January progress
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@@ -4,20 +4,18 @@ date: 2024-01-04T14:09:47-05:00
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draft: false
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draft: false
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tags:
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tags:
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- dispatch
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- dispatch
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references:
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- title: "Organization – Office - Christopher Butler ☼"
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url: https://www.chrbutler.com/organization-office
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date: 2024-01-10T19:08:51Z
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file: www-chrbutler-com-294dnz.txt
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- title: "Analog Office - The Life-Changing Magic of Keeping a File Index"
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url: https://analogoffice.net/2023/05/31/the-lifechanging-magic.html
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date: 2024-01-10T19:09:00Z
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file: analogoffice-net-xmnih2.txt
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---
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---
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* Nev 2 years old
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That's a wrap on 2023. Our little Nevie turned two in December. It's hard to imagine her changing as much in the next year as she did in the last, but I suppose it's inevitable. We spent Christmas at Claire's folks' house in Greensboro and hit up both the [Greensboro Children's Museum][1] and [Greensboro Science Center][2].
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* Work — writing Java
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* Spent a week in Greensboro
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* Greensboro Children's Museum — https://mbcmuseum.com/
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* Greensboro Science Center — https://www.visitgreensboronc.com/things-to-do/attractions/the-rotary-club-of-greensboro-carousel.aspx
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* Arturia KeyStep 37
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* Cleaning up basement
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* Getting shit out of house
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* New shelves
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* Making space for an office + music/hobby station
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* Dead Cells
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* [https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/dead-cells-switch/](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/dead-cells-switch/)
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<!--more-->
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<!--more-->
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@@ -26,6 +24,25 @@ tags:
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{{<thumbnail IMG_5278.jpeg "400x300" />}}
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{{<thumbnail IMG_5278.jpeg "400x300" />}}
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</div>
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</div>
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[1]: https://mbcmuseum.com/
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[2]: https://www.visitgreensboronc.com/things-to-do/attractions/the-rotary-club-of-greensboro-carousel.aspx
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* Work — writing Java
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* Arturia KeyStep 37
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* It's a MIDI controller, so it's really only as cool as what you plug it into and your skill as a pianist
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* Cleaning up basement
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* Getting shit out of house
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* New shelves
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* Making space for an office + music/hobby station
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* Big changes are coming (more on that soon), and we need to make some more space
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* <https://www.chrbutler.com/organization-office>
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* <https://analogoffice.net/2023/05/31/the-lifechanging-magic.html>
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I also dusted off the Switch to play [Dead Cells][3]. It's similar to [Hades][4] but in a more retro side-scrolling format. Highly recommended if you don't mind dying a lot.
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[3]: https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/dead-cells-switch/
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[4]: https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/hades-switch/
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Here's a new track, called "Orographic":
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Here's a new track, called "Orographic":
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<audio controls src="/journal/dispatch-11-january-2024/Orographic.mp3"></audio>
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<audio controls src="/journal/dispatch-11-january-2024/Orographic.mp3"></audio>
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@@ -33,23 +50,26 @@ Here's a new track, called "Orographic":
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This month:
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This month:
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* Adventure: New Market, VA
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* Adventure: New Market, VA
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* Project: music table
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* Project: music/hobby table -- **no new gear** until I have a place I can actually use the stuff I have (then probably a [Roland Juno][5] as a reward)
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* Skill:
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* Skill:
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[5]: https://www.roland.com/us/products/ju-06a/
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Reading:
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Reading:
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* Fiction: [_Title_][1], Author
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* Fiction: [_Revenge: Eleven Dark Tales_][6], Yogo Ogawa -- I'm trying to read better books this year, and this caught my attention when I saw it mentioned on [Hacker Stations][7]
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* Non-fiction: [_Title_][2], Author
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* Non-fiction: [_Title_][8], Author
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[1]: https://bookshop.org/
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[6]: https://bookshop.org/p/books/revenge-eleven-dark-tales-yoko-ogawa/8623565
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[2]: https://bookshop.org/
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[7]: https://hackerstations.com/setups/kasia/
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[8]: https://bookshop.org/
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Links:
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Links:
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* [Title][3]
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* [Title][9]
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* [Title][4]
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* [Title][10]
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* [Title][5]
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* [Title][11]
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[3]: https://example.com/
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[9]: https://example.com/
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[4]: https://example.com/
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[10]: https://example.com/
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[5]: https://example.com/
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[11]: https://example.com/
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209
static/archive/analogoffice-net-xmnih2.txt
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209
static/archive/analogoffice-net-xmnih2.txt
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[1]Analog Office
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* [2]Home
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* [3]Subscribe
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* [4]Archive
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* [5]Photos
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* [6]About
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* [7]Bookshelf
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* [8]Contact
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* [9]Ask a Question
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* [10]Office Holders
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* [11]Search
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The Life-Changing Magic of Keeping a File Index
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Filing systems for personal, household files don’t get much love from
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people who write about household organizing. Most books dealing with
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household organization brush it off in a page or two, and it often
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comes down to something like this:
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“Throw out all your papers! Go electronic! With the six papers that are
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left over, file them alphabetically!”
