T I M E M A N A G E M E N T
2. Manage Your Desktop(s)
A place for everything and everything in its place, on the actual
desktop and the virtual one in the computer.
We’re not talking neatness here. We’re talking organization.
Your desktop may extend to the floor and every other flat surface
not already covered. But as long as you know where everything is
and can lay your hands on it without having to wade through the
stuff you don’t want, you’re in good shape.
Be honest with yourself, though. Do you really need all that
stuff out in the open where you can see—and trip over—it? You
may simply be worried that you’ll lose it or forget to deal with it if
you can’t keep an eye on it. But careful organization and an acces-
sible file cabinet will take care of that problem and help you clean
up your working space, too.
3. touch It Once
How many times do you pick up the same piece of paper, glance
at it, scowl, and toss it back on the desk, promising yourself that
you’ll deal with it later?
Want to find out? Every time you handle a paper, slap a small
sticker on it or make a pencil mark. After a week of this, gather up
the clutter on your desk and count the stickers or marks.
Get the picture?
The first time you handle paper—from a one-page memo to a
500-page report—you should decide what to do with it. Then you
should do it. Your choices are:
- Reroute (pass it on to someone else who should have it)
- Respond (then file it)
- Read (then file it)
- Recycle (as in, throw it in the recycle bin)