(Time to read: About 1 minute)
Filing is the process of putting things away so we can find them again when we need or want them. It can also be one of the most boring tasks on the planet. So it’s important to make it as easy and fun as possible.
When I file, I know exactly what to do with about 95% of the items. And then there’s that other 5% that just doesn’t seem to have an easy and natural home.
When I hit one of those papers, it can stop me in my tracks – like hitting a wall.
So I’ve developed a secret weapon: it’s called the ??? box.
It’s the place I put anything I don’t immediately know what to do with, so I can maintain my momentum and get the easy stuff put away.
At the end of my filing session, I go back through my ??? box and see if I now have clarity where to put any of these papers, in which case I file them. The rest of the papers go back in the ??? box for next time.
I use this practice with all types of items – papers, emails, physical objects. Oddly enough, I personally don’t need to use it with softcopy files, but it certainly could be used there too.
Would it help you maintain momentum to have more ??? boxes?
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