GettingThings Done. The Art of Stress-Free Productivity

It is critical that you have your own work space. You want to use your systems, not just think about them.

You can work virtually everywhere if you have a clean, compact system and know how to process your stuff rapidly and portably. But you'll still need a "home base" with a well-grooved set of tools and sufficient space for all the reference and support material that you'll want somewhere close at hand-when you "land." Most people I work with need at least four file drawers for their general-reference and project-support types of paper-based materials—and it's hard to imagine that all of that could ever be totally and easily movable.

Getting the Tools You'll Need

If you're committed to a full implementation of this workflow process, there are some basic supplies and equipment that you'll need to get you started. As you go along, you're likely to dance between using what you're used to and evaluating the possibilities for new and different gear to work with.

Note that good tools don't necessarily have to be expensive. Often, on the low-tech side, the more "executive" something looks, the more dysfunctional it really is. 

The Basic Processing Tools

Let's assume you're starting from scratch. In addition to a desktop work space, you'll need:

• Paper-holding trays (at least three)

• A stack of plain letter-size paper

• A pen/pencil

• Post-its (3X3s)

• Paper clips

• Binder clips

• A stapler and staples

• Scotch tape

• Rubber bands

• An automatic labeler

• File folders

• A calendar

• Wastebasket/recycling bins 

Paper-Holding Trays

These will serve as your in-basket and out-basket, with one or two others for work-in-progress support papers and/or your "read and review" stack. The most functional trays are the side-facing letter or legal stackable kinds, which have no "lip" on them to keep you from sliding out a single piece of paper.

Plain Paper

You'll use plain paper for the initial collection process. Believe it or not, putting one thought on one full-size sheet of paper can have enormous value. Although most people will wind up processing their notes into some sort of list organizer, a few will actually stick with the simple piece-of-paper-per-thought system. In any case, it's important to have plenty of letter-size writing paper or tablets around to make capturing ad hoc input easy.

Post-its, Clips, Stapler, Etc.

Post-its, clips, stapler, tape, and rubber bands will come in handy for routing and storing paper-based materials. We're not finished with paper yet (if you haven't noticed!), and the simple tools for managing it are essential.

Moment-to-moment collecting, thinking, processing, and organizing are challenging enough; always ensure that you have the tools to make them as easy as possible.

The Labeler

The labeler is a surprisingly critical tool in our work. Thousands of executives and professionals and homemakers I have worked with now have their own automatic labelers, and my archives are full of their comments, like, "Incredible—I wouldn't have believed what a difference it makes!" The labeler will be used to label your file folders, binder spines, and numerous other things.

At this writing, I recommend the Brother labeler—it's the most user-friendly. Get the least expensive one that sits on a desk and has an AC adapter (so you won't have to worry about batter ies). Also get a large supply of cassettes of label tape—black letters on white tape (instead of clear) are much easier to read and allow you to relabel folders you might want to reuse.

You can get software and printer sheets to make computer-generated labels, but I prefer the stand-alone tool. If you have to wait to do your filing or labeling as a batch job, you'll most likely resist making files for single pieces of paper, and it'll add the formality factor, which really puts the brakes on this system.

File Folders

You'll need plenty of file folders (get letter size if you can, legal size if you must). You may also need an equal number of Pendaflex-style file-folder hangers, if your filing system requires them. Plain manila folders are fine—color-coding is a level of complexity that's hardly ever worth the effort. Your general-reference filing system should just be a simple library. 

Calendar

Although you may not need a calendar just to collect your incomplete items, you'll certainly come up with actions that need to be put there, too. As I noted earlier, the calendar should be used not to hold action lists but to track the "hard landscape" of things that have to get done on a specific day or at a specific time.