicate with your boss can all have a negative impact on your status.  Read on for a few more behaviors to avoid if you’re trying to stay on everyone’s good side!

Lack of Coherency

It’s likely that at some point during your job you will have to share your work and progress with either your boss or your coworkers.  And while this may take some extra effort and energy on your part, it’s important to take the time to ensure that what you present to others is clear, logical, and legible.  A presentation that lacks these three factors can really frustrate others, and you may be forced to either rework what you did, spend a good amount of time explaining superfluous details, or have your work be disregarded altogether.  Presenting coherent, understandable work is a show of respect for your audience, so you should do your best to be as clear as possible.

Challenging Your Boss

At all times, no matter what, you should show respect for your boss.  This becomes particularly important when others are around, say, in a team meeting or even just around the office.  It’s okay to disagree with your boss, but set aside a time to do so in private.  If your boss happens to make a mistake in a meeting – and you feel that it’s important to point this out – either try to get the message to your boss discreetly or bring the matter up in as polite a way as possible.  Never try to challenge your boss in public, as this will likely cause you to be perceived as insubordinate.

Focusing Solely on Your Boss

While your relationship with your boss is crucial to your career, it’s important to also cultivate relationships with your coworkers.  These are the people with whom you will be working in teams, and perhaps more importantly, they’re the ones whom you will be working under (or above) when someone is promoted.  Don’t isolate yourself by ignoring your peers, and don’t be seen as a “brown noser” by focusing solely on your boss.  It’s imperative to be friendly with everyone and to be a team player.

Having No Reputation

One interesting point that many fail to consider is having no reputation.  While flying under the radar is certainly preferable to sticking out like a sore thumb, it’s still better to be in great standing at your place of work.  If you show up to work but remain unnoticed, you will likely miss out on many of the privileges afforded to hardworking, friendly, reliable employees.  Having no reputation does not mean that you are none of these things, it just means that you will have to put in a little extra work to be recognized as such.

That’s it for now on behavioral blunders to avoid at work.  As you can see, how you interact with both your coworkers and your boss is extremely important, and it’s worth putting in the extra effort so that people consider you a great component of the team!

Until next time,

The Doostang Team

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Doostang News July 4: Behaviors that Tarnish Your Office Reputation – Part 1

Jul 3

Posted by doostangkaitlin in Advice & Tips, Doostang News, Office | No Comments

Entry Level Treasury Analyst, San Diego, CA
Administrative Assistant, New York, NY
Research Analyst – Energy, Boston, MA
Consulting Associate, Multiple Locations
Associate, New York, NY

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Maintaining a good reputation at work is a delicate balance.  Because business is business, and there is usually a lot of stress circulating around an office, people are quicker to judge and slower to forgive.  That’s why it’s important to get off to a solid start and do what you can to remain in the good graces of both your superiors and your coworkers.  Here are a few behaviors to avoid:

Asserting Yourself as the New Guy

When you’re the new guy, it can be tempting to want to enter with a bang, but sometimes this can be a huge turnoff.  If you start off trying to revolutionize things too quickly, people might become offended about the fact that you’re trying to change everything around, and put you back in your place.  While you may have the best of intentions, try to hold back just a little bit, adding your two cents when it seems natural or when you are asked – not when you have to fight to get a word in.  When you first get to a company, take some time to learn what they are about and what they are trying to do, and this will likely enable you to contribute in a more valuable way.  After all, you may feel that you have some very enlightened observations to provide, but these may have already been observed previously (possibly more than once), and broaching the same topic all over again will just make everyone feel like you’re beating a dead horse.

Overextending Yourself

Many people feel that they will actually build a greater reputation by being a “Yes Man”.  Indeed, all companies value reliable employees.  But if you get to the point where you are saying “yes” to everything, you may reach a point where the quality of all of your work suffers, or you may find yourself unable to get to certain projects at all.  It’s important to learn what you can and cannot do, and to budget your time wisely.  It’s perfectly fine to explain to your boss that you simply have too much on your plate to take on another project at the moment – he or she will likely respect you for this.

