How to Clean Out a Junk Drawer

By Dee Jones


You know the junk drawer I’m talking about.

Every time you open it and behold the mess inside, you promise yourself you’ll clean it out. Someday soon. Really.

Yet that drawer remains as junky as ever.

The problem is that, while the drawer might be small, cleaning it out feels like a big job. There’s just so much stuff in there. How can you even start to deal with it all.

Well, you can start with the step-by-step process below.

Here’s a simple, step-by-step blueprint that will help you de-clutter that messy junk drawer. It’s quick and painless. And you might even find it relaxing.

Step 1: Add “Clean Out Junk Drawer” to Your Schedule

No, really.

Adding something like this to your schedule might feel a little silly. But when you set an actual time to do something, there’s a better chance you’ll actually do it.
   
Choose a time of day when you usually have thirty to sixty minutes free.

Don’t worry. You won’t be stuck cleaning out that drawer for thirty to sixty minutes at a clip. You’re only going to commit to doing it for 10 minutes at a time. But when you want to spend more time on the task, you’ll be able to because you’ll have some “extra time” free.
   
And, believe it or not, you’ll sometimes want to keep going.

So add “Clean Out Junk Drawer” to your digital calendar. And set an alarm to go off at that time every day as a reminder.

Step 2: Get Two Empty Boxes

The size of the boxes will depend on how big the drawer is, and how much junk is in the drawer. But unless it’s a gigantic drawer filled with oversized items, two nice-sized shoeboxes should be all you need.

Now label one box “keep,” and the other “throw away.”

Step 3: Set a Timer and Start Sorting

You can use an egg timer, the timer on your microwave, or a timer app on your cell phone. It just needs to be close enough for you to hear it when it goes off.

Place the boxes within easy reach of the drawer. Or, if possible, pull out the drawer and take it (and your boxes) to that comfy chair in the living room. Because nobody said you can’t be comfortable while de-cluttering.

Now set your timer for 10 minutes and start sorting.

When the timer goes off after 10 minutes, you’re done for the day. Just set the two boxes somewhere inconspicuous, and return the drawer to its rightful place.

Of course, if you want to keep going, you can. Set the timer for another 10 minutes and sort some more. And if the timer goes off and you still feel like doing more sorting, set the timer again.

Strange as it sounds, giving yourself permission to stop will often make you want to keep going.

Step 4: Empty the “Throw Away” Box

Your junk drawer is now an empty drawer, and everything has been sorted into your two boxes.

Now take your “throw away” box and dump its contents in the nearest trash can.
   
If you don’t do this right away, the junk in that box will work its way back into your junk drawer. Or some other container or drawer somewhere else in your house. Because that’s how it seems to work.

So rifle through the “throw away” box one last time to make sure there’s nothing in it you need to keep. And, after that, toss.

Now you can return the stuff in your keep box to the junk drawer.

At this point, you might be satisfied with the current state of your junk drawer. So rub your hands together and pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

But if you want to see if you can de-junkify that drawer even more, move on to step 5.

Step 5: Do a Second Sort

During your first sort, I bet you hesitated over some of that junk. You picked up some old bauble and couldn’t decide whether to throw it away or keep it. And, chances are, it ended up in the “keep” box.

Well a lot of the things you hesitated over the first time around will end up in your “throw away” box on a second sort.

So, got go through the process again. On another day, at your scheduled “junk drawer cleaning” time, repeat steps two through four.

Step 6: Do Yet Another Sort

Here’s an optional step that will de-clutter your junk drawer even more.

Some of the stuff in your junk drawer could be put somewhere else. For example:

• Those board game pieces could go in the box with the rest of the game.
• Those coupons could go in your purse or wallet. (After all, when you’re at the store, having coupons in a drawer at home won’t do you much good.)
• That calculator your child’s been looking for everywhere (except the junk drawer, apparently) could be put in his room.

Everything you put somewhere else equals one less piece of clutter in the junk drawer. So take the “throw away” box and re-label it “somewhere else.” Then go through the drawer again, sorting stuff into the two boxes.

When you’re done, you can start moving that “somewhere else” stuff to more suitable places. But you don’t have to do this all at once. Instead, turn your 10-minute “Clean Out Junk Drawer” sessions, into 10-minute “Deal with Stuff in Somewhere Else Box” sessions.

Step 7: Enjoy Your Newly De-Cluttered Junk Drawer

Finally, return the stuff in the “keep” box to the drawer, and you’re finished.

Chances are your junk drawer won’t be immaculate. It’s still a junk drawer, after all.

But it will be less junky than it was before. And you might actually be able to find stuff in there now.

And once you’ve dealt with one junk drawer, you can use this process to deal with other drawers that might not be as junky, but can still use some neatening up.



Seem like a lot of steps? Maybe. But this process works because it breaks cleaning out your junk drawer into small, doable steps.

And that’s the best way to get any project done.