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Marie Kondo, in her first book, advised people to dump most of their
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papers. (GASP!)
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Certainly, if you don’t keep papers, you won’t need an excellent filing
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system.
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But what if you do want to keep a lot of papers, AND find them quickly?
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Some people collect Lego sets, or porcelain tea cups. I create and
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collect documents, both paper and electronic. And I know I am not alone
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in this.
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I like being able to pull out papers like my handout for folding and
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cutting a six-pointed paper snowflake (I forget how to do this every
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year); or the brochure that came with my split mechanical gaming
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keyboard* that tells me how to reset the programming, after I mistype
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and inadvertently create a macro; or the gift passes to a cool local
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museum when friends visit.
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And I like being able to do that QUICKLY: go to my file cabinet, pull
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out the gift passes, done. No rummaging through piles or having to pay
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entrance fees for our guests because I couldn’t find the passes.
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This is where decent filing systems come in.
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I’ll be writing more about some ways to file paper reference materials
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(this IS after all, the Analog Office) but today I want to focus on:
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* the need
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* the genius
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* the beauty, and
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* the brilliance of a digital document that most people at home don’t
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keep: a file index.
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A file index is your [12]Where Is It? document for your files.
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It’s like a table of contents for your filing system.
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Choose: Invest Predictable, Regular, Short Periods of Time?
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Or, Lose: Long, Stressful, Unpredictable Periods of Time (And Money)?
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When you can’t find a paper, you lose an unpredictable amount of time
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running around and looking through piles, and you also lose sometimes
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significant amounts of money, because some papers are stand-ins for
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money (guest passes at the museum); or cost you time and money to
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replace (deeds, titles).
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A file index will take a little time to set up, and small amounts of
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predictable time to maintain. So it is a trade-off.
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But I would rather spend a little time to have zero anxiety about
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finding my papers when I want and need them.
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So I spend small, predictable amounts of time entering information into
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my filing index.
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Why Filing Indexes Work So Well
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Say you have a paper policy from Zenith Auto Insurance, and say you
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want to file this alphabetically.
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Where does it go? What comes to mind for you, if you were looking for
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it? Where would you put it?
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File it under “Z” for Zenith? Or, “A” for Auto? Or maybe, “I” for
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Insurance?
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But maybe you think of it as car insurance.
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How about “C” for Car insurance?
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If you file it under “I” for insurance, do you keep your health
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insurance information in there too? Renter’s or homeowners insurance,
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does that go there too?
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You could; you could have a folder for, “Insurance, Car” and another
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folder for “Insurance, Health,” and another for, “Insurance, Renters.”
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Or, you could put health insurance under “H” or even “M” (medical!)…
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and so on, and so on… aaaargh….!
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Enter the file index.
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File indexes can be – and indeed of course used to be – analog, but I
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recommend using a digital format because:
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✨ You want it to be searchable. ✨🎉
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It’s also a good idea to figure out how you will make your file index
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accessible to others.
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Because I want my husband to be able to find important household files,
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I print the file index out whenever I update it, so he can have a way
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to find things in case he can’t get into my computer. You could also
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share the document and keep it all online, or print out instructions
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for how to access it in case someone else needs to.
