a view from afar

Well, kinda.

I've been following the Getting Things Done process for a month or so now, and it has pretty much transformed the way I work. I've bought pretty much every intray Tesco has had in stock - twice - and stacked up with foolscap files and white labels. I can say I am never wanting of anything from Staples, because I bought half the shop last time I was in there.

But the relatively small cash investment has already paid itself back in time at least five times over.

I think one of the biggest wins is that I can sit down at my desk and everything I need to start working on something is right in front of me. Not only that, but I can see it. Previously, everything was right in front of me, because everything I owned was right in front of me. Exactly what was visible was decided by (a) what was put down last and (b) which piles of crap have toppled over somewhere I can't be bothered cleaning up.

It's refreshing to be in a situation where if I sit down at my desk for four hours, I get twice as much done (maybe a little more) than if I sat down for two hours. Before, it would take me two hours just to get my head together long enough to figure out what to do.

I did an photo of this but not nothing but stick for it. Workplace bullying is a crime, you know... Neil??? Some people just don't get irony. Although having said, if people who know me don't get my sense of humour, there's little hope for the rest of humanity.

The basic rules I think are:

• split your in- and out-trays into as many sections as you can: I've got five in-trays and five out-trays, not all in use at any one time. The main ones are my general inbox and accounts inbox. Accounts is just a dumping ground for receipts, statements etc that need entering at some point. I find it's easier to keep them seperate because the actions they require are pretty predictable. My out-trays are Take to work for things I need on any given day (always put car keys in here at night) and a tray for returning things I borrowed.
• get a filing cabinet: I'm forced to stack files vertically in a drawer, and it's pain
• only keep on your desk what you need: I've got a drawer for things I use semi-regular. If you haven't used it in the last 24 hours, put it away!
• keep paper handy: I've got an A4 and A5 pad on my desk all the time, and even an A7 notepad by my bed. It's amazing how many things you think of just before you fall asleep. This one extends outside the office though, I keep one in my car.
• Make a space for anything you need regularly: I've got a metal tray I keep my iPod, watch, keys, etc in. Stuff I need to grab on the way out. This way it they don't get scattered everywhere.

All this means, though, that my desk is in a constant state of 5% untidy - ie, I've got the things I need right now where I can grab them. The work just flows from one box to the next (or one folder to the next on my computer), and it feels less like I'm doing it, and more like my furniture is doing it, and I am just putting it in the right place.