A simple, easy, cheap way to fight the clutter that appears on your desk.

I recently stumbled onto a new workday trick that keeps my desk cleaner and my mind clearer.

You know those little notes you write to yourself? The phone numbers, the URLs, the “call John Doe” reminder, the quick “don’t forget” notes…all those nagging loose ends that clutter the paper surfaces of a desk?

I used to scribble down quick notes to myself on whatever piece of paper that was lying around. This caused problems for several reasons: later, I couldn’t find what information I needed; I often couldn’t read my writing or figure out what a note meant; and often I accidentally tossed something I needed, or was reluctant to toss a note because I didn’t know if I needed it.

Now I have a “scratch paper for the day.” I keep a pad of paper by the phone, and anytime I have the urge to make a note to myself, I discipline myself only to use that pad of paper.

At the end of the day, I toss the piece of paper, after copying anything I need to keep.

I’m amazed at how much difference it has made in my sense of order. I’m not surrounded by illegible scribbles that may or may not be critically important.

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I rarely manage to post a link that relates to my own post for the day, but today I pull off this feat of relevancy -- check out Ian's Messy Desk.

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Comments

[Stacy]

It has made a huge difference for me to keep all those jottings in a running notepad file on my computer. I am in front of the computer all the time, anyway, so why bring paper and pen into the mix? I named the file "notes," and it sits on my Windows desktop, right in the middle. It is a running list of to-do's, meeting notes, and reminders. When things are finished, outdated, or no longer make sense, I just delete them. Best of all, I always know where to find my notes.

[Ian McKenzie]

Thanks for the link Gretchen. As much as I keep a notebook near me, I still grab scraps of paper when I'm in a rush. I need to work on my personal discipline. That and clear the scraps of paper from my desk. ;)

[Mrs. Micah]

Hmm. My home desk is pretty clean because it's also a sewing table. But then I rarely use it.

At work, I use a mid-sized notepad they gave me with company logo on it. Each time I've written down an item, I draw a line underneath to separate it from the next. I use both sides then stick it in my drawer in case I need a number later. So I try to write meaningful info for later deciphering. And if it's something that needs to be done, I put a check mark next to it when complete.

But I hadn't thought about trying that at home. Should give it a go. :-)

[CB]

My mother worked as a secretary (before being allowed to join "management" as a PR person). She always had a steno pad by her. She added a new date as appropriate. When one was full, she started another. All the information she jotted down was in one place and never got lost.

[LaurieM]

At work, I have a log book for all this and when something is done, it gets checked off. It helps me track whats on going.

[Keter]

I use a lovely little app called Cute Reminder (cutereminder.com) that puts a tiny mouse-over slide-out on the right side of the screen and lets me make "sticky" notes on my Windows desktop with one click. Since I typically am at the computer at the times I need to make a note, this is very useful because it lets me capture info on the fly, and decide where it goes later, when I have time to think about it. Periodically, I move the notes to where they belong by just copying and pasting the text into the appropriate file or organizer.

I use the daily scratch pad idea a little more formally: I devote a page a day in a spiral pad, and on that page I track to-dos and anything that came up (random ideas, conversations in the hall, business cards, etc.) when I was away from the computer. I mark off items as they are accomplished or put where they belong. At the end of each day, I review what's left, move random info into proper locations, update statuses on to-dos, and prepare the next day's page by propagating forward all next actions. Anything left undone is also propagated forward, with the date of inception (when I knew I needed to do the task) and the date I want to have the task complete. It takes about 5-15 minutes a day to manage the information flow.

[Annie Boccio]

I've been doing almost the exact same thing for awhile now. I've tried other methods but the one piece of paper per day method is what I always come back to. I easily forget to check back on notes I've taken on the computer, but paper works because it's like purposeful clutter, and I hate clutter! It feels good to finish it off and start with a clean sheet each day.

[Beth]

I am in love with this: (http://www.vickerey.com/prh900.html). A coworker came back from a conference with several vendor-swag notepads, and I went looking for something on the same concept line but more elegant. Likewise, I use one sheet per day, and taking the time to decide what gets transferred over and what gets thrown away gives me a nice self-check-in break at the end of the day, allowing me to leave the office with peace of mind.

I also keep a little notebook in my purse and let notes run for a week, and do the tidying up on the weekend. I indulge a bit of paper fetish here; when I find a notebook with an interesting paper texture or color, or a nice hand feel, I buy it and toss it in a basket on my desk and then when one is used up I have another handy. Instead of throwing them away, I put at least a few of the daily and weekly pages in a folder to be used as "random script surface" collage materials for art projects in the way that some people use vintage letters. The pages are pretty and interesting out of context, and it's fun to go back and re-read the notes I was scribbling six months or a year ago.

This makes practice me happy on so many levels - the tactile/sensual pleasure of paper and ink, freedom from worry about what I might have lost or forgotten, a genuinely practical and meaningful excuse to indulge in impulse buying in moderation, a beautiful workspace, aesthetically interesting reuse of something no longer useful, revisiting memory... just all kinds of wonderful!

[James O'Malley]

Great tip! Here are some other ways you can clean up your clutter!
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/clear-your-clutter-in-six-steps.html

[Zia Hassan]

I love jott.com. It's a service that lets you call up a number, say a thought/idea, and then it transcribes it and keeps it on a list on your account. Or it sends a reminder as a text message. It's really great for when you're driving and want to write something down but you don't want to crash :)

[Ron Lankshear]

I like the concept - one pad - then I won't lose the scraps that I use....
At end of day - you copy anything needed - BUT TO WHAT?

