YOUR Hacks- Office Space Organization

Reg says on July 3rd, 2006 at 9:34 am

Okay, mine is kinda silly but it works for me. Inside the closet door I hang one of those tacky plastic shoe pouch things. They’re terrible for holding shoes, but great for everything else like staple boxes, staplers, tape, tape dispensers, scissors,stamps,index cards, envelopes. Well, you get the idea.
Reg

jeff says on July 3rd, 2006 at 10:05 am

I am a big fan of GTD w/ gmail. One element of GTD is the tickler file. I finally figured out how to maintain an effective tickler system with GTD w/ gmail. Using my gcal is an obvious solution, but the volume of reminder I need make a mess of my calendar. I simple created a secondary gmail account, and use that calendar exclusively for my reminders. Using the POP forwarding feature I forward all reminder e-mail generated by the secondary gcal to my primary gmail address. I created a filter in my primary gmail account that captures the incoming reminders and stars them. It works really great! In addition, using the “add event details” option when composing a new message, I don’t event have to login to the secondary accout to set up a new reminder. I just send an e-mail with the event information from my primary to my secondary gmail account.

Jeff

Ernie Oporto says on July 3rd, 2006 at 10:30 am

Rule number one. No piles of paper anywhere that can be seen from the desk. If its magazines, take them home. In fact, if you can unsubscribe from the paper edition, get a PDF copy. If you can’t read them all, skim the articles for what you might be interested and skip the rest. If you find yourself skimmimg more than reading, it is likely that you can get that information somewhere else and it’s time to cancel that subscription.

Any other types of paper should be filed away. Scan it if you have to. A good snanner that won’t take up valuable desk space is the Visioneer Strobe XP100. I sit it at the very edge of my desk so that it takes up practically no space since it is long and thin. The software detects when you insert a sheet so there is no need to start up the software manually.
http://orders.visioneer.com/it.....0-0493-600

A pile looks back at you, anxiously waiting for you to do something with it. It is a reminder of something unfinished which you are not handling right now. A clear desk helps clear your mind for the task at hand. A pile should not be your reminder to do things. For reminders I recommend a calendar based solution that only exposes you to so much info at a time. Why overwhelm yourself looking at a month’s worth of time? GCal has a very flexible system that can conform to almost anyone’s needs. I’ve found the tips and tricks onm this site to be really helpful.

Christopher Penn, Financial Aid Podcast says on July 3rd, 2006 at 10:43 pm

Get a smaller desk.

Seriously.

I did – I downsized my executive desk in favor of a small workstation-style desk.

Smaller desk = less room for crap to build up before you have to do something about it.

Christopher S. Penn
Daily financial aid internet radio on demand, no iPod required
http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com
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Dave says on July 4th, 2006 at 12:27 am

Change your IN box to an OUT box. People aren’t as likely to dump whatever they want to get rid of if they have to 1) ask, “Where’s your IN box?”, 2) leave it on your chair where it can’t be hidden by other papers or 3) use your OUT box.

Making the change also shifts your perception because you realize that you do accomplish tasks and projects and the OUT box represents reaching a goal.

Paul Lagasse says on July 4th, 2006 at 12:28 pm

If you work at home and your office doubles as a recreational space (or other non-work use), buy a rolling cart for your files, etc. and roll it into a closet with everything in it at the end of the work day.

Not only does this free up space, but it compels you to work “cleaner” and more efficiently. You tend to generate and use fewer files because everything you take out of the cart you know you have to put back — and everything has to fit on it.

Kim says on July 5th, 2006 at 1:36 pm

I have migrated toward using a portable hard drive. I am moving more and more onto a portable hard drive that goes everywhere with me. I carry my photo’s, my digital wallet, and my other important files and documents. I also have the software tools I need installed as portable apps on this drive. This way, my desk moves where I do. If you have something you want to remember, record it digitally in a diary, to-do list. I also send myself email if I am not where I can record a note.