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Make Your Own File Index
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For your file index, you can use a spreadsheet, a notes program, a
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single document – as long as it is searchable, and you have a way to
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share access if these are household files that someone else may need.
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It doesn’t matter where the insurance paper goes. It could be under any
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letter you want.
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It matters that you record your decision on a document that maps out
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where you put your files.
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Let’s say you decide that your Zenith Auto Insurance Policy goes under
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“C” for “Car Insurance.”
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So you record on the file index:
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Location; Topic or General Description; Keywords
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* “Location” = the section of the physical file system you need to
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look in. What is it filed under? That’s your location. For an
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alphabetical file system, it will be a letter.
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* “Topic or General Description” = what you call the document; the
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first phrase that comes to mind when you are looking for the
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document: if you think of it as your car insurance policy, write
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“car insurance policy” here
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* Keywords = MAGIC!! when combined with ✨ search functions 🎉
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Filing can be frustrating because often we think of multiple terms for
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our files. (This happens a lot in homes, less for businesses with
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structured file naming conventions.)
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I might think of it as the “car insurance policy,” my husband might
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look for “Zenith.”
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So with keywords, you list any words that you might think of when
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looking for the document, that are not already named in your topic
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section, above. For this one, you might list: “Zenith, auto, policy,
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policies, automobile, registration, proof of insurance.”
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an example of a file index made from a spreadsheet, showing sample
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entries using columns for location, topic, and keyword, and a fourth
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column for digital file locations
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Next level: after keywords, if you have a digital file that corresponds
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to the paper one, put in the location for the digital file.
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Find it all, with file indexes.
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__________________________________________________________________
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Copy and share – [13]the link is here. Never miss a post from the
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Analog Office! [14]Subscribe here to get blog posts via email.
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Wondering how to manage your paper-based or hybrid paper-digital
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systems? [15]Ask me a question.
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__________________________________________________________________
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NOTES
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* I’m not a gamer, but my son recommended this split keyboard to me,
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and it is AWESOME. Shifting rainbow color backlighting, Cherry MX
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mechanical key switches (whatever that means, I’m reading from the
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brochure that I quickly and easily pulled from my files), but the best
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thing is that I no longer have wrist pain. Plus, the cat can hang out
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in the middle.
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cat stepping in the middle of a split keyboard
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*****
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Written on 31 May 2023
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© 2024 Anna Havron. All rights reserved. Website hosted by
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[16]micro.blog
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References
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1. file:///
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2. file:///
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3. file:///subscribe/
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4. file:///archive/
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5. file:///photos/
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6. file:///about/
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7. file:///books/
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8. file:///contact/
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9. file:///advice/
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10. file:///office-holders/
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11. file:///search/
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12. https://analogoffice.net/2023/01/16/keep-a-where.html
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13. https://analogoffice.net/2023/05/31/the-lifechanging-magic.html
|
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14. https://analogoffice.net/subscribe/
|
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15. https://analogoffice.net/advice/
|
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16. https://micro.blog/
|
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399
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#[1]Christopher Butler ☼
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
[2]Christopher Butler ☼
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
[3]Archive
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
[4]Info
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
[5]Now
|
||||||
|
__________________________________________________________________
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Organization — Office
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
After the kitchen, the office is the most used room in our home. This is how
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we keep it organized.
|
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|
||||||
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[eaf01f24-61dc-4bef-8166-2f08c81b856a.jpg]
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This is the office.
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||||||
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My wife and I work here, Monday through Friday, 9 to 5. Our children
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play and create in here just as often. It’s where we maintain several
|
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workspaces, store supplies, house a portion of our library, and keep a
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guest bed. To make things even more complicated, I also exercise in
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here nearly every day. All in this 10’ x 12’ space with two windows.
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Since we began working from home, I estimate that we’ve spent around
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8,000 hours in here.
|
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||||||
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Organization — at an almost obsessive level — is what keeps this space
|
||||||
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a functional and enjoyable place to spend time. Minimalism, though, is
|
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not. We have a lot of gear in here. Most of it gets used every single
|
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day.
