Great Apps to Check Out for Getting Things Done
Apple has brought together a helpful collection of some of the best apps for getting things done:
- iPhone apps (opens in iTunes)
- iPad apps (opens in iTunes)
What I use:
- Keeping track of notes/ideas: Evernote
- Capturing quick notes when Evernote feels too cumbersome: Apple Notes (native on the iPhone and iPad — super easy to use)
- Calendar: iCal (native on the iPhone and iPad)
- Action and project lists: OmniFocus or Things
- Action lists, as a helpful supplement: Reminders (native on the iPhone and iPad)
And worth taking a closer look at:
- Things (I used this for a time)
- Remember the Milk
- Do it (Tomorrow): Looks interesting
- Calvetica Calendar: Looks intriguing
- PlainText: Looks as simple as Apple’s Notes app, with the added benefit that you can actually organize things
- MindNode: For mindmapping. Currently I use MindJet MindManager
The Pens You Should Get
Having pens you actually like to use makes all of your work go better. And even though we do so much digitally now, there is still a place for pens because some notes are best captured by hand and, beyond that, there are all sorts of occasions throughout the day when we need to physically write.
One of my pet peeves is pens that are annoying to use. Some pens skip a lot, while other pens leak out too much ink. So a few years ago I bought a bunch of different kinds of pens and compared them to find a pen that I actually like to use.
Here’s what I recommend: Uni-ball Vision Elite Stick Micro Point Roller Ball Pens, 3 Black Ink Pens. (You can also get them in a 24-pack
If you have these, there is no need for any other pen. They are awesome.
For more on why pens matter, the single most important rule in choosing pens, and the qualities of a good pen, see my post on Recommended Pens.
Recommended File Cabinets and Bookshelves
Post 13 in the series: Recommended Productivity Tools
File Cabinets
When it comes to file cabinets, there are two rules:
- Get ones that don’t screech when you open them.
- Get ones where the drawer comes all the way out.
This rules out the Office Depot el cheapo $30 excuses for file cabinets.
But, also at Office Depot, are the Hon 2-drawer and 4-drawer file cabinets. Hon is a decent brand, and their cabinets meet the above criteria. They are more expensive than the $30 excuses, but are the cheapest file cabinets I’ve found that don’t waste your time.
Get 2-drawer or 4-drawer, depending on your needs. Don’t get the lateral ones that go in sideways. Get the ones that go in normally. Here’s the specific one I recommend, in both 2-drawer and 4-drawer options:
Now, I also recommend having some ordinary drawers at your desk, as I went over in the second post in this series. If your desk doesn’t have those built into it, there are some good drawer units that have two ordinary drawers on top, and then one file drawer below.
If that single file drawer gives you enough room for your files, then you don’t need to get an additional 2-drawer unit. Get the 2-drawer unit (or 4-drawer) if you need additional space.
Bookshelves
IKEA has fantastic bookshelves that look nice at a great price. I love IKEA in general for their motto “we’ll never stop making good design affordable” and for generally living up to it.
They’ve captured it well: keeping things affordable doesn’t mean getting ugly stuff. Good design can be obtained at a good price.
Here are the bookshelves that I use from IKEA:
You can also get the shorter 2-shelf unit, or some nice-looking cubed ones:
Conclusion
This brings us to the end of our series on recommended (physical) productivity tools. I will close the way I began: Having good tools matters.
First, because if you have good tools, you will often find yourself wanting to use them. And “one of the best tricks for enhancing your personal productivity is having tools you want to use.” Second, because bad tools get in the way. And third, because good tools in general make your workspace as a whole a place where you want to be.
Don’t be selectively strategic. Make your workspace work well for you in all respects — give it both an efficient setup and effective tools.
Posts in This Series
- Recommended Productivity Tools: An Introduction
- The Tools You Need to Have (And Where to Keep Them)
- Recommended In Boxes
- Recommended Capture Journals
- Recommended Pens
- Recommended Pencils and Paper Pads
- Recommended Staplers, Staple Removers, and Tape
- Recommended Scissors, Letter Openers, and Post-Its
- Recommended Paper Clips and Super Glue
- Not Recommended: Desktop Organizer Things
- Recommended Chairs and Waste Baskets
- Recommended Labelers and File Folders
- Recommended File Cabinets and Bookshelves
Recommended Labelers and File Folders
Post 12 in the series: Recommended Productivity Tools
On Physical Filing
My series on filing is coming up (sorry for the delay). In it I’m going to cover both electronic and physical filing. As a general rule, obviously it makes sense to keep as much as possible electronically and minimize the amount of physical filing that you have to do.
But if you still receive some things made of actual paper that are worth keeping, there is still a need to keep physical files. And so you need to have a decent labeler and some file folders.