Failing to Check In

Your boss manages a lot of people, and by extension, manages a lot of projects.  He has a lot on his plate, and so you figure you’ll spare him the headache by getting your work done first and then running it by him.  But this can be a huge mistake.  If you’re working on a big project, it’s probably a good idea to update your boss on your progress and allow him to offer feedback.  Managers like to feel that they are a part of the work, and may become aggravated when you try to run off with it on your own.  Additionally, when you fail to check in and end up doing something incorrectly, you’ll create more work for yourself and irritate your boss even more.

As you can see, much of maintaining a good reputation at work relies on learning how to communicate well – and this means being able to talk as well as listen.  So avoid the above pitfalls, and stay tuned for our next installment of behaviors that have the propensity to ruin an individual’s work reputation!

Until next time,

The Doostang Team

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Doostang News June 13: How to Create a Healthier Work Environment

Jun 12

Posted by doostangkaitlin in Advice & Tips, Doostang News, Office | No Comments

Equity Research Associate, New York, NY
Media Sales Associate, Hong Kong, China
Investment Banking M&A Analyst, Greenwich, CT
Business Analyst, Cambridge, MA
Futures Broker, Chicago, IL

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When you spend upwards of eight hours at a desk every day, it’s difficult to focus on your health.  But staying healthy at work is important, because not everybody has the ability to take ample time off to make a full recovery.  Moreover, your well-being affects how you do on the job.  Here are a few things you can do at work to ensure you are your best self, both physically and mentally.

Exercise During Your Lunch Break

It’s important to fit exercise into your routine, especially when you’re sedentary the entire day.  Remaining inactive is bad for your overall health and also leads to weight gain.  So instead of going to the fast food drive-through at lunch, strap on your running shoes and exercise at a nearby park or gym.  Then indulge in something healthy like fruit or a protein bar.

Work on Your Posture

Improving your posture can reduce pain in your shoulders and lower back, and minimize eyestrain.  Adjust your chair and monitor so that your eyes are level with your computer screen, and make sure to sit up straight and all the way back in your seat.  Your keyboard should be at a proper height that allows your wrists to lie straight.  Finally, it’s important to get up and walk around from time to time.

Bring Healthy Snacks to Work

Instead of relying on the vending machine in the break room to provide you with nourishment, bring your own healthy snacks to work.  Fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, and yogurts are all great ideas.  Snacking throughout the day will help you to resist the urge to overeat at lunch, and will also keep you alert.  It’s equally important to drink lots of water – bringing along a water bottle will prevent countless trips to the water cooler.  Although if you’re looking for an extra reason to get up and walk around, the water cooler isn’t a bad idea either.

Keep a Clean Working Space

When you get bogged down in clutter you often get stressed out.  Alleviate this by keeping a clean, organized desk.  Doing so will also reduce the amount of dust and food particles that build up over time, which can often draw pests to the scene.

Request Flexible Hours

Try to work with your boss on devising a schedule that works for both of you.  If you have kids, try to work around getting them to school and their various extracurricular activities.  If you aren’t able to function in the morning, find out if it’s possible to come in a bit later.  Working during hours that fit with your schedule is important for your stress levels and mental well-being.

Living a healthier life at the office is important because you spend so much time there.  Consider these helpful tips and improve your health both at work and outside of it.

Until next time,

The Doostang Team

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Doostang News May 23: A Tactful Farewell – How to Leave a Job on a Good Note

May 22

Posted by doostangkaitlin in Advice & Tips, Doostang News, Office | No Comments

1st-Year M&A Analyst, New York, NY
Marketing Assistant, Exton, PA
Analyst, Los Angeles, CA
Copywriter, Wakefield, MA
MBA Summer Associate, New York, NY

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Saying “sayonara” to a job can be a tearful transition or the greatest day of your life.  But no matter what your thoughts are on leaving your job, it’s important that you leave on a good note.  Here are a few things you can do to ensure a tactful farewell:

Give Appropriate Notice

Make sure that you give at least the standard two weeks notice when you are resigning your post.  Quitting in a huff may feel like the right thing to do in the moment, but it will come back to haunt you in the future – there’s no need to burn any bridges or risk having a former bitter boss badmouth you to a hiring manager.  If you can give more than two weeks notice, that’s great, and only leaves more time for the company to take the necessary steps to ensure a smooth transition on their end.