[Rolf F. Katzenberger]

If you prefer paper, try out the online tool PocketMod http://www.pocketmod.com/.

It lets you drag & drop weekly calendars, lists and various types of notepaper onto a blank letter format sheet and prints it with folding marks so you can turn it to a nice 8-page booklet.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Ah, copying information to what...that's the tricky part. Address/email information I put in my computerized address book. "To-do" things I try to DO or if not, put on a clean, official looking piece of paper that will be compulsive inthe morning. By the end of the day, however, usually it is just gibberish to me, and I throw it away with no recollection of why I wrote what I wrote.

[Ella]

I hate to be a shill, but I love Levenger's Circa system, which is what replaced my "system" of post-it notes scattered throughout my office and home. I have a big notebook with sections for various parts of my life (client work/kids and schools/personal/etc) and each has a plastic pocket for loose papers (receipts, permission slips, business cards). I take it everywhere. When I'm done with a page or set of pages (notes from a meeting, e.g.), it pulls out neatly (none of the confetti you get with a spiral notebook) and goes into the appropriate folder in my office. Each month I start a new notebook and file what is left of the old one, which is very satisfying.

[Ella]

I hate to be a shill, but I love Levenger's Circa system, which is what replaced my "system" of post-it notes scattered throughout my office and home. I have a big notebook with sections for various parts of my life (client work/kids and schools/personal/etc) and each has a plastic pocket for loose papers (receipts, permission slips, business cards). I take it everywhere. When I'm done with a page or set of pages (notes from a meeting, e.g.), it pulls out neatly (none of the confetti you get with a spiral notebook) and goes into the appropriate folder in my office. Each month I start a new notebook and file what is left of the old one, which is very satisfying.

[Jen]

I like your post, and do a version of this. I use an 8.5 x 11 pad, and each day I list my 'to do's' allowing one line per each. I also write down things I want to remember, or notes as 'to do's' if they need to be transferred somewhere else. At the end of the day I transfer any thing that needs to be transferred to my contact list, or to my saved Internet favorites page (I use Xerpi.com for this), and any remaining non-transferred items I just leave. The next morning I build a new list for the day, and start with any non-resolved ones from the day before. Since I started doing this a few months ago, I have found that I stay more organized and in the moment because I know that I can just jot random thoughts or information from phone calls down immediately and deal with them later.

[Jen]

I like your post, and do a version of this. I use an 8.5 x 11 pad, and each day I list my 'to do's' allowing one line per each. I also write down things I want to remember, or notes as 'to do's' if they need to be transferred somewhere else. At the end of the day I transfer any thing that needs to be transferred to my contact list, or to my saved Internet favorites page (I use Xerpi.com for this), and any remaining non-transferred items I just leave. The next morning I build a new list for the day, and start with any non-resolved ones from the day before. Since I started doing this a few months ago, I have found that I stay more organized and in the moment because I know that I can just jot random thoughts or information from phone calls down immediately and deal with them later.

[Jen]

I like your post, and do a version of this. I use an 8.5 x 11 pad, and each day I list my 'to do's' allowing one line per each. I also write down things I want to remember, or notes as 'to do's' if they need to be transferred somewhere else. At the end of the day I transfer any thing that needs to be transferred to my contact list, or to my saved Internet favorites page (I use Xerpi.com for this), and any remaining non-transferred items I just leave. The next morning I build a new list for the day, and start with any non-resolved ones from the day before. Since I started doing this a few months ago, I have found that I stay more organized and in the moment because I know that I can just jot random thoughts or information from phone calls down immediately and deal with them later.

[Pamela]

This also happens to me when I'm in a rush and couldn't find anything decent to write on. We can't avoid those instances where we misplace something like paper.

[Pharm46]

Very nice site!

[Evelyn]

I had a major sticky note compulsion. I'd even start writing on one as soon as I pick up the phone, as I have an issue with short-term memory.

Now, I keep my sticky note pads off my desk and only use them to attach a note to something I'm sending interoffice, etc. Everything I would have put on sticky notes (which I also tended to misplace), I now put in a composition notebook that I keep on my desk. Problem solved! That notebook could last me quite a while and I know I have the information there if I ever need it (as I'm still a lil paranoid about losing info from my post-it infested days).

[Helen]

I always have a scratch paper near the phone, but there are times when it's not around and it usually happens when I'm in a hurry.

[Zia]

Well, come to think of it, it is a great idea. I will definitely make use of this method. Thanks!

[HP van Duuren]

Thanks for reminding me, and letting me 're-discover' this technique.

I actually have a special Pen Holder a "path" with two little 'note blocks' on it. Now I discoved that I hardly ever use it because I had it standing beside my 'other phone'. (the one I hardly ever use other than using the 'Answering Machine' facility on it that I basically only use to turn it 'on' or 'off'.)

So now I have put it standing beside the phone I usually actually really use!!!

So once again thanks for reminding me, giving me this little 'boost' of consioussness. :)

Also had a post some time ago about becomming 'Neathly Oranised' you can find it at:

http://hpshappy.blogspot.com/2007/06/happy-to-be-neatly-organized.html

All the Best,
HP

[Chris McConnell]

I work for a photography studio, along with notes in their profiles on our scheduling software, we use a notebook beside the phone. Every message or call gets written down, name, phone, and any relevant information(hopefully not too obscure). Once whatever task there may be is carried out, it gets crossed off the list.