The document provides tips and guidelines for organizing one's work including maintaining a clean desk, using a tickler file and to-do list, implementing a paper workflow, and tips for managing email effectively. Calendar items should be deadline-driven tasks and appointments only. Organization helps with focus but does not equate to motivation. Standard responses can be created for recurring situations using tools like PhraseExpress or TextExpanders.

1. Justin Baeder

2. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sashawolff/3222809122/

3. http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsuph001/2613804125/

4. http://www.flickr.com/photos/elwillo/4509654631/

5. http://www.flickr.com/photos/denverjeffrey/1950409800/

7. http://www.flickr.com/photos/msstewart/4272079103/

8. Never has anything on it, except what I’m working on right now Messy sometimes, but I try to leave it clean at the end of the day Piles of paper are bar graphs showing my importance I haven ’t seen it in a while Rate Your Desk

9. http://www.flickr.com/photos/quinnanya/2122108119/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/titanas/3576536370/

10. “ A _____ for __________ and __________ in its _____. ”

11. Tickler File Feb Jan Dec Nov Oct Sept Aug July June May April 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 today 17 4 2 1 3 Mar 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 16 15 14 13 12 11 Feb 2012

12. Trash or forward Next Action Stickies  To-Do List Tickler File Reference File To Read Log & file Paper Workflow

13. Get out conference handouts & other papers in your bag Add sticky note: file, recycle, copy for ___, read later, add to agenda/to-do list, etc. Don ’t deal with it now – just make a decision Next Action Stickies

14. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jwalsh_/2448345334/

16. Write everything down.

17. Handle each item as few times as possible Separate actionable & non-actionable items Create the destinations you need “ Hide” things you aren’t ready to work on yet

18. To-Do List http://www.flickr.com/photos/robandstephanielevy/4668030838/

19. To-Do List Owner ’s Guide Write everything down Process inbox regularly (to empty) Create new agendas/contexts Work by agenda/context Purge items with < 100% commitment Keep a separate “maybe” list

20. OmniFocus (iPad)

21. OmniFocus (iPhone)

22. Remember The Milk

23. Remember The Milk

24. Push not post Assume disinterest Eliminate friction Don’t write Sunday night Communication

25. Agendas

26. Calendar http://www.flickr.com/photos/katietegtmeyer/124315323/

27. Organization ≠ Motivation

28. Deadline-driven tasks and appointments only Alerts/reminders on phone or computer Recurring time-sensitive tasks (e.g. take out trash) Calendar

29. http://www.flickr.com/photos/esparta/1609874001/

30. Keep status accurate (read/unread) Postpone: NudgeMail Goal: Inbox Zero

31. Recurring situations  standard responses PhraseExpress, TextExpander, or text file

32. Brainstorm categories, e.g. spam Compare with someone else Useful boilerplate

33. Unsubscribe Read FYIs on phone; mark others as unread Add tasks to to-do list Use PhraseExpress (Win) or TextExpander (Mac) Use keyboard shortcuts Keep Outlook closed (at least turn off alerts) Handle email at your convenience Save & add keywords for search Don ’t over-file Set the example Email Tips

35. Instructional leaders influence teachers, who influence students, who are the bottom line. Our effectiveness directly impacts the lives of students. Thank you for all you do each day.

36. Weekly email newsletter: http://www.eduleadership.org [email_address] Twitter: @eduleadership Handouts: Write email address on sheet