MOTPM is an excellent book. I have very little use for Malcom Gladwell, but in the case of that review, he did an okay job of summarizing one half of the book’s thesis, and some of the (very thorough) research.

The other half is a set of design principles for technologies that would replace paper. Things like two-handed navigation, and having more than one surface for writing and for reading, because you hold things you’re reading and things you’re writing on at different angles.

i have the same trouble with time boundaries— i kind of work throughout the day and then, out of guilt, i kind of work through my “relax time”. the end result: i don’t go to sleep relaxed like my 9-5 friends who have a natural time boundary in their days.

Don’t you love reading about people who are hyper-organised? Especially when you’re doing the reading in what should be down-time, in an effort to not have another “sort-of” working day like that just gone.

Neat to see this popping up. I was using Ternouth’s method before hearing about GTD. It works great for desk, paper-based work, but does not appear to be well suited for, say, remembering to change the oil in the car while out on errands.

My current system is a hybrid of PigPog using the Hipster and Ternouth’s for paper handling.

Most of my projects which require support material need just one or two pages, so it doesn’t make sense to create a project support folder for it: just pop the sheets into a cover slip and throw into the stack.

It’s also a really good idea to limit one’s self to one project at a time - saves so much on lost and mis-filed papers. His suggestion of a “current project” box works great for me.

I’ve been working that way for weeks now - it’s really pretty smooth.

Americans probably aren’t familiar with the “transparent coverslips” mentioned in the article. They are far superior to manila folders for most purposes. I’ve only ever seen them in A4 size (outside the US) however — US office supplies stores only seem to stock manila folders or “transparent sheet protectors” of flimsy plastic for holding single sheets in 3-ring binders.

I believe the “coverslips” in the article are made of fairly heavy-duty transparent plastic (about the same thickness as a report cover, not the flimsy stuff used for “sheet protectors”). In Japan they can be found in a variety of colors. They are closed along the left and bottom edges, only open on the top and right.

They are very handy if you keep summary pages, travel itineraries, etc. on top of the folder contents — no need to open the folder to see the most important bits.

I haven’t found a source for these yet in the US (even for A4 sized paper) though I haven’t looked very hard. Letter sized paper will fit, but not optimally, and the A4 sized folders won’t fit in drawers designed for letter sized folders.

[UP

[For whatever reason — probably unconscious familiarity — I still prefer the esthetics of letter-sized paper, but it is frustrating that the US is just about the only place in the world not using rational, standard paper sizes.]

Brilliant sleuthing! Thanks, Wrex. I’m going to grab a few of these.

Sources:

• Amazon
• Froogle (alternate)
• OfficeMax

I found the U.S. equivalent of “cover slips” at my local Office Depot under the name “Clear Project Files”. They aren’t as sturdy as the A4 ones I had years back, but they’re certainly usable for the system Ternouth describes. Packages of 10 for $5 USD in either transparent or mixed colors.

Re: << “coverslips” in the article are made of fairly heavy-duty transparent plastic (about the same thickness as a report cover, not the flimsy stuff used for “sheet protectors”). In Japan they can be found in a variety of colors. >>

My highest recommendation goes to model A-10 made by ITOYA, entitled “See-Thu FileHolder (tm).” I keep a stack of about 30 of them next to my inbox. They are excellent collection “bins” for paper of assorted sizes. Annotated sticky notes (with next actions indicated) are clearly visible, and also serve as temporary file tabs.

If there is need for further archiving after the task is completed, the stuff in these “FileHolders” gets transfered into the traditional stiff paper folders.

The idea is to reuse these FileHolders after quick execution (of less than project grade stuff ;-)

Here’s another option I was able to locate at Grand & Toy here in Toronto: Acco/Wilson Jones Project Folders

The full-text New Yorker article “The Social Life of Paper” is available via LexisNexis Academic online database service. Check with local public or college library for access.

KeyNote

I’m trying to keep it paperless myself but the concepts are good ones… you can organize keynote in a similar way…

Life-saving stuff here…

Hi guys -

I devised the system (over more than twenty years) because I am the ultimate excitable multi-tasker. I am not happy unless surrounded by piles of paper (and three keyboards) that I can put my hand on instantly and switch from one thing to another. I first sketched it out when I had a job as Deputy Director of Operational Control for a large group of hospitals. Half my job was strategic planning over a ten year time scale: the other half was operational and included running a payroll of 15,000 staff. People who didn’t get paid properly wouldn’t sit down and write polite letters and wait a few weeks for a response - they turned up outside my office with a brick in their hand. So metaphorically I had to devise a method of clearing my desk instantly before it was covered with shards of glass from the window. At the end of each day I am buzzing with ideas and find it difficult to wind down for even the few minutes that the end-of-day review requires, but I have trained myself to think of it in the same light as cleaning my teeth. It’s a chore, but hell, it makes the next morning taste better.

Very happy to receive correspondence: there are many other aspects to the system that I have refined for my own specific purposes that may be of interest.

Kind regards

Something very much like a coverslip (letter-sized) is packaged by Avery as a QL119.

The main difference between the Avery product and the ideal coverslip is the ability to store them in a three-ring binder (something I have only seen in the US).

Have fun!

Check out the “Job Bags” on this page. Anyone know of anything like this that you can order online?

http://www.multifile.com.au/multiplan.html

Link: Impressive paper-based project management workflow

Impressive paper-based project management workflow
These are both things that I’d like to get much better at. Working at home, I have a habit of half-assing through the working hours of the …

Paper-based project workflow

43Folders points to a thread about paper-based project workflow. Very interesting, and I wish it was easy for me to do the “end of day” ritual and to focus on one task. I’m an “excitable multi-tasker” as 43Folders says, and the system does seem a bit…

Remaindered Links

Common Errors In English - This pleases my English teacherly heart. Impressive Paper-Based Project Management Workflow - For those with time-management issues (like myself), this site and this post in particular could be a godsend. 11 Steps To A Better…

Remaindered Links: 2005-05-31

Common Errors In English - This pleases my English teacherly heart. Impressive Paper-Based Project Management Workflow - For those with time-management issues (like myself), this site and this post in particular could be a godsend. 11 Steps To A Better…