Quite a few clients I’ve worked with in the past year have an obsession.
This obsession shows up in offices, vehicles, bags, and on kitchen counters.
Partially used. Nearly forgotten. Scrawled on with notes, names, and phone numbers. Very Important. Mostly buried in piles or stuck in drawers. Lost but not completely forgotten. Valuable but hidden.
This obsession my clients have with the yellow legal pad is the bane of my existence (followed quickly by piles of “scrap paper” and folders labeled “miscellaneous”).
The yellow pad seems like a good idea. It’s portable, visible, and easy for note taking. Grab one for each client or event and go.
The problem is, you fail to DO anything with the yellow legal pad once you’re finished (or partially finished) with it.
Today’s questions are about processing all those notes, numbers, names, and other information you scrawl into those yellow legal pads.
“Wait, what is processing?”
Processing is the act of deciding what something is, what priority it needs, deciding where it will “live” and choosing the very next action so you do something with it. Productivity guru David Allen is the King of Processing.
When processing information of ANY kind, ask yourself:
- When will I sit down and process information? What’s my routine or schedule?
- Is this information nice to know or need to know?
- What’s the very next action I need to take on this?
- Where will this information live until I can take that action?
- Where will it live after I take that action?
- Where will it live after I’m complete with it?
I’ve always said the trash can, recycle bin, and shredder should be your best friends. I say it because it’s true.
Admit it: you keep too much that’s only nice to know and you have a terrible (or non-existent) system for the need to know stuff.
Spend a bit of time learning to process the information you scrawl on those yellow pads. You’ll feel a whole more calm and in control once you do (and you won’t have those pesky yellow piles taking up space and gathering dust).
Angie
P.S. If you haven’t downloaded a copy of my Make Some Room Manifesto yet, now might be a good time to grab it for inspiration!