Last weekend I decided to actually do something that was on my home to-do list. I cleaned out my closet. Yes, applause is appropriate! The results were so satisfying that I'm considering tackling my office next. For that, I'm getting professional advice.

Why? Because while my closet yielded plenty of useless clutter — like the beaded turquoise purse from some kid's high school prom — it contained no paper. My office, on the other hand, is overflowing with paper — stacks and file cabinets full of it!

Paper may not be a problem at your workplace. Many hospitals and medical offices have switched to electronic records, meaning that your desk may be as pristine as an operating table.

But how's the situation at home? If you had to find your daughter's immunization card or the number of the plumber you hired three years ago, could you do it?

"We all save too much stuff, and 80 percent of what we save, we never use," said Barbara Hemphill, CEO of Hemphill Productivity Institute. "If you have something and you don't know you have it, or don't know where it is, what good is it?"

Hemphill has been helping families, executives and entire companies get organized for 30 years. Her Taming the Paper Tiger software and methodology uses the power of the computer to organize the documents that are stored in your file cabinets.

The key is a having a good index that lists multiple keywords so that you can find an important file, whether you filed it under "policies," "auto," "vehicle" or "insurance."

If you think that organization is only for an anal-retentive neat freak or that it might stifle your creativity, you're not thinking clearly, Hemphill said.

How you organize stuff should fit your vision of who you are and what you do. For a free assessment and ideas on how to do it, go to Hemphill Institute.

"A productive environment is an intentional setting in which everything around you supports who you are and who you want to be," she said. "When you're organized, you'll have more time to be productive, creative, take a nap or do what you want to do."

You can start by learning the art of waste-basketry. When faced with a piece of paper or an item, Hemphill suggests asking yourself the following questions: "Does it require action?" "Can it be duplicated, if I needed it?" "Do I need it for tax or legal reasons?" "What's the worst possible thing that could happen if I threw this out?" "Can I live with the consequences?"

"Throwing things away isn't a moral issue, it's a practical issue," she said. "Getting rid of what you don't need is very psychologically freeing."

It will not only give you more space, but more energy. Once you've whittled down the stuff, you can create a system for everything to organize everything that you do need.

Just think, you'll have more time to read Pulse — and to nominate an outstanding co-worker for the 2008 Nursing Excellence Awards. You can find a nomination form at ajcjobs.com under the Celebrating Nurses tab.

— Do you have any story ideas for Pulse? Tell us about your career and what you do after hours. Send e-mail to pulseeditor@ajc.com or call 404-526-2078.