Labelers
David Allen has a great paragraph on why having a decent labeler matters. His words here actually illustrate very well the much broader point I’ve made regarding productivity tools in general — namely, that if you have tools that you enjoy using, you will use them more effectively.
Here’s what he says about labelers (on pages 93 and 100 of Getting Things Done):
The labeler is a surprisingly critical tool in our work. Thousands of executives and professionals and homemakers I have worked with now have their own automatic labelers, and my archives are full of their comments, like, “Incredible–I wouldn’t have believed what a difference it makes!” The labeler will be used to label your file folders, binder spines, and numerous other things.
….
Typeset labels change the nature of your files and your relationship to them. Labeled files feel comfortable on a boardroom table; everyone can identify them; you can easily see what they are from a distance in your briefcase; and when you open your file drawers, you get to see what looks almost like a printed index of your files in alphabetical order. It makes it fun to open the drawer to find or insert things.
Perhaps later in this new millennium the brain scientists will give us some esoteric and complex neurological explanation for why labeled files work so effectively. Until then, trust me. Get a labeler. And get your own. To make the whole system work without a hitch, you’ll need to have it at hand all the time, so you can file something whenever you want. And don’t share! If you have something to file and your labeler’s not there, you’ll just stack the material instead of filing it.
I recommend the Brother PT-1750. The reason is: It’s easy to figure out and it works well. Here it is:
There’s just one problem: it appears to have been replaced by a more up to date model, so you can only get it used. The problem with the more up to date model is that it is harder to use. They added some features, and failed to integrate them in a usable way into the interface.
I think its replacement is the Brother PT-1880:
I have this newer version at work because I had to replace my labeler there, and the better earlier model had been discontinued by then.
Label Tape
Along with the labeler, you also need label tape. Get the half inch, black on white tape:
When it comes to label tape or any other supply, remember this principle: Get two. Keep one in use, and the second in with your extra supplies. When the one you are using runs out, grab the one in with the extras and replace it.
In other words: Always keep one extra, and replace it as soon as you use it. That way, you never run out — you’re always one ahead. This same principle works with everything — rock salt (if you have a water softener), furnace filters, everything.
File Folders
Get the third-cut file folders. Third-cut means the tab at the top will be in one of three slots. There is also five-cut, which I don’t recommend because it makes the tabs so small.
The file folders at Office Depot work just fine. Here is an example.
You can get plain ones or colored ones. If you get colored ones, just make sure to have a rhyme and reason to things and keep it simple. I’ll talk more about that in my posts on filing.
Posts in This Series
- Recommended Productivity Tools: An Introduction
- The Tools You Need to Have (And Where to Keep Them)
- Recommended In Boxes
- Recommended Capture Journals
- Recommended Pens
- Recommended Pencils and Paper Pads
- Recommended Staplers, Staple Removers, and Tape
- Recommended Scissors, Letter Openers, and Post-Its
- Recommended Paper Clips and Super Glue
- Not Recommended: Desktop Organizer Things
- Recommended Chairs and Waste Baskets
- Recommended Labelers and File Folders
- Recommended File Cabinets and Bookshelves
Recommended Chairs and Waste Baskets
Post 11 in the series: Recommended Productivity Tools
Chairs
Get a good chair. Depending on how desk-dependent your job is, you may be in your chair six, eight, or more hours a day. It does not make sense to merely get a chair that you can “get by” with. Get a chair that is ergonomically correct and which you enjoy using.
At the other extreme, I’m not recommending that anyone go out and buy an $800 Herman Miller chair. There are some decent middle-of-the road options that I think strike a good balance.
Here’s the chair I prefer:
It looks a bit like a Herman Miller chair, but it’s not. It’s available at Office Depot and is called the “Realspace PRO™ Quantum Recycled Mesh Mid-Back Task Chair.” That’s a mouthful. And the name actually continues: “40 1/2″H x 30 3/10″W x 26 1/5″D, Black Frame, Black Fabric.”
It costs way less than a Herman Miller, but still costs more than most of the other options at Office Depot. Here’s the way I look at it: This chair ought to last me at least eight years–probably much longer. Let’s assume eight years, though. Working 260 days per year, that’s 2,080 working days. That puts the cost at 12.5 cents per day.
Having a chair that works well, is fully adjustable, and that I like to be in is worth 12.5 cents per day.
Waste Baskets
Waste baskets don’t have to be ugly. Here’s the one I have in my office at home:
I like it because the color and wire mesh style fit the rest of the style of my office. The governing principles for productivity tools in general also apply here: if you are going to have a waste basket anyway, you may as well get one that contributes to the overall work environment rather than just getting whatever you find.