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||||||
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I’m about to share an unnecessary amount of detail on what makes this
|
||||||
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space work. I’ve divided this into three main sections:
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||||||
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1. On and Under the Desk
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2. On the Walls
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3. In Books
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At the end of each section, I’ll include a list of all the gear that I
|
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have either mentioned or captured in pictures.
|
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On and Under the Desk
|
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|
||||||
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I prefer to keep my desktop as free from infrastructure as possible.
|
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||||||
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My general rule is that if I need it within reach, in view, or audible,
|
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it’s on the desk. If I don’t, it’s under the desk. That means that my
|
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desktop is still not as free of things as I’d like, but there is an
|
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impressive amount of gear running my day-to-day underneath it.
|
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|
||||||
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[9b3325cc-7028-4d54-b0c0-9000877e3c2b.jpg]
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||||||
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[745ee5c9-f738-4677-b266-ff5708036077.jpg]
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||||||
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On the desk is:
|
||||||
|
* an [6]LG 32” UltraFine 4k HDR10 Ergo Display mounted on an
|
||||||
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[7]Ergotron LX Single Monitor Arm rather than the arm it ships with
|
||||||
|
* an [8]Elgato Key Light
|
||||||
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* a [9]Sure SM7B Microphone mounted on an [10]Elgato Wave Mic Arm
|
||||||
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* a [11]Sony A7C Full Frame Camera with [12]Sony FE 35mm F1.4 GM lens
|
||||||
|
mounted with a [13]ULANZI Camera Desk Mount Stand
|
||||||
|
* a pair of [14]Audioengine HD3 speakers
|
||||||
|
* the [15]awesome lamp I made twenty years ago by duo-tac’ing a strip
|
||||||
|
of wax paper onto an industrial plastic tube and placing a
|
||||||
|
trash-picked light inside — it still holds up!
|
||||||
|
* the desk is a [16]Floyd dining table. I added a [17]sliding
|
||||||
|
under-desk drawer.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Underneath the desk I use a simple rack on wheels to stack two
|
||||||
|
computers, an input hub, three different external storage drives, an
|
||||||
|
audio interface, a battery backup and even my old minidisc player. All
|
||||||
|
of it is humming all day, but out of sight.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
All the lights, knobs, and buttons are irresistible to my nearly
|
||||||
|
two-year old son, so I made custom covers out of half-inch black foam
|
||||||
|
board that slide in between the rack’s supports and the shelf contents
|
||||||
|
to keep him from exploring. You can see how they look on the right side
|
||||||
|
of the split image below — covers out on the left, in on the right.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
[58507484-e94a-4aa0-ad71-72c58427649c.jpg]
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
While I’m here, let me take a moment to urge those who have not to
|
||||||
|
acquire an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
We have two [18]CyberPower CP1500 backups running in our office. Each
|
||||||
|
has six battery backup and surge protected outlets as well as six
|
||||||
|
additional surge protected outlets, network inputs, and USB inputs.
|
||||||
|
(It’s the thing on the bottom shelf peeking out a bit from behind one
|
||||||
|
of my covers.)
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Just this week, we had a freak storm descend upon our city and in the
|
||||||
|
span of just 35 minutes knock out power for hundreds of thousands and
|
||||||
|
fell more trees than any other storm I’ve experienced in the time I’ve
|
||||||
|
lived here. Because I do my work on a Mac Mini, having a UPS that kicks
|
||||||
|
in when the power goes out saves me from losing work. But it can also
|
||||||
|
keep the lights on, fans going, music playing, the works.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Keen eyes will notice that the cables behind everything are relatively
|
||||||
|
tidy. The thing about cables is that the greater they are in number,
|
||||||
|
the more difficult they are to tame!