Don’t Organize Your Computer Files, Use “Search” Instead

By Dee Jones


Don’t want to spend precious free time organizing the files on your computer?

Well, according to some folks, you don’t have to. Not if you have a decent search function on your computer.

It’s true. There are people out there who don’t make any real effort to organize their digital files. Instead, they let most of their files end up wherever they end up. And, when they need to find a specific file, they just use their computer’s search function.

If you don’t enjoy organizing the files on your computer, relying on search might sound pretty appealing. But it’s not without its drawbacks.

Luckily, these five tips can help you avoid some of the pitfalls.


Give Your Files Logical Names

When creating a file, give it a name you would logically to find it using a search. And do the same with the files you download. Otherwise, finding a file using search will be a lot harder, if not impossible.


Use Macro Category Folders

If the thought of having computer files scattered all over the place gives you the willies, but you’d still like to try this “non organization” method, create *macro category folders* for your files. You can have a folder for the ebooks you download, image files, computer programs, videos, or anything else you can think of. You can even throw all of your media files (videos, pictures, music files, etc.) into one folder called *Media Archive.*

This way, if you want to look for a file the old fashioned way, you at least know what folder to look in.


Learn Your Computer’s Search Function

If your computer has a reasonably good search function, doing a basic search will usually be enough to find a file. But knowing a few tricks can help you find it faster.

For example, if you know how to refine your search by file type, your computer will only look at those types of files when doing a search, which will shave some time off of how long it takes to find the file. True, it might only save you a minute or two, but those minutes can add up.


Use 3rd Party Search Software

I’ve been on computers where it could take ten minutes, or more, to find a file using the search function. If that’s the case with your computer, consider using a 3rd party search program. You can find plenty of good ones for free, and one of them might help you find files much faster than your computer’s native search function does.


It’s Okay to Do a Little Organizing

There are some files you won’t want to throw into the ether of your computer’s hard drive. Files for a current project, for example. Or important financial documents. Or the backups from various computer programs.

Create a few folders for files you need to be able to find quickly, can’t afford to lose, or don’t want to lose track of.


For some people, there are few things more boring than trying to keep the files on their computer organized. If you’re one of those people, the good news is there’s an alternative to trying to organize those digital files. With these tips, you’ll be able to find what you need when you need it with a quick search.


How do you keep the files on your computer organized? Or have you abandoned trying to organize your files in favor of using the search function?

Desk Clutter: Keep Your Desk Organized without Using Drawers

by Dee Jones


Would you like to have a tidy and organized desk?

Well, it’s no wonder. After all, there are plenty of advantages:

• When you’re desk is organized and free of clutter, you have a place for everything, and everything is in its place.
• Instead of rummaging through a messy drawer in search of a paper clip or rubber band, you know exactly where to look for everything. And you can find whatever you need in seconds.
• Thanks to your tidy, clutter-free environment, the hours you spend working are more relaxed and productive than ever before.

It all sounds great, doesn’t it?

But the truth is that, for a lot of us, having a meticulously organized desk just doesn’t work.

What Usually Happens When You Clean Off Your Desk

Does this sound familiar?

One afternoon, you spend a few hours straightening your desktop. When you’re done, everything is neatly stored in a specific drawer, or tray, or holder.

Looking at your handiwork, you feel this great sense of accomplishment. And you’re convinced that your organized and clutter-free desktop is going to help you get more done.

But then you start to work, and it all falls apart.

When you need your stapler, you have to spend a minute or two remembering where you put it. Then you have to open the drawer, cabinet or container the stapler is in to get it out.

When you’re done with the stapler, returning it to its new home just seems like too much trouble. So, instead of being neatly tucked away, it ends up right back where it started. On top of your desk.

The same thing happens with your highlighter, your box of paperclips, and your index cards. And, before you know it, your desktop is just as messy and cluttered as it was before.

Maybe organizing your desk in the conventional way just isn’t for you. But you’d still like your desktop to be in some kind of order.

And here’s a quick, easy and effortless way to keep your desktop clutter-free.

Do This before You Organize Your Computer Files

by Dee Jones


There was a time when the storage space on most personal computers was limited. As a result, computer users tended to be a lot pickier about what they did and didn’t keep.

Now days, computers come with a huge amount of space. You can save thousands of documents, images, ebooks and software applications, and still have room for thousands more.

Now most would agree that having a lot of storage space is better than not having enough. But, when you’ve got hundreds—or thousands—of computer files, keeping them organized (so you can find what you need when you need it) can be a real challenge. In fact, it’s such a challenge that most of us don’t want to do it at all.

Unfortunately, having hundreds of disorganized computer files means that, sometimes, you won’t be able to find what you need when you need it.

According to Leo Babauta, a popular productivity and personal development blogger, you shouldn’t try to organize until you do a purge. After all, you won’t have to organize files you don’t have.