Posts in This Series
- Recommended Productivity Tools: An Introduction
- The Tools You Need to Have (And Where to Keep Them)
- Recommended In Boxes
- Recommended Capture Journals
- Recommended Pens
- Recommended Pencils and Paper Pads
- Recommended Staplers, Staple Removers, and Tape
- Recommended Scissors, Letter Openers, and Post-Its
- Recommended Paper Clips and Super Glue
- Not Recommended: Desktop Organizer Things
- Recommended Chairs and Waste Baskets
- Recommended Labelers and File Folders
- Recommended File Cabinets and Bookshelves
Not Recommended: Desk Organizer Things
Post 10 in the series: Recommended Productivity Tools
Avoid desk organizers, such as the one above, at all costs.
Here’s why: They are designed, by nature, to hold things that should not be on your desk in the first place. So the result is that they don’t organize you; instead, they increase clutter.
For example, look at the above organizer. There is a spot for paper clips. But paper clips should not be on your desk. They should be in a drawer (as discussed in the first post).
There is a spot to keep pens and pencils as well — encouraging you to keep several of each on your desk, in fact. But you only need to keep one pen (or, at most, two) right on your desk, and a pencil probably not at all. All extra pens, and pencils, go in the drawer (again, as discussed in my first post). The one pen you keep on your desk just lays flat on the desk. It doesn’t need an organizer.
Keeping more than 2 pens on your desk is generally not necessary and so just serves to clutter your work environment, creating drag. If you do want to use a pen cup, however, then get just an ordinary pen cup that is just a single cup. Don’t get one of those huge organizers, such as above, that takes up all that space. Also, if you do get a pen cup, get a wire mesh one, not a plastic one, because it looks better.
Desk organizer things illustrate one principle really well: Getting organized is not first a matter of having the right “item” to get you organized. Many such items actually just create clutter. Getting organized is first about knowing what tools you need to have and some basic principles for how to arrange them for easy access with minimal clutter.
Posts in This Series
- Recommended Productivity Tools: An Introduction
- The Tools You Need to Have (And Where to Keep Them)
- Recommended In Boxes
- Recommended Capture Journals
- Recommended Pens
- Recommended Pencils and Paper Pads
- Recommended Staplers, Staple Removers, and Tape
- Recommended Scissors, Letter Openers, and Post-Its
- Recommended Paper Clips and Super Glue
- Not Recommended: Desktop Organizer Things
- Recommended Chairs and Waste Baskets
- Recommended Labelers and File Folders
- Recommended File Cabinets and Bookshelves
Recommended Paper Clips and Super Glue
Post 9 in the series: Recommended Productivity Tools
Paper Clips
I acknowledge that I don’t use paper clips much. But I still have a need for them every now and them, so I find it useful to keep them around.
The key point here is not to get the metal ones. There’s no substantial reason for that. It’s just that the vinyl coated ones look a bit nicer and so contribute to a better work environment.
You can get the vinyl coated ones in black or assorted colors.
Super Glue
I have super glue around at home (but not at work) because every once in a while you need it to repair something, and I’ve found my desk drawer as good a place as any to keep it.
The key here, in my view, is not to get odd-shaped, large containers. The small tubes are just fine. You can get instant Krazy glue or Elmer’s Super Glue or Super Glue Gel or any such thing. I have a tube of the Scotch Super Glue Gel and find it works just fine, and doesn’t take up too much room:
Posts in This Series
- Recommended Productivity Tools: An Introduction
- The Tools You Need to Have (And Where to Keep Them)
- Recommended In Boxes
- Recommended Capture Journals
- Recommended Pens
- Recommended Pencils and Paper Pads
- Recommended Staplers, Staple Removers, and Tape
- Recommended Scissors, Letter Openers, and Post-Its
- Recommended Paper Clips and Super Glue
- Not Recommended: Desktop Organizer Things
- Recommended Chairs and Waste Baskets
- Recommended Labelers and File Folders
- Recommended File Cabinets and Bookshelves
Recommended Scissors, Letter Openers, and Post-Its
Post 8 in the series: Recommended Productivity Tools
Scissors
When it comes to scissors, the key need is that they cut well. Also, they should look decent — ugly tools create drag.
There are lots of options to chose from, but I use these Westcott Titanium Scissors, and they work great:
Letter Openers
The first thing to say about letter openers is that you should have one. I never even knew they existed until about 2 years into our marriage, when we went to Africa and bought one as a souvenir. I still use that same one, and it works great.
Anyway, before I knew they existed opening the mail was more work than it had to be. So if you don’t have one, I recommend getting one — even if you don’t get much physical mail any more. Even if you just have to use it once in a while, it is still worth it.
