Les Jones

Misc > Organizational Habits?

So I'm reading a recent Phil Greenspun piece that mentions time management strategies, and it got me thinking about what organizational and time management habits I've tried. I'm not the world's most organized person, but I mostly get along OK. Here are the things that have worked for me:

• Using calendars and reminders, which nowadays at work is Outlook.
• Using to-do lists. I like scratching items off the list and seeing what I've finished.
• Related to to-do lists, having a whiteboard in the office and at home. The kitchen whiteboard is also where we keep the grocery list and leave messages and reminders for each other.
• Using money management software (Quicken) to keep track of checks, deposits, and recurring expenses, then using the reports to prepare taxes.
• As much as possible, having a place for everything - bookshelf, toolbox, filing cabinet, mail inbox, screw cabinet, etc. - so I know where to put it and where to find it.

One of the niftier tips I ever read was to have a place for semi-keepsakes. Things like greeting cards, movie tickets, etc. Stuff that's not so great that you'd want to frame it, but that has just enough sentimental value that you kinda hate to crumple it up, toss it in the wastebasket, and yell "two points!" Melissa and I use that trick to pack away clutter and bits of paper that would otherwise skulk around on horizontal surfaces for years. I put mine in a cookie tin; she uses a drawer.

What tips do you use to keep organized, on time, and decluttered?