Many people struggle with feeling overwhelmed in their daily work lives. Getting and staying organized is vitally important to continued success. In this article by Meggin McIntosh, “The Ph.D. of Productivity”™ and Paper Tiger Expert, Meggin lays out a creative way using “The 3 Folders” to easily prioritize your work, greatly reduce the stress in your life, and de-clutter your desk. Many thanks to Meggin for this valuable contribution to help us get back to ‘just whelmed’ and be able to get things done to feel more productive and accomplished. Meggin also recommends Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management to get everything in your life organized — it’s not just for filing paper.
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You know perfectly well when the overwhelm is present in your life. It shows on your desk, in your piles of to-do’s, in your in-box, and in your brain. Here are the symptoms:
-Your desk is covered.
-Your in-box is full.
-You get things out of your in-box or tickler file and shuffle through them, and then put them right back where they came from – with no action being taken, whatsoever.
-You feel stressed, frantic, and sometimes almost paralyzed by not knowing where to start or what to do.
This, of course, leads to even less productivity – and more overwhelm. I want to share an idea that I discovered for MY OWN USE when I was paralyzed in this way (and I still use it on occasion). I hope it helps you, too.
The 3 Folders
When I’m overwhelmed (and engaging in the behaviors in the list above), I get out my 3 special folders. You can label your folders any way you want, but these are the three I have labeled and use:
-Red folder: Today/This Week
-Yellow folder: Current Month
-Blue folder: Whenever/If Ever
These three categories are ones that seem to be helpful when I need to do a rough ‘sort’ (vs. a refined sort). They are meant to provide some sense of order and control over what is feeling completely out-of-control and disorderly.
When It’s Time to Use the 3 Folders, Here’s How:
The 3-folders strategy is not for everyday use…it is for for times when it feels like you are in an emergency state. Here’s how to implement the strategy, when needed:
1. Clear off the top of your desk or credenza so that you have a place to lay out three separate piles (categories).
2. Place the red (today/this week), yellow (current month), and blue (whenever/if ever) folders in the space you have cleared.
3. Pick up the first pile of things that represent your to-do’s and start sorting. You can actually sort quickly because you are in a crisis and so you KNOW you have to make tough decisions.
4. ONLY put something in the red (today/this week) folder if there are serious consequences if it doesn’t get done. If you jam everything back into that folder, you haven’t helped yourself at all – and you’re not in touch with reality, either.
5. Keep sorting through whatever it is that is stressing you out – folders, papers, brochures, or anything else that feels like it has an ‘action’ attached.
6. One you are finished, put the piles into their respective folders. Put the yellow and blue folders away (off your desk).
7. Take what is in the red folder out and get started. You’ve identified what is in there as needing to be done today, tomorrow, or this week (however it is you think about it). So get going. These are your top items and you don’t need to be working on – or even looking at – anything else.
I find that I have an incredible sense of purpose and relief once I’ve prepared the red folder and tend to be able to work with a fair amount of speed and focus. It feels great!
You Want to Have These Folders Ready When You Need Them
The first time I created these folders, I was already in a melt-down mode and luckily, since my office resembles an office supply store, I was able to rustle up what I needed. You may not have what you need, so I recommend that you take steps now to be ready…just in case.
Go to your favorite office supply store or just order online. My preference is to use the 5 1/2 inch expandable file folders (vs. a flimsy and small regular folder) – and you can buy packets of 5 different colors at Office Depot.
Once you get your folders, label them with three separate words or phrases, similar to what I use or come up with your own categories.
If you’re in a melt-down and need them now, then put them to use. If you are doing just fine, then put these 3 folders away, knowing that you might need them someday. You’ll be so happy to have them prepared and ready for you…next time you need them.
And if you know the paralysis that sometimes comes when you are completely overwhelmed and you’re seeking ways to be ‘just whelmed,’ then I hope you’ll take advantage of the free weekly suggestions and ideas I send out to those (worldwide) who belong to the ‘just whelmed’ group. Just go to
**I Want to Be Just Whelmed, (http://www.JustWhelmed.com)
If you would prefer quick, short weekly tips, then the following site is another place to find suggestions and other tools to support you in your quest for peaceful productivity (free):
**Top Ten Productivity Tips, (http://www.TopTenProductivityTips.com)
(c) 2009 by Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., “The Ph.D. of Productivity”(tm). Through her company, Emphasis on Excellence, Inc., Meggin McIntosh changes what people know, feel, dream, and do. Sound interesting? It is!
Article Source: By Meggin McIntosh, http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Meggin_McIntosh
Tags: Organize, paper filing systems, Productivity