It looks like there’s one that corresponds to the above scissors; in fact, you can get it in a package set with the scissors:
However, that package actually illustrates the type of scissors that I would not get — the scissors you see there is a bigger, bulkier scissors with a weird handle. That’s fine in the kitchen. But for the office, I recommend the smaller scissors — the kind shown earlier. But for the letter opener, the kind shown in that package is fine. Here’s the Amazon link to see it by itself.
Post-Its
When it comes to post-its, there are three things to remember.
First, don’t use them to keep track of action items. Post-its are a poorly organized system for managing what you have to do, let alone prioritizing it. It’s hard to even remember to look at the post-its with various tasks written on them, scattered all over.
So avoid this practice. Manage to-do items in a task management system. Capture them in a journal, such as the moleskine journal I blogged on earlier, or on a paper pad. If you use a paper pad to capture items, tear the sheet off and toss it into your inbox to be processed.
And if you do ever use a post-it to capture an action item, don’t leave it on your desk as a reminder. Toss it into your inbox to be processed, just like anything else.
Now, second, if post-its are not good for managing or capturing to-dos, then what are they for? They are for providing temporary labels.
Now, these temporary labels might consist of or imply action items. But the key here is that you are labeling something, not just using the post-it by itself as an action reminder. You are labeling a stack or something like that which is serving as support material, and the post-it reminds you what it pertains to.
This still does not substitute for using your task management system to manage the wider task that the stack pertains to, if it is longer than a quick action. I’ll give some examples of how I use them to illustrate.
Let’s say I create an expense report and it needs to be signed by someone for approval. I’ll put a post-it on the report saying “sign” and put it in the person’s box. The point of the post-it is that it lets them know what they are supposed to do. As this illustrates, one of the core uses of a post-it is to delegate.
For another example, let’s say I’m at home processing my inbox. In there are two printed out articles that I read and want to keep on file physically at work. In this case, I’ll write on a post-it the category to file them in and stick the post-it on them. Then I’ll put them into my briefcase. When I get to work and pull them out, the post-it tells me right away what to do with them. I don’t have to re-think where they need to be filed.
The third thing to remember when it comes to post-its is the size. Get the ordinary 3×3 inch size. The smaller size, for example, is just hard to use. Above all, don’t get fancy shapes. The fancy shapes are annoying and even harder to use than the small-sized ones. (In my view, at least!)
I suppose a word on color: get packs of multiple colors. I try to avoid yellow. Even though yellow is the standard color for post-its, I find it a bit too bland. So I suggest getting the 5-pack of varied colors.
Posts in This Series
- Recommended Productivity Tools: An Introduction
- The Tools You Need to Have (And Where to Keep Them)
- Recommended In Boxes
- Recommended Capture Journals
- Recommended Pens
- Recommended Pencils and Paper Pads
- Recommended Staplers, Staple Removers, and Tape
- Recommended Scissors, Letter Openers, and Post-Its
- Recommended Paper Clips and Super Glue
- Not Recommended: Desktop Organizer Things
- Recommended Chairs and Waste Baskets
- Recommended Labelers and File Folders
- Recommended File Cabinets and Bookshelves
Recommended Staplers, Staple Removers, and Tape
Post 7 in the series: Recommended Productivity Tools
Staplers
Yes, staplers are still relevant. For example, when most people need to read a longer document, they still prefer to print it out rather than read it on their computer. When you do this, you need to use a stapler.
When it comes to staplers, the key idea is: get one that’s sturdy. A lot of staplers are pretty weak. There is no need to get one of those. I recommend one like the above, which doesn’t feel like its going to fall apart when you use it. These are easy to find at Office Depot or Amazon.
The other rule of staplers is: don’t keep them on your desk. That unnecessarily clutters things up. They work fine in a drawer, even if you use it once a day or more.
Staple Removers
I actually don’t have a recommendation for a specific type here. The only thing I would say is: If you are going to have a stapler, it makes sense to have a staple remover. Store it right by the stapler in the drawer.
Tape
For tape I don’t actually have a recommendation, either. And as I mentioned in the introduction, I hardly ever use it. But on the occasions where I do need it, I don’t want to have to go looking for it. Since there’s room for it in the drawer by the stapler, I might as well have it around.
Posts in This Series
- Recommended Productivity Tools: An Introduction
- The Tools You Need to Have (And Where to Keep Them)
- Recommended In Boxes
- Recommended Capture Journals
- Recommended Pens
- Recommended Pencils and Paper Pads
- Recommended Staplers, Staple Removers, and Tape
- Recommended Scissors, Letter Openers, and Post-Its
- Recommended Paper Clips and Super Glue
- Not Recommended: Desktop Organizer Things
- Recommended Chairs and Waste Baskets
- Recommended Labelers and File Folders
- Recommended File Cabinets and Bookshelves
Recommended Pencils and Paper Pads
Post 6 in the series: Recommended Productivity Tools
Pencils
I use pencils for pretty much only one thing: underlining and writing notes in my books. Marking up your books is an important component of active reading. Hence, unless you only read books on the Kindle, it’s useful to have some pencils around.