Write Thank You Notes

It’s a nice touch to write thank you notes to people such as your boss, peers you worked closely with, and others who made an impact on you at your job.  These are the people you spent every day with, collaborating on projects together and learning from.  Thank them for what they taught you and for the time you spent together – they’ll really appreciate the gesture and will be excited to see you succeed in the next phase of your career.

Tie Up Loose Ends

In your remaining time at a company, make sure to work hard through your end date.  While it may be tempting to slack off given the lack of immediate repercussions, it demonstrates that you don’t care and can tarnish your office reputation.  Do what you can to finish up projects, hand off remaining work to other individuals, and help set up the person who will be replacing you.  If you can, offer to train your replacement.

Celebrate

Do something on your last day to mark your farewell to the company – and to the individuals with whom you spent so much time during your days there.  Go out to lunch, bring in cupcakes, make a toast… do something to recognize that you appreciate the people around you and are leaving on good terms.  That way, your farewell will feel more like a celebration of your time there, rather than like an awkward goodbye.

Some of us just hate goodbyes, but don’t let your distaste for them leave a bad taste in your company’s mouth.  Follow the proper etiquette, be gracious, and have a little fun, and you’ll be sure to make a grand exit!

Hasta la vista, baby!!

The Doostang Team

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Doostang News May 2: Tips for Staying Organized

May 1

Posted by doostangkaitlin in Advice & Tips, Doostang News, Office | No Comments

Research Analyst, New York, NY
Experienced Consultant, Chicago, IL
Sr. Accountant, Greenwich, CT
Strategy Intern, Birmingham, AL
Analyst, San Francisco, CA

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For many, the constant fight to stay organized can cause stress and cut productivity.  Worse still, it can lead individuals to make mistakes that can have grave consequences for their jobs.  If this sounds like a problem you struggle with, read on for some tips on how to cut the clutter out of your life.

Track, List, and Sort

One of the best ways to stay on top of your projects and deadlines is by developing a system that allows you to track what you have to do and where you stand in terms of getting it done.  Consider creating a list outlining all your projects and their respective due dates.  Alternatively, designate a file or bin for all of the paperwork that you need to go through, and place the most important stuff on top.  Once you’ve done this, make sure to check things off your list as you get them done, or move projects from one bin to another once they have been addressed.

Regroup

While in the midst of your work, it’s helpful to take a few breathers where you pause to consider what you’ve completed and what still needs to be done.  Doing so ensures that you don’t get distracted or miss anything important.  This is where your list or designated project bin will be helpful.

Take Advantage of Every Minute

There are many tasks that can be completed in a short period of time, such as filing documents, shooting off a few quick emails, or making copies.  So instead of putting off these small activities for a later date, do them while you’re thinking about them and likely have a few moments to spare.  Putting them aside for later will only create a backlog of tedious work.

Create Space

There’s nothing worse than losing yourself under a pile of papers.  Try to free up space on your desk by creating files or bins into which you can sort random piles of papers.  This will also help you to track down important documents more easily when you need them.

Throw it Away!

When things start to pile up, take some time to go through everything and throw stuff away.  A good rule is that if you haven’t looked at something in several months, or if you’re unsure about a particular document but it’s something you can easily replace, toss it.  People get attached to their paperwork or worry that they might need it at a later date, and ultimately just end up creating more of a mess than anything else.  Don’t be afraid to utilize your trash bin!

The problem with staying organized is that it’s not a one-time overhaul.  Rather, it’s an ongoing process where you constantly have to make lists, shuffle papers around, and throw things away.  But if you get into good habits now, staying organized won’t seem so trying later on!

Keep it clean,

The Doostang Team

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