The Messy Desk

I can readily see the tempo of my life every morning when I sit down at my desk. If, like this morning, it is pretty messy, it means I have been pretty busy.  I always have got to get a grip on these little piles before I start my day.

Paper management is a critical part of good time management skills.  In Seeing My Time, I teach the organizational principle that everything needs a home. So, as I look at the papers on my desk, I will be filing them or scanning them, into their “home” files or binders.

But one pile has been getting taller and I’ve been confused as to where these pages belong. They are random sheets of information I want to keep because I keep referring back to them. However, I don’t want individual file folders for one piece of paper!

It suddenly dawned on me this morning how to solve this dilemma. I’m going to create a file folder with the label “Cool Information.” I’m going to keep it in a slot on my desk organizer. Whew! I can clear up that pile and not lose the information. I’ll be able to remember that label and by keeping it on my desktop, it won’t go out of sight and out of mind into a file cabinet. It will be easily accessible at my fingertips.

Take a look at your desk this morning and spend 10 minutes putting papers into their “home.” Using this time management tip, you’ll feel so much better!