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After 10 years as an ordained minister, Sharon Turner realized her traditional file system could not keep up with her rapidly growing collection of paper. "My files and stacks kept growing," she says. In those stacks were letters and notes on everything from future plans for the church to personal studies. "As ministers, we collect many kinds of information because we undertake so many tasks. My files were filled with stuff I planned to refer to later."

Filing those notes and letters was only one part of Turner's problem. The other part was finding the information when that "later" date arrived.

For example, Turner occasionally needed information relating to the charitable organization Heifer International. Her traditional system filed information alphabetically. "You would think that I would place information about Heifer International under H," she says. "But information about Heifer International pertained to our church, to our school, to charitable gift applications, to an Advent project, and to a sermon. It could be filed under C, S, A, or H—;or somewhere else. The day came when I couldn't remember where I filed it—;it wasn't where I thought it would be."

Turner was embarrassed when visitors stopped by her office. "I had stacks of stuff, while other clergy had super-neat offices," she says. A friend told Turner she had a problem and a gift. "Your enthusiasm is going all the time," the friend told her. "You are interested in so many things that you are overwhelmed." Turner agrees. "There was nothing I was uninterested in," she says, admitting that she could not bring herself to throw anything away.

Turner's story is a common one. Fortunately, even the most disorganized individuals can easily find help from one of the many organization specialists available across the country.

Another minister friend, who had the same problem of too many papers in too many places, told Turner about Barry Izsak, founder of Arranging It All professional organizing services in Austin, Texas. Izsak discussed disorganization with Turner and her assistant. "Everything he said applied to me," Turner recalls.

Izsak guides his clients to ask themselves if they really need to keep a piece of paper: Could I find this information elsewhere if I needed it? Turner says Izsak's question was a turning point. "More and more, I learned to do Web searches for information and rely on computer files. I still need files for hard copies of various kinds, but the need for paper has been reduced enormously."

Izsak then teaches organizational techniques, such as employing Kiplinger's Paper Tiger software. "It's like having an internet search engine for your filing system," he says. After completing the process of creating a new filing system, Turner now experiences a sense of calm relief. Izsak says such a system is especially helpful for clergy "who gather a variety of information for future sermons and don't know how to chronicle it."

Izsak explains that while it might appear harmless, disorganized clutter in a clergy office leads to wasted time and energy. "There are costs for inefficiency—;emotional, energy, and time costs," he says. Clutter can even lead to financial loss when misplaced work needs to be redone or when items that can't be found need to be purchased again.

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