A Simplification Potpourri
This article was originally published in The Simplifier #50.
Article: A Simplification Potpourri
By Shawn Tuttle
It’s recap time! 50 newsletters is living proof that taking big projects in small chunks works. The following articles and blog posts were begging me for another peep at the light of day through your eyes. I chose ones that contain concepts that come up the most frequently in work with clients. My recommendation to you is to let just one call to you, and enjoy that one. (i.e., Don’t O.D. on simplification concepts—be nice to yourself! I think that should be my new motto: “Be nice to you”–it certainly comes up enough.)Workflow & Filing Tools
About 90% of the time, I’m called to an office because of paperwork gone haywire. Entering an office for the first time, wayward papers will have taken over the majority of horizontal surfaces. The culprits: lack of sufficient workflow files and unclear file organization.WorkFlow Diagram by David Allen
http://www.davidco.com/store/catalog/WorkFlow-Diagram-p-16166.php
How to approach the seemingly endless pile of papers gathered from around the client’s office? One at a time. There is a simple step by step process you can follow in order to get through the pile methodically. The process is summarized by a chart called WorkFlow Diagram (free to download) and is described in depth in his system, Getting Things Done. It may take a little studying and practice to get the hang of—it is worth it!
Filing 101
http://projectsimplify.com/articles/filing-101/
This article addresses many of the questions that come up in filing cabinet discussions. As we (client and I) begin to process the backlog of papers, we find that many of them simply need to be filed. In order to be filed (and found again) the filing organization needs to be co-operative. Read Filing 101 for helpful hints to make filing easy.
Adjusting Your MindsetWhile most people believe they will be organized if they learn the right tools or systems, truth is, mindset comes first. Being or feeling disorganized usually is successfully addressed by a combination of tools and perspective shift to slow the brain down.
Multi-tasking — The Cost
http://projectsimplify.com/articles/multi-tasking-the-cost/
Mono-tasking as a brain soother is sure to be controversial in a fast paced culture that promotes the mottoes, “Work hard, play hard” and “Rest when you’re dead”. I’m a firm supporter of the wildly-acclaimed international Mono-tasking movement. You probably haven’t read about it in Newsweek or the Wall Street Journal—a Google search for mono-tasking turns up mostly blog posts. Truly a grassroots movement!Mindfulness: The practice of being “here”
http://www.43folders.com/2006/04/07/mindfulness?page=2
Merlin Mann of 43 Folders gets to the essence of meditation, calling it “the extreme edge of mono-tasking”. This collection of brief passages by folks such as Jon Kabat-Zinn, Alan Watts, Thich Nhat Hanh, Anne Lamott, and Henry David Thoreau provide a perfect opportunity to relax and enjoy the mindfulness of reading.
Let yourself have more fun working!
http://projectsimplify.com/articles/let-yourself-have-more-fun-working/
Think “work is hard” and hard it shall be. The challenge here is slowing down enough to rein in the wild horses dragging you on a bummer head trip. This article should help. And here are two tips that support it nicely:
At the end of an appointment my goal is for my client to feel good about the progress of their office organization and to feel more in charge of their situation. Ultimately, I want them to feel better about themselves and their life, even if I don’t say so in as many words. =) This is why I focus on your experience in addition to the tools and systems. You are a whole person—any approach you take toward simplifying your work should honor this!
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Shawn Tuttle is founder of Project Simplify.