When it comes to pencils, the main principle is: only use mechanical pencils. The non-mechanical kind needs to be sharpened, which means you need to keep a sharpener around, which makes things more complicated than you need.
The next thing to keep in mind with pencils is the size of the lead. As with pens, I recommend smaller. I get the 0.5mm pencils.
The last thing to keep in mind with pencils is that you want one that isn’t annoying to write with. I’ve found the Bic MatiC grip to work great. (I admit it — even though I don’t recommend Bic pens at all, their mechanical pencils are just fine). You can easily get them at Target, Office Depot, or even Amazon (and they qualify for free shipping if you have Amazon Prime).
Paper Pads
Paper pads are useful to have at your desk for capturing thoughts and such things. If you have a moleskine or other journal to serve as a capture tool, you’ll usually be using that (or your iPhone or computer). But it is still sometimes useful to be able to reach for a pad of paper.
I don’t recommend the full size legal pads, because they are so big. I recommend the smaller, 5×8 pads, which are easy to get at a place like Office Depot or Target. Here is an example.
Posts in This Series
- Recommended Productivity Tools: An Introduction
- The Tools You Need to Have (And Where to Keep Them)
- Recommended In Boxes
- Recommended Capture Journals
- Recommended Pens
- Recommended Pencils and Paper Pads
- Recommended Staplers, Staple Removers, and Tape
- Recommended Scissors, Letter Openers, and Post-Its
- Recommended Paper Clips and Super Glue
- Not Recommended: Desktop Organizer Things
- Recommended Chairs and Waste Baskets
- Recommended Labelers and File Folders
- Recommended File Cabinets and Bookshelves
Recommended Pens
Post 5 in the series: Recommended Productivity Tools
The One Rule of Pens
When it comes to pens, there is one very, very important rule: Never use a Bic pen.
If you have any Bic pens, please throw them away right now. (OK, maybe that’s a little extreme, but you get my point.)
The problem with Bic pens is that they skip frequently. This gets in the way of quick and efficient workflow. It is a frustrating to be capturing a fresh idea or action item (hopefully in a moleskine journal!), only to have the pen skip out on you every few letters. Plus, they simply aren’t fun to write with.
But finding a decent pen is surprisingly hard. A few years ago I got tired of my pens always skipping on me, so I tried a bunch of different kinds. Not many people probably do that, I grant. But I was curious to know if there was a pen that I would actually like using, without costing very much.
I determined that there are dimensions to choosing a pen: defining the qualities of a useful pen, kinds of pens, and the size of the line.
Qualities of a Useful Pen
As with all tools, you want to have a pen that you enjoy using. This doesn’t mean the pen has to be expensive. It does mean, however, that the pen should have at least four qualities:
- It doesn’t skip.
- It writes smooth.
- It isn’t annoying to hold.
- You like to write with it.
Kinds of Pens
There are two large categories of pens: disposable and non-disposable. The fountain pen is probably the most popular kind of non-disposable; there are also ballpoint and rolling ball non-disposables. We’re not concerned with non-disposables here.
I prefer a pen that is more economical, yet still writes well. This puts us in the camp of disposable pens. Among disposable pens, there are three main kinds of ink types to choose from: dry ink, gel, and roller ball.
Dry ink pens easily skip. Ballpoint pens are dry ink. The best example of the dry ink pen is Bic. The purpose of a dry ink pen is not to provide a good writing experience, but rather to be cheap. Because they use less ink, they last longer. But because they use less ink, they also don’t write as smoothly and tend to skip.
Gel pens write more smoothly. The flow is fairly even and it dries quickly. But, sometimes they blank out and sometimes they bleed/leak a bit.
Roller ball pens write smoothly and don’t skip. Also, I haven’t found them to bleed or leak at all. Hence, after testing out those pens from Office Depot, I discovered that my preference is a roller ball pen.
Line Size
When it comes to the size of pen to get, I discovered that I prefer the extra fine (which is 0.5 mm) because I write small. The next size up is the regular fine, at 0.7 mm.
Recommendation
In sum, I’ve found an extra fine roller ball pen to work the best. There are a few different brands you can choose from. My preference is the Pilot V5 rollerball pen, extra fine.
