Paper is the Enemy
Hello, my name is Chopper, and I'm a paper-holic. My office has become unmanageable.It would be one thing if I cracked open a new ream of high quality cotton bond just to smell the starches and trace my fingers over the fine white surface, but I don't. Not at all. In fact, for me any paper will do, credit offers, old business cards, even toilet paper. It's only about quantity of information storage. Each of these precious papers becomes a perverse palimpsest of critical information. I then pile the often torn scraps on my desk, my floor, all around me, and I cling to the insane belief that on each of these bits of trash there is somehow indelibly recorded some minutiae of critical information.
A Nigerian proverb states, "the leech that does not let go even when it is filled, dies on the dry land." I am that leech, but I'm learning. I'm giving up my office. It's the only thing that can break my addiction-- to let go of the holder for my precious hoard of jumbled thoughts. I've been trying out a portable office idea for the past few weeks, moving from coffee shop, to library, to bread store, etc. From here on out, I have a briefcase as my only refuge, thus effectively limiting my paper intake.
The home office is getting torn down today.
Tip: Ctrl-Alt-Left
That's right, it doen't do anything... yet. Find a fast-loading information accepting program. I use Notepad. Create a shortcut to it somewhere (the one in the Start menu works fine), right-click and choose Properties. Make your shortcut key ctrl-alt-left. This points toward the letter side of the keypad so that it's easy to remember.
I've done the same thing for a calculator (ctrl-alt-right), file explorer (ctrl-alt-down), and Internet browser (ctrl-alt-up).
How does this help? Any time you need to write something down, just press ctrl-alt-left and type it instead. Save it in the default directory (likely My Documents) with the format YY MM DD Description.txt. It takes less time then finding something to write on, is searchable, and doesn't clutter your desk.
Of course my desk is covered in paper, but very little of it is random notes. If you know a way of minimizing CAD markups, reports, and commissioning forms let me know.
Good tip.
I use UltraEdit for such purposes now, without the shortcut, but I love actually jotting notes on paper. It gives me comfort, as if it will be more permanently recorded and stand out more than if I jot it in a computer file. It's not true in the slightest, of course, which is why I'm switching to your method. I also have stacks of filing, but I've realized that scanning those pages and sticking them on a file server with some searchable descriptive metadata is much more effective than my filing cabinet. I'm aiming for a paper-free environment, except as a temporary medium for brainstorming.
Well I can still see the floor of my office, which is kind of a good thing (if you like the color of the carpet, which I don't so it's also a bad thing). I have realized that I'm acting like my manager. He grabs any small piece of paper, like a Post-it and scribbles it full of notes. I'm starting a collection of blue Post-its on my desk with little tidbits mentioned on them. World, your tip will save me if I remember to do it. Thank you! Sorry I rambled.
You should really save your post-its for drawings of cats.
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True. They can also be used for this.
And this or this (which is done like this).