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
[1e9e3fa0-247a-421b-b63c-34229c2fcad3.jpg]
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Rather than completely hiding them — and making it more difficult to
|
||||||
|
access or alter them later — I prioritize labeling. I coil and bunch
|
||||||
|
any excess cable, but I don’t clip or enclose them. I do label them at
|
||||||
|
both ends so I can easily identify what’s what no matter where I’m
|
||||||
|
looking.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Every time I find myself writing a label with sharpie on blue tape, I
|
||||||
|
know I’m doing my future self a favor.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Under the desk is:
|
||||||
|
* an [19]IKEA KORNSJÖ side table
|
||||||
|
* two Apple M1 Mac minis
|
||||||
|
* a [20]CalDigit Thunderbolt Station 4 hub
|
||||||
|
* two DIY External SSDs — using [21]ACASIS 40gbps Enclosures, [22]WD
|
||||||
|
1TB NVMe SSD Solid State drives, and [23]4’ Thunderbolt 4 Cables
|
||||||
|
* a [24]LaCie 2big RAID 8TB External Hard Drive
|
||||||
|
* a Cloud Microphone [25]Cloudlifter
|
||||||
|
* a [26]Focusrite Scarlet 2i2 audio interface
|
||||||
|
* a [27]Sony MXD-D40
|
||||||
|
* a [28]CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD UPS System
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
On the Walls
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
My wife and I keep a lot of books and magazines. We’re by no means at a
|
||||||
|
hoarder level, but we do like our printed media and that takes up
|
||||||
|
space. We have most of our library in another room, but in here, we
|
||||||
|
have many magazines, all our design books, and all my books about the
|
||||||
|
paranormal and other weirdness.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
To keep them organized, we need shelves. I have found that the best
|
||||||
|
shelves are the ones you create yourself.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Other than the racks under our desks, all the shelves in this room —
|
||||||
|
there are many — were made by measuring and hanging custom rack or
|
||||||
|
ledge shelving. It’s inexpensive, very strong (by god use a stud
|
||||||
|
finder), and requires very few tools. I made mine with steel racks,
|
||||||
|
half-inch poplar, a hand saw, a level, a pencil, and a few different
|
||||||
|
straightedges.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
[4e6fc669-65a5-45e9-bbe6-fde0ef2a7d78.jpg]
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
[32d1e14f-eb6c-46b9-bf52-31c8b5d90e93.jpg]
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
I strongly recommend [29]library-grade bookends, which you can see at
|
||||||
|
the edges of the shelf pictured above. These are the kind that won’t
|
||||||
|
tip over, won’t bend, and won’t slide off the edge of floating shelves.
|
||||||
|
They are very, very good.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Most of the stuff we keep on the shelves needs to be easy to retrieve.
|
||||||
|
The best way to do this is to create kits. Find a container that works
|
||||||
|
best for you in multiples and gather like items, put them in, and label
|
||||||
|
them clearly. (I like the [30]iDesign 29847, which was designed to hold
|
||||||
|
toilet paper.)
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
[65617d4c-8d78-4a6a-b71d-6141f6a2b5b1.jpg]
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
The shelf pictured above has nearly every frequently used office or
|
||||||
|
creative supply in our home. Each box is large enough to hold quite a
|
||||||
|
bit, but small enough to be manageable by our kids.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
This room also has a closet. I lined it with shelving to store
|
||||||
|
household supplies, paper, tools, and emergency equipment and to make
|
||||||
|
it easy to retrieve anything without having to root around. Most of
|
||||||
|
this stuff is also in kits stored in [31]IRIS USA Weatherpro latching
|
||||||
|
boxes. We are ready for a disaster!
