"Best Ways to Overcome Small Business Ping Pong Syndrome"

The above is an article I read this morning from USA Today by Rhonda Abrams http://bit.ly/aU6N5u. She addresses the multi-tasking nature of anyone who runs a small business. We all struggle to stay focused and organized. The term “ping pong syndrome” was coined by Staples and not surprisingly their poll revealed that "Organize the Office" with 22% of the vote, was the number one goal in their Fourth Annual National Small Business Survey. I think we all feel like we are more in control when our office is organized. I know I always feel that a cluttered desk is a cluttered mind. So I stack items on my desk (very neatly), off to the side, and over time they get higher and higher, until one day I just have to address those stacks. For those of you in Strategic Coach http://bit.ly/zNJDA you will understand that my Buffer days never are long enough for me to actually clean and organize. And yes I know that is not effective use of my time regardless. Oh I have lofty goals, I write out my lists, yet as soon as I walk into the office my day is totally out of my control on most Buffer days. I envy those people that operate totally paperless, who have the “virtual” office. I try to achieve this, but I still don’t feel comfortable reading and proofing items off my computer screen. Then that makes me feel guilty, I am wasting paper, being totally un PC. But I just feel the need to be able to mark up items by hand. I know, I am weak and being very old school. But I am doing more of my lists on my computer now. I am in love with and have been totally sucked into the wonder of Mindjet’s Mind Manager software http://bit.ly/ruxLT . My brain operates a bit like a ransom note so this software allows me to map out all my thoughts quickly and in an organized manner. It even syncs with Outlook. What more could a girl ask for? Well I guess I could ask for more Focus days and less interruptions; hence my post prior on this blog about working on the weekends. I am open to your ideas and suggestions. How do you stay organized and productive? I’d love to read your best tips.