Keeping Organized

Fat Folders

One of the best ideas I've heard of so far to clear your desk of clutter and paper quickly is to use the "Fat Folder" technique.

Take a normal manila folder and begin quickly to put in it any paper, publication, report, etc in it. Don't stop to make any judgement about whether you need to act on it or trash it, just put in in the folder. As you put each item in, write a brief description at the bottom of the front of the folder. This way, you'll be creating an index of what you have in the folder. The item in the farthest back will be at the bottom of the front of the folder. The item at the top of the pile will be at the top of your list.

After quickly clearing your desk of all paper items this way, you can eliminate your cluttered desk top to one or two "fat" folders. Now you can easily search of the needed items by simply checking the index. You also can put in your planner a time set aside to clean out the folder by either acting on it, filing it in a more permanent location, or trashing it. This technique will allow you to clear your desk, reduce your stress, and focus on only the item that you want to act on next.

When you decide to wade through your list, you can use the ABC labeling technique to help you decide what is most urgent. Never work from a pile on your desk. Usually the most important items are lost in the stack or on the bottom!

Try it and let me know how it works for you.