Update: I used to get these at Office Depot, but of late I am not able to find them. So I recently tried the Uni-ball Vision Elite
At the end of this post now, I’m thinking to myself “why would I go into so much detail on pens???” Aside from the value of good tools discussed often throughout this series, the main reason is that it simplifies things. Whenever I need to get some more pens, I don’t need to think about what kind to get. Even though there are dozens of options in the aisle, it is a piece of cake to go right to the one that works and move on.
Posts in This Series
- Recommended Productivity Tools: An Introduction
- The Tools You Need to Have (And Where to Keep Them)
- Recommended In Boxes
- Recommended Capture Journals
- Recommended Pens
- Recommended Pencils and Paper Pads
- Recommended Staplers, Staple Removers, and Tape
- Recommended Scissors, Letter Openers, and Post-Its
- Recommended Paper Clips and Super Glue
- Not Recommended: Desktop Organizer Things
- Recommended Chairs and Waste Baskets
- Recommended Labelers and File Folders
- Recommended File Cabinets and Bookshelves
Recommended Capture Journals
Post 4 in the series: Recommended Productivity Tools
First things first: Why should you have a physical capture tool?
- You aren’t always at your computer.
- Sometimes it is faster to just write down your ideas.
- You can draw and mind map more easily in a physical notebook (though for more extensive mind mapping I recommend a software program like Mind Manager).
What, then, should you use for your physical capture tool? I recommend a Moleskine notebook. I have three reasons:
- They work well.
- They are fun to use.
- They have a sense of style.
As I discussed in the introduction to this series, when you find a tool to be a joy to use, you will make use of it more effectively. The moleskine notebooks exemplify this perfectly. You might find yourself brainstorming good ideas simply because you want to use the notebook.
There are many different kinds of Moleskines. In particular, I recommend the Moleskine ruled notebook large. I recommend the ruled one, rather than blank one, because I find it easier to capture notes and ideas. And I prefer the large one because it really isn’t that large (5″ x 8.5″) and provides more writing space than the pocket-sized.
For on-the-go capture, I also use Jott for iPhone (which allows voice capture and then transcribes it to text). So whether I capture something on-the-go in my journal or on my iPhone really depends upon what strikes me at the time (and what is most convenient). But I find that it is not enough to depend solely on my iPhone for capture.
When I’m at my desk, I use OminFocus and Evernote to keep track of my plans. So when I have an idea or action item to capture and I’m at my desk, I will often type it into a section at the bottom of my next action list in Evernote. But sometimes I will still use my journal for capture even if I’m at my desk.
The bottom line is: you will never regret having a physical capture tool, and the moleskine notebook is perfect.
As long as you don’t use a cheap pen.
And fortunately, I think recommended pens are next.
Posts in This Series
- Recommended Productivity Tools: An Introduction
- The Tools You Need to Have (And Where to Keep Them)
- Recommended In Boxes
- Recommended Capture Journals
- Recommended Pens
- Recommended Pencils and Paper Pads
- Recommended Staplers, Staple Removers, and Tape
- Recommended Scissors, Letter Openers, and Post-Its
- Recommended Paper Clips and Super Glue
- Not Recommended: Desktop Organizer Things
- Recommended Chairs and Waste Baskets
- Recommended Labelers and File Folders
- Recommended File Cabinets and Bookshelves
Recommended In Boxes
Post 3 in the series: Recommended Productivity Tools
For your physical in box, I recommend the silver steel letter trays that you can get at Target or Amazon. I used to have the plastic black letter trays from Office Depot, but I’ve recently switched over to these because they look a bit better.
As far as you to make the best use of your in box, it’s pretty simple: Put one on the top of your desk.
Some people stack several together and use the lower ones to hold pending items like material to read. I don’t do that because I prefer to only create very short-term, ad hoc pending stacks that I deal with right away. Pending items that need to be held for longer periods of time go into a file drawer (which will be covered when I, finally, get to my posts on filing).
If you have a desk at work and home, then obviously I’d recommend an in box at each location. Since my desk at home is in the basement, I also have an in box upstairs that I can easily toss stuff into.
As far as location goes, I recommend putting your in box on the left side of your desk. This creates a workflow of left to right: stuff to process starts on the left; you process it in the center; stuff that needs to be distributed elsewhere gets put into an “out” pile on the right.
Last of all, the big question here is: Is it “in box,” “inbox,” or “in-box”? I’ve seen all three. But when I think about it, I don’t think I like the looks of “in box” — which is the form I used in this post. So going forward, I’m going to start writing “in-box.” (If you have an opinion, let me know!)
