The debate continues on whether the poor economy of the past few years has turned the corner. While this dispute has not been settled, there is one thing that most Americans agree on – the desire to work hard and stay productive has not slowed. About 70 percent of workers either work more than 40 hours a week, on the weekends or through their lunch break to get the job done, according to the Society for Human Resource Management.

The commitment to getting the job done goes beyond putting in time at the office. While some are sacrificing their free time to work or volunteer, others are reaching into their own wallets to help those around them. Teachers, for instance, spent an average of $398 on school supplies and an additional $538 on instructional materials – nearly $1,000 – last school year according to the 2010 National School Supply and Equipment Association retail market awareness study.

With this in mind, ACCO Brands, a leader in office products through industry-leading brands such as Swingline(R), GBC(R), Day-Timer(R), Quartet(R), Wilson Jones(R) and Kensington(R) among others, launched the Everyday Heroes contest. The contest shined a spotlight on those that are working overtime, double-duty or using their own resources to stay efficient and productive. A preview of the three winners who were voted on by the public in the home office, business and school category are below. Read their full stories at acco.com/accoheroes.

* Home office hero: Michelle B. from Richland, Wash. is everything one would expect when they hear the word “hero.” Living in a perpetual state of motion, Michelle uses office products to stay on track while balancing care for her four children and work as a bridal store manager, secretary for the Autism Society of Eastern Washington and activities planner for her church.

* Business hero: Christine S. from Green Bay, Wis. is a fundraising savant who relies on her binder and pocket folders to stay organized. As the co-founder of The Beacon House, a non-profit health resource center, it is essential to stay organized and efficient to make the most of all efforts at the facility. Several events involve multiple players and take months to pull together. A recent event, The Paws Parade of Hope, included a pet fashion show, pet adoption, obedience challenges, amongst other activities. In total, Christine helped raise $14,000 for The Community Benefit Tree and The Beacon House.

* School hero: Joanna C. from Lewisville, Texas, a high school math teacher, understands that just because students can’t afford certain supplies doesn’t mean they don’t deserve the opportunity to learn. When students enter the classroom at the start of the school year, each desk has a bag full of office products – ensuring their focus stays on the books and not on worrying about getting the tools to succeed.

“ACCO Brands wanted to recognize individuals who make these contributions throughout the year and go unnoticed,” says Kellie Glueck, marketing director at ACCO Brands. “While it requires hard work and determination to be a hero, we are pleased to offer quality products and helpful solutions that make routine tasks easier and increase daily productivity and organization.”

There is no clear cut way to becoming a hero, but the Everyday Heroes emphasized simplicity to stay productive and achieve success.

Tips used by Michelle, Christine and Joanna to achieve simplicity:

1. Simplify your work style – Set a schedule of routine tasks to accomplish each day. Instead of specifying “hour slots,” keep it simple by breaking down your day’s activities into segments. Try to maintain a regular pattern in the way you do certain activities.

2. Simplify your workspace – Cut out the clutter by taking a look around your desk and removing any supplies or materials that you don’t need regular access to. Organize your desktop to have only what you need in front of you, and put the rest away in a drawer or cabinet.

3. Simplify paper flow – Implement a system to manage paper flow. Make sure when paper comes in, it is dealt with, placed in a pending basket, action filer or active project file, or put it away in a binder. If the paper has no value, shred it with an automated or jam-free shredder.

4. Simplify productivity – Break down each big task into a list of smaller, bite-sized tasks with priority ranking. An organized “to do” list can sort out priorities and help focus on handling the tasks that need attention. Consider organizing by productivity segments (administrative, projects, operations, etc.). Write a daily list from your master list on a whiteboard or planner, listing only those tasks that can be accomplished in a day.

5. Simplify future goals – Do you know what you’re doing next week? Next month? Next year? Write a plan and know what you’re doing. Try to keep big-picture and long-term goals in mind, but break them into manageable and realistic steps to get there.

More tips and information on the ACCO Brands Everyday Heroes contest is available at acco.com/accoheroes.