Inbox whittled down

My Desk 2006-03-01

I’m excited! I’ve just finished re-reading through “Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity“, and for the past hour or so, I went through the rest of my inbox! (It’s the basket.) I didn’t completely process it the correct way, because you still see items in it. Here’s my reasons for now:

  1. I was processing from 9pm to 10:30pm, so I was really tired!
  2. The rest of the things are reference material that I need to file away, but they don’t have a place yet.
  3. The CDs are too bulky to put into my tickler file, and I didn’t want to get up for the one music CD that can be stored in the bedroom

Remember: Just one item at a time. That definitely helped keep me going when I was processing.

I don’t trust my system yet because it’s not easy to create new file folders, and my filing drawer is really stuffed. Well, to me it is. And, of course, my inbox isn’t just an inbox – it’s housing reference material.

Wait, I just had an epiphany! If I know the rest of the stuff is just reference material, I should just put it all in a small box until I can file it. Then, I should add “File reference material” to my next actions list. That way, my inbox can be at zero, and I’ll get around to filing those things. Yes!

Published by

Bryan Villarin

Bryan works at Automattic. Cat whisperer. Sometimes, a photographer and card magician.

Talk to me, Goose

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