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
[7b5fb987-19be-43c3-8e59-abbcdf37baec.jpg]
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
I’m particularly pleased that I can store a collapsible exercise bench
|
||||||
|
on the inside of the door.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Other exercise equipment, like my kettlebells, sit under the supply
|
||||||
|
shelving on the left — I even rigged up cables to hang rolled up yoga
|
||||||
|
mats under the bottom shelf. 👌 It’s the little things.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
[5909fae1-cc3b-462c-b1f0-142aa56e322f.jpg]
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
[7f8971b1-0e00-4699-8e16-af9bad1dfa7b.jpg]
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
I keep my dumbbells in a neat line under the sofa/guest bed.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Good organization optimizes for storage and retrieval. These things are
|
||||||
|
all very helpful:
|
||||||
|
* [32]Floating Ledge steel shelves
|
||||||
|
* Proect Source [33]double track strips and [34]brackets
|
||||||
|
* [35]The Library Store Bear Hug bookends
|
||||||
|
* [36]iDesign 29847 storage bins
|
||||||
|
* [37]IRIS USA Weatherpro latching boxes
|
||||||
|
* [38]Craftsman Tradestack tool chests
|
||||||
|
* [39]Viesso Dublexo Sofa Bed
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
In Books
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
I’m as obsessive with how I organize information as I am objects and
|
||||||
|
spaces. At this point in my life, I’ve tried dozens and dozens of
|
||||||
|
digital organization tools. While I used some of them for a long time —
|
||||||
|
I used Todoist for several years — none have ever felt as useful to me
|
||||||
|
as pen and paper.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
I’ve kept a notebook of some kind — as a sketchbook, an art journal, a
|
||||||
|
log — for decades. I mostly maintained one at a time, and so there was
|
||||||
|
always a mixture of things in it: notes and lists on one page, drawings
|
||||||
|
and collages on the next.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
But over the last few years, I’ve been formulating a more intentional
|
||||||
|
and systematic use of my notebooks. Now, I maintain two books at the
|
||||||
|
same time: one for visual exploration and the other for note-taking and
|
||||||
|
list-making.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
[6ea49f4f-861b-408d-85eb-f8c9d7e1c95f.jpg]
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
[3d557cb6-2c42-48c3-84ed-950cbafee775.jpg]
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
[bd52173f-ef6c-4bb7-a15f-a99cefb63011.jpg]
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Just having two books helps, but the key to making this work as a
|
||||||
|
productivity system is to maintain a specific habit of use. While I do
|
||||||
|
find writing to-do lists on paper inherently better — for me — than
|
||||||
|
using some kind of digital app because I can focus on the information
|
||||||
|
outside of the digital space, it’s how I use them that makes them
|
||||||
|
actually deliver results for me.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Here’s how it works:
|
||||||
|
1. I end the day by making a to-do list for the next one.
|
||||||
|
This is probably the most important work/life hack I can offer to
|
||||||
|
anyone who doesn’t already do this. It’s a great idea to start your
|
||||||
|
day with a prioritized list of the things you need to do. But I end
|
||||||
|
my day by making that list so that I can also use it as a tool for
|
||||||
|
clearing my mind and letting me make a meaningful mental break from
|
||||||
|
work. I have also found that when my days are very busy, if I don’t
|
||||||
|
end them with making a list for the next day, I am likely to forget
|
||||||
|
details by the next morning. This is especially true if I let my
|
||||||
|
inbox determine my day; if I don’t have a to-do list, my inbox
|
||||||
|
becomes one.
|
||||||
|
2. I mark my to-do list with a bright, yellow sticky note.
|
||||||
|
This is a very small detail, but it lets me shut my notebook and
|
||||||
|
set it aside. The next morning, I can open it directly to the day’s
|
||||||
|
list. Then I move the sticky note to the next page. When I am
|
||||||
|
stressed, tiny investments in my future self really pay off. Giving
|
||||||
|
myself an immediate sense of place is one of them.
|
||||||
|
3. If a task is longer-term and has many sub-tasks, I create an index
|
||||||
|
card to contain it.
|
||||||
|
I might transpose some of the sub-tasks from the card to my book so
|
||||||
|
I can keep track of things in one place throughout the day, but
|
||||||
|
doing this lets me think through how I’m going to achieve a larger
|
||||||
|
goal over a longer period of time. I keep these index cards in a
|
||||||
|
small box on my desk.
