PRACTICING STRESS-FREE PRODUCTIVITY | PART TWOThe Basic Processing Tools
Let's assume you're starting from scratch. In addition to a desktop
work space, you'll need:
- Paper-holding trays (at least three)
- A stack of plain letter-size paper
- A pen/pencil
•Post-its (3X3s) - Paper clips
- Binder clips
- A stapler and staples
- Scotch tape
- Rubber bands
- An automatic labeler
- File folders
- A calendar
- Wastebasket/recycling bins
Paper-Holding Trays
These will serve as your in-basket and out-basket, with one or
two others for work-in-progress support papers and/or your "read
and review" stack. The most functional trays are the side-facing
letter or legal stackable kinds, which have no "lip" on them to
keep you from sliding out a single piece of paper.
Plain Paper
You'll use plain paper for the initial collection process. Believe it
or not, putting one thought on one full-size sheet of paper can
have enormous value. Although most people will wind up pro-
cessing their notes into some sort of list organizer, a few will actu-
ally stick with the simple piece-of-paper-per-thought system. In
any case, it's important to have plenty of letter-size writing paper
or tablets around to make capturing ad hoc input easy.