Posts in This Series
- Recommended Productivity Tools: An Introduction
- The Tools You Need to Have (And Where to Keep Them)
- Recommended In Boxes
- Recommended Capture Journals
- Recommended Pens
- Recommended Pencils and Paper Pads
- Recommended Staplers, Staple Removers, and Tape
- Recommended Scissors, Letter Openers, and Post-Its
- Recommended Paper Clips and Super Glue
- Not Recommended: Desktop Organizer Things
- Recommended Chairs and Waste Baskets
- Recommended Labelers and File Folders
- Recommended File Cabinets and Bookshelves
The Tools You need to Have (and Where to Keep Them)
Post 2 in the series: Recommended Productivity Tools
While the right tools are important, the tools themselves won’t get you organized. You need to know how to think about your tools and where to keep them. Otherwise, getting the right tools will simply create clutter.
So before getting into the specific tools I recommend, I’m going to do two things. First, I’m going to outline the basic categories that everything you can possibly have at your desk falls into. Second, I’ll give a brief overview of all the tools that may be useful to have in your workspace and where they should go at your desk.
Understanding Workspace Setup
I posted some notes on workspace organization last week in anticipation of this series, so that may be worth looking at. The most relevant concept for our purposes here is that there are two kinds of things at your desk: permanent stuff and transient stuff.
Permanent Stuff
Permanent stuff falls into four categories: equipment, supplies, decoration, and reference.
Equipment goes on the desk if its used more than once per day, and in a drawer if not. Supplies go in a desk drawer in small amounts, with extras being kept in a cabinet or supply room. Decoration goes on the desk and walls, but should be kept limited. Reference items go in file cabinets and on bookshelves.
Transient Stuff
Transient stuff falls into three categories: input to be processed, action reminders, and project support materials.
Input to be processed goes in the in box. Action reminders will be in your task management software or, if you are paper-based, planner. Project support materials would be in electronic files and possibly some physical files.
The tools that we’ll be discussing in this series fall into the categories of equipment and supplies.
Core Tools and Their Locations
Here is an overview of the physical productivity tools you need to have and some brief words on where they go. My aim here is to provide you enough details on where to keep things to get you started; I’ll provide more details on desk setup in a future series.
The Desktop
On the top of your desk you should have your in box, computer monitor, any necessary computer peripherals, at least one pen, and maybe a pencil. If desired, you might maybe also want to have a desk lamp, a decoration or two, and a printer if you have one to yourself and there is room.
And that’s it.
The rest of the desktop is for working and just plain providing some breathing space. Any additional items will get in the way and, at least unconsciously, be a nuisance. The key principle is: keep your desktop as clear as possible.
Drawers
I’ll go into more detail on how to set up your drawers in my series on desk setup. But for the tools I’m covering here, two drawers are sufficient.
Drawer #1
In one of the drawers at your desk you should keep these items: pens, pencils, extra pencil lead, paper clips, scissors, a letter opener, and a unit of post-its. You might also want to have some rubber bands, super glue, twist-tie-things that come with the cords in neat new electronics gadgets, business cards, Advil, and maybe a few other things that fit and are useful (some permanent markers, a small ruler, etc.).
Don’t keep too many extra pens and pencils in this drawer; 5 of each is plenty. The point is to have a reserve to draw from if the one you are using on your desk runs out, you misplace it, or you just want to grab a few more for some reason. If you have any additional pens and pencils beyond the 5 or so, they go in a supply closet where you store extra supplies.
Regarding super glue and rubber bands: I admit that I hardly ever use these things. Having them around at all may be an old hold-over from when less stuff was computer based. Or maybe I just have rubber bands in there because I think it’s neat. The super glue is there because we have kids who sometimes break things. So, obviously, some things here are more or less relevant to each person’s specific situation.
Regarding the twist-tie-things: Whenever I get a new electronic gadget, I save those twist-ties the cords come tied up with. Or, I should say, I save them unless they are the flimsy kind. They really come in handy to tie up any cords that are longer than needed, so as to keep them from becoming unruly. I use them all the time.
Drawer #2
In another drawer you should have this equipment: stapler, staple remover, tape, and a labeler.
I admit that I hardly ever use the tape. But if I ever need it, I don’t want to have to go walking to find some. There’s space for it, so it’s easy enough to keep around.
The stapler I use about every other day or so. Whatever you do, do not keep your stapler on your desk. That just looks ugly. It goes in a drawer. So does the labeler.
I also keep a stack of blank CD-RWs in this drawer, some sleeves for the CDs, and a cloth to clean my screen.
Additional Drawers
If you have additional drawers, other stuff that you might want to keep in them include: chargers, extra batteries, Kleenex, and printer paper (if you have a printer at your desk). If you have a cubicle with a storage bin or a desk with some type of hutch on one part of it, these items also work well in there.
Obviously there is probably a lot of other stuff some people keep in their desks. That’s fine, but my recommendation is to keep the amount of stuff you have around to a minimum. Have only the essentials, and a bit more if it doesn’t take up any needed space.
