ABSTRACT
If you are like the average worker, you spend hours each week just searching through the mess on your desk. To avoid this, develop some sort of organizational system. It does not have to be the traditional “in box” and “out box”—it just needs to be a system that works for you.
Organize your materials into broad categories such as “Correspondence,” “Current Projects,” and “To Do.” Consider using the same categories to organize the files on your computer.
Keep your important files within easy reach; otherwise you will tend not to use them, or you may waste time repeatedly getting them.
Do not set mail aside because it will soon be buried. Go through it to identify and handle items immediately.
Make a concerted effort to clean your desk at the end of each day.
Handle each piece of paper only once. Take action as each item comes to you. Don't revisit the same paperwork over and over again.