|
||||||
|
4. There are no analytics, and that’s a feature.
|
||||||
|
Back when I used Todoist, I found its analytics intriguing and
|
||||||
|
motivating. I initially liked being able to pore over my
|
||||||
|
productivity statistics. And Todoist set it up to “reward” you as
|
||||||
|
you completed more tasks. Ithink I worked my way up to some absurd
|
||||||
|
number of tasks complete, which the app always displayed front and
|
||||||
|
center, and some ridiculous classification like “Master Overlord”
|
||||||
|
or something. It worked for me, until it didn’t. Analytics in this
|
||||||
|
context create their own layer of stress. I’d find that if my
|
||||||
|
numbers dropped, it felt wrong, even if that was because I was less
|
||||||
|
busy — which is probably a good thing now and again! I found that I
|
||||||
|
was thinking about my “performance” as often as my productivity. I
|
||||||
|
didn’t need that.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
[2e6d6ea8-930f-4297-9662-d55905f31808.jpg]
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
This is what works for me. I’d never assume it would work for everyone,
|
||||||
|
or that everyone would have the same trouble with an app like Todoist
|
||||||
|
that I eventually did. But if you’ve tried apps of various kinds and
|
||||||
|
still don’t feel the benefits of organizing your work, I’d suggest
|
||||||
|
taking it offline. One point of a system like this is to help you get
|
||||||
|
things done. The other is to help you feel more at ease.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Now, this doesn’t mean I never use a computer for notes and lists. If I
|
||||||
|
write a note or have an idea that I want to transpose to a digital file
|
||||||
|
so that it can become something else — like an article or a message to
|
||||||
|
someone — I use a blue post-it note to mark it and keep it there until
|
||||||
|
I’ve copied it over. (Many of my blue bookmarks are for dream entries
|
||||||
|
that I like to store digitally so I can search them later. Maybe I’ll
|
||||||
|
write something on dream journaling some day…)
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
[0bc93018-95c3-4df0-9185-f89156dcbd19.jpg]
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
These timeless office supplies are very useful to me and I don’t want
|
||||||
|
to live in a world without them:
|
||||||
|
* [40]Stillman & Birn Epsilon sketchbooks
|
||||||
|
* [41]Pilot G2 pens
|
||||||
|
* [42]Electric Yellow Post-it Notes
|
||||||
|
* [43]Oxford Blank Index Cards
|
||||||
|
* binder clips — you can get them anywhere
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Why, though?
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
I am on a continuous quest for organization.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
For most of my life, order has been something of an obsession.
|
||||||
|
Everywhere I look, I see chaos and entropy creeping in. I see a new
|
||||||
|
surface and anticipate wear and tear. I see a functioning system and
|
||||||
|
look for where it will break.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
That may sound like an exaggeration and more than a bit unpleasant, but
|
||||||
|
I’ve come to understand that it’s neither. Life is, paradoxically, both
|
||||||
|
order and disorder.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
The very possibility of life presumes order — the coherence of biology
|
||||||
|
at the atomic level — and yet, the act of living tends toward disorder.
|
||||||
|
As we live and breathe and move about this world we and it push and
|
||||||
|
pull against one another; words against wind, towers and tides, edifice
|
||||||
|
and erosion. Given the broadest and longest view, all created order is
|
||||||
|
futile. We simply don’t live long enough to maintain it.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
But zoomed in, at the closer range of living day by day, created order
|
||||||
|
is, literally, the fabric of functional living. Roofs are order.
|
||||||
|
Clothing is order. Order puts food on the table.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
I find the challenge of creating and maintaining functional systems,
|
||||||
|
well, kind of fun. It is a creative act. And, it never ends. No system
|
||||||
|
can last forever, and no system should. Situations change, needs
|
||||||
|
change, we change. So the things we depend upon to exist well need to
|
||||||
|
change, too. That means we have to continually look for things to make
|
||||||
|
and ways to optimize them. That sounds good to me!
