Last week I found myself embarking on a journey of self-improvement. I was inspired in part by the dozens of blog entries I had read in past months about other people’s experiences, especially with implementing a system called Getting Things Done. Now, my first reaction to all this was, “Big deal, another fad for getting your life together.” I have had a few experiences with such fads; I’ve kept the odd time log and tried the to-do list habit here and there. Then I came across this set of photos: GTD with Index Cards. Index cards. Our little 3 by 5 friends. Every distinct item on a separate card. Non-linear. Wireless. Free-form. Edgy in a retro way. Could analog be the answer?
I was determined to find out. First, though, I needed a desk. Well, I had one, but having never really used paper much (I do most work on the computer) I needed to reclaim some space that wasn’t being used effectively. I’d also need a healthy supply of filing supplies (for a small filing box), a nice small gel pen to fit in my pocket (more on my new “PDA” later), and of course, a nice tall stack of index cards. Most importantly, though, I needed to actually implement my system. But, first things first. Desks.
For years I’ve had a fantasy of building a new desk. My desk is cramped ; probably the most cramped of any of our desks. Thinking about the space I’d need for my paper-based system, and then looking at my parents spacious desks, I was getting a serious case of “desk envy.” Thankfully, I am smart enough to not set out to build a new desk…at least, not yet. So I set out to reorganize my own. Here’s a picture I found from a year ago that pretty much captures what I started with. (Cick on image to see the original on Flickr):
Not bad, but… not good either. Why? I wasn’t using the little space I had effectively. Those books by my monitor weren’t being used anymore. The shelves weren’t being used for day-to-day stuff. It was fine for a “paperless office” — but I was planning on going in the opposite direction. So here we go; I present: The New Desk, Mark I:
(Click on that image to see it on Flickr, where you can see all the notes I’ve posted about my layout.) Now, I’ll admit, only an organizational geek would get enjoyment out of seeing pictures of all this, but I enjoyed seeing other people’s desk layouts on Flickr when I was browsing around there for ideas, so I’m just returning the favor, I guess. Here’s my desk as it stands now (version 1.1), with me super-imposed on top (the ol’ double-exposure trick):
I’ll post more updates about my new organizational/task-time management system as I write them. Until then… back to your regularly scheduled Abbott Family Blog…
Update: See also parts two and three…
