43 Folders is Merlin Mann’s website about finding the time and attention to do your best creative work.

Hello.

43 Folders was launched by Merlin Mann on Wednesday, September 1, 2004 with an introductory post whose improbable title suggested that productivity can be like sausage; no one likes seeing it discussed at length on the internet by middle-aged men.

The site continues to evolve, grow, contract, expand, recede, explode, go dark, go weird, go personal, and even occasionally reinvent itself — all depending on where Merlin’s interest, attention, and obsessions find him at a given time. But, in fairness, they are his obsessions, and he owns that.

What’s Here

Right now, 43 Folders is focused on an arc about how to improve the quality of your career and life by managing your attention in a way that allows you to work your ass off on the creative projects that matter most to you.

No Tourists, Please

We hope very much that you find things here that will help you do and make the things that matter to you, but 43 Folders is no replacement for actual work. Please do not use 43 Folders as an excuse to procrastinate. That would be so ironically unwholesome as to stagger the mind.

Don’t let us catch you dicking around here all day, okay? Okay, then.

But, Where to Start?

If you’re new here, there are a few dependable places to begin scratching around:

• How to Use 43 Folders. A blindingly fast way to find what you need. So you can get back to making things. After all, this isn’t your lodge hall.
• The Home Page. Latest articles, news, and information on 43Folders.com
• RSS Feed. Basically it’s our Home Page — but in a handy, to-go box.
• Recently Popular. Recent articles that visitors have read the most times.
• All-Time Popular. Articles that have been read the most times since 43Folders.com launched in September, 2004.

So, Now What?

If you’re still here, you should probably get back to work.

But, if you’re looking for things to click on, you can learn more about Merlin, his uneventful bio, his other stuff, the questions he answers a lot, or, most importantly, you can learn how to give him lots of American money to speak at your company. He’s really good at it, and it will make your employees happy and less likely to chase you into a castle while brandishing torches and pitchforks.

You can also send Merlin email, but mostly he really wishes you wouldn’t. Unless, of course, you’re trying to give him lots of American money to speak at your company. In which case, you should totally email him right now.