|
||||||
|
__________________________________________________________________
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Written by [44]Christopher Butler on August 18, 2023, In [45]Essays
|
||||||
|
__________________________________________________________________
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Next Entry
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
[46]The Internet's Greatest Potential It seems that the internet’s
|
||||||
|
greatest potential is to create intimacy across distance. Which means
|
||||||
|
we still have a long way to go
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Previous Entry
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
[47]The Internet is Already a Social Network Make it easier for anyone
|
||||||
|
to have a website. Make syndication easier and better. That’s all that
|
||||||
|
is needed to reclaim the power we’ve ceded to the
|
||||||
|
__________________________________________________________________
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
⌨ Keep up via [48]Email or [49]RSS
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
✺ [50]Impressum
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
© Christopher Butler. All rights reserved
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
References
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
1. https://www.chrbutler.com/feed.rss
|
||||||
|
2. file:///
|
||||||
|
3. file:///archives
|
||||||
|
4. file:///information
|
||||||
|
5. file:///now/2024-01-06
|
||||||
|
6. https://www.lg.com/us/monitors/lg-32un880-b-4k-uhd-led-monitor
|
||||||
|
7. https://www.ergotron.com/en-us/products/product-details/45-241#?color=black&attachment option=2-Piece Clamp
|
||||||
|
8. https://www.elgato.com/en/key-light
|
||||||
|
9. https://www.shure.com/en-US/products/microphones/sm7b?variant=SM7B
|
||||||
|
10. https://www.elgato.com/en/wave-mic-arm-lp
|
||||||
|
11. https://electronics.sony.com/imaging/interchangeable-lens-cameras/all-interchangeable-lens-cameras/p/ilce7c-b
|
||||||
|
12. https://electronics.sony.com/imaging/lenses/all-e-mount/p/sel35f14gm
|
||||||
|
13. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LV7GZVB?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
|
||||||
|
14. https://audioengine.com/shop/wirelessspeakers/hd3-wireless-speakers/
|
||||||
|
15. file:///2023-04-24
|
||||||
|
16. https://floydhome.com/products/the-floyd-table?variant=36527968321698
|
||||||
|
17. https://www.standupdeskstore.com/sliding-under-desk-pencil-drawer
|
||||||
|
18. https://www.cyberpowersystems.com/product/ups/pfc-sinewave/cp1500pfclcd/
|
||||||
|
19. https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/kornsjoe-side-table-black-70455412/
|
||||||
|
20. https://www.caldigit.com/thunderbolt-station-4/
|
||||||
|
21. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BBZT42HC?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1
|
||||||
|
22. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QV692XY?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1
|
||||||
|
23. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08ZY48D8M?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1
|
||||||
|
24. https://www.lacie.com/products/big/2big/
|
||||||
|
25. https://www.cloudmicrophones.com/cloudlifter-cl-1?gclid=CjwKCAjw_YShBhAiEiwAMomsENVjS7OaiiBgaZkiAqqDGiUd74Ln6BUrZxcpHovOibPqJUAtNN6weBoCzzkQAvD_BwE
|
||||||
|
26. https://focusrite.com/en/usb-audio-interface/scarlett/scarlett-2i2
|
||||||
|
27. https://www.minidisc.org/part_Sony_MXD-D40.html
|
||||||
|
28. https://www.cyberpowersystems.com/product/ups/pfc-sinewave/cp1500pfclcd/
|
||||||
|
29. https://www.thelibrarystore.com/product/cn66-02050/bookends
|
||||||
|
30. https://g.co/kgs/cfKCBZ
|
||||||
|
31. https://www.irisusainc.com/products/weathertight-storage-box-30-quart
|
||||||
|
32. https://www.etsy.com/listing/120787781/35-extra-deep-4-ft-floating-ledge-for
|
||||||
|
33. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Style-Selections-70-5-in-Black-Shelf-Upright/4640257
|
||||||
|
34. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Style-Selections-2-in-Shelf-Bracket/4640145
|
||||||
|
35. https://www.thelibrarystore.com/product/cn66-02050/bookends
|
||||||
|
36. https://g.co/kgs/cfKCBZ
|
||||||
|
37. https://www.irisusainc.com/products/weathertight-storage-box-30-quart
|
||||||
|
38. https://www.craftsman.com/collections/tradestack
|
||||||
|
39. https://viesso.com/products/dublexo-black-pin-sofa-bed?variant=42181265522844
|
||||||
|
40. https://www.stillmanandbirn.com/products_epsilon_hardbound.php
|
||||||
|
41. https://g.co/kgs/7ot9aS
|
||||||
|
42. https://www.post-it.com/3M/en_US/post-it/products/~/Post-it-Super-Sticky-Notes-3-in-x-3-in-Electric-Yellow-12-Pads-Pack-90-Sheets-Pad/?N=4327+3289961157+3294529207&rt=rud
|
||||||
|
43. https://www.tops-products.com/oxfordtm-blank-index-cards-white-3-x-5-100-per-pack-4.html
|
||||||
|
44. file:///information
|
||||||
|
45. file:///tagged/essays
|
||||||
|
46. file:///2023-08-21
|
||||||
|
47. file:///2023-07-19
|
||||||
|
48. https://dontthinkaboutthefuture.eo.page/8y4tg
|
||||||
|
49. http://chrbutler.com/feed.rss
|
||||||
|
50. file:///impressum
|
||||||
Reference in New Issue
Block a user