Keep things to a minimum so that it is easier to keep them organized. The aim is easy, finger-tip access so that your workspace functions like an effective cockpit.
Around Your Desk
Around your desk are chairs, wastebaskets, and maybe bookshelves.
Supply Room
Extra supplies go in a supply room. Keep at your desk what you use, and keep extras somewhere else to avoid clutter. For example, if you have a printer and keep printer paper around your desk, keep one unit around. Keep extra units in the supply room.
Portable
Kept portable and with you should be your capture journal.
Posts in This Series
- Recommended Productivity Tools: An Introduction
- The Tools You Need to Have (And Where to Keep Them)
- Recommended In Boxes
- Recommended Capture Journals
- Recommended Pens
- Recommended Pencils and Paper Pads
- Recommended Staplers, Staple Removers, and Tape
- Recommended Scissors, Letter Openers, and Post-Its
- Recommended Paper Clips and Super Glue
- Not Recommended: Desktop Organizer Things
- Recommended Chairs and Waste Baskets
- Recommended Labelers and File Folders
- Recommended File Cabinets and Bookshelves
Recommended Productivity Tools: An Introduction
Post 1 in the series: Recommended Productivity Tools
Posts in This Series
- Recommended Productivity Tools: An Introduction
- The Tools You Need to Have (And Where to Keep Them)
- Recommended In Boxes
- Recommended Capture Journals
- Recommended Pens
- Recommended Pencils and Paper Pads
- Recommended Staplers, Staple Removers, and Tape
- Recommended Scissors, Letter Openers, and Post-Its
- Recommended Paper Clips and Super Glue
- Not Recommended: Desktop Organizer Things
- Recommended Chairs and Waste Baskets
- Recommended Labelers and File Folders
- Recommended File Cabinets and Bookshelves
Today we’re starting a series on recommended productivity tools. I’m going to cover some basic tools that you need to have and point out which ones work best to make your work smoother, less frustrating, and more enjoyable.
I have in mind here physical tools, rather than electronic tools. Which leads right away to the question: What? Why care about physical productivity tools?
Why Care About Physical Productivity Tools?
There are two reasons to still care about physical productivity tools.
First, even though we live in an electronic age, we still need to do some physical things. Physical “stuff” will always be with us in some form or another. As long as there is a need to do physical stuff, there is also a need to have the physical tools that enable us to work as effectively as we can.
In fact, sometimes physical tools are preferable to electronic. For example, I often prefer capturing ideas and notes in my moleskine notebook over capturing them electronically. This is not always the case, but sometimes it is faster and simpler. This brings into play two physical tools: a capture journal and a pen.
Second, it’s worth giving some reflection to physical productivity tools because most attention is given to electronic tools. And that is just as it should be. But since we still need to use physical tools, someone needs to give some attention to which ones will serve you best.
The Value of Good Tools
My aim in this series is to point out which tools work well and which you will most likely to enjoy using. A fundamental assumption behind that purpose is that having good tools matters. There are at least three reasons for this.
First, if you have good tools, you often times want to use them. This in turn makes your work a bit more enjoyable, and this pays dividends for your productivity. David Allen makes a good point when he writes: “one of the best tricks for enhancing your personal productivity is having organizing tools that you love to use” (GTD, 96).
Second, bad tools get in the way. This creates unconscious resistance to getting things done.
Third, it is important to make your workspace in general a place you want to be. The tools you have at hand are part of that environment, and thus contribute to your overall sense of satisfaction with your work environment. If you have tools that you enjoy using, you are that much more likely to enjoy your workspace in general – which enhances your ability to get things done.
Note, however, that having good tools does not necessarily mean having expensive tools. David Allen rightly notes: “Often, on the low-tech side, the more ‘executive’ something looks, the more dysfunctional it really is” (Getting Things Done, 91). A good tool is a tool that works well and that you want to use.
In the next posts we’ll give a quick overview of the main kinds of physical tools you need to have. A corollary question is where you should keep these tools for optimal access (and minimal distraction), so we’ll cover that to. Then, I’ll cover each tool individually for the rest of the series.
>> Go to next post The Tools You Need to Have (and Where to Keep Them)
Do You Use an Electronic or Paper To-Do List?
Even in this age of incredible task-management software, when it comes down to your concrete next action list (or daily next action list), there are still advantages to pen and paper. As I’ve blogged before, I use OmniFocus to keep track of my goals, projects, and actions. But when it comes down to the specific actions that I want to do today, sometimes I find a lot of value in pen and paper.
If you create to-do lists, what do you use — software or paper?
About Matt Perman
Follower of Christ. Husband of one, father of three. Former director of strategy at Desiring God. This blog exists to help equip Christians in good works, because that's what productivity is really about.
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