In A 3-Step Cure for Digital Packrats, and How to Know If You’re One of Them, Babauta gives some quick and easy tips on how to get rid of computer clutter. And I’ve used those tips (with a few of my own tweaks) to clean out everything from computer files, to browser bookmarks, to Evernote files.

So, if you want to organize your computer files, here’s how you do a pre-organizing purge.


1. Create a Temporary Folder. I usually name my temporary folder -Temporary- or -Temp-. If you start a folder name with a symbol, that folder will get sorted to the top, making it much easier to find.


2. Choose the Folder You Want to Purge. Babauta suggests starting with the largest folder, which is probably the one that contains the most clutter. For the sake of this post, let’s pretend you’re cleaning out your Downloads folder, which is filled with all of the free ebooks, mp3 files, and free software programs you’ve downloaded in the last few months.


3. Move Anything You Want to Keep to the Temporary Folder. Now go through the Documents folder and move the files you absolutely, positively want to keep to the temporary folder.

When most people try to clean out their computer files, they try to delete the files they don’t want anymore. But, for some reason, I find picking files to keep a lot easier than picking files to throw away.


4. Delete what’s Left. Go into the Documents folder, select all of the files that are left, and hit. This can be surprisingly hard the first, or even second, time that you do it. After all, what if you throw away something important?

If it will set your mind at ease, go through the folder one more time to see if there’s anything you want to move to the temporary folder. Then, after that second pass, delete the remaining files.


5. Deal with the Temporary Folder. So what do you do with the files in the temporary folder? Well, you have two options.

Option one is organizing the files in the temporary folder. Just take each file and move it to the appropriate folder.

But if you don’t want to organize the files just yet, there’s option two. Go through the temporary folder and move any files you really need right now (like the research for an essay you’re writing) to an appropriate folder (like Documents). Then move the files left in the temporary folder to a Backlog folder. You can deal with organizing those files later. 


Once you’ve purged that first folder, you can move on to purging another one. And, with each folder you purge, the process will get easier. Not only will you find yourself keeping fewer files, you won’t be so hesitant to hit the delete button. In fact, you’ll actually start to enjoy it. There’s something invigorating about getting rid of so much clutter that fast.



By the time you have de-cluttered all of your folders, you’ll find that it’s a lot easier to find the files you need when you need them. And you might also find that your computer runs faster and more smoothly than it did before.


How about you? Do you have any tips for de-cluttering your computer? Leave a comment below and let us know.

Get Your Email Inbox Under Control...in Just 5 Minutes

by Dee Jones

How out of control is your email inbox? Do you have a couple hundred old messages sitting in there? Or maybe you have a few thousand.

Does opening your inbox, and looking at the chaos inside, make you feel tired? If so, I bet the thought of trying to organize that mess is downright exhausting.

But having a messy inbox makes it too easy for something important to fall through the cracks. In fact, I bet you've overlooked more than one important message because of the mess.

But how can you get your email inbox under control? Where do you even start?

Fortunately, there's a quick and easy way to get a handle on the chaos in your inbox. And you can do it in five minutes or less.

How?

By using the Backlog Method.

What Is the Backlog Method?

The Backlog Method is a three step process that can help you clean out just about anything, from an email account, to a junk drawer, to an attic that's been collecting odds and ends for the past decade or so.

I first read about this organization method on Mark Forster's website. For those unfamiliar with the name, Forster is the author of several books on time management, including Do It Tomorrow (which some consider the best time management book since Getting Things Done). He also created AutoFocus, a free task management system that took the productivity world by storm a few years back.

The Backlog Method has two things going for it. First, it's  simple, so you don't need a complex diagram or flow chart to follow the steps. Secondly, it's fast. You can use the Backlog Method to get any mess under control in a matter of minutes.

And here's how you can use this method to get control of your inbox.

Step 1: Move Everything to a Backlog Folder

You've probably tried to clean out your inbox before, but soon gave up.

The problem?

When you try to clean out an overflowing inbox, it's hard to see any progress. Purging a hundred old files is great. But when you still have several hundred (or several thousand) more messages staring you in the face, it feels like all the work you just did made no difference.

Talk about demoralizing. No wonder you couldn't find the motivation to keep going.

Creating a Backlog folder takes care of that problem. All you do it:

1.  Create a new folder called “Backlog.”
2.  Go into your inbox and select as many files as you can in one go.
3.  Move the selected files to your Backlog folder.
4.  Repeat steps 2 and 3 until your inbox is completely empty.

You'll be amazed at the sense of relief you feel when your inbox has been cleared out. Yes, the old files are still there. And you still have to deal with them. (Maybe.) But, for now, they're out of sight and out of mind. The chaos has been dealt with and the slate has been wiped clean.

Have you ever thought that, if you could just go back to when you first created your email account, you would do everything differently? You'd keep everything organized and under control, so that you'd never get into the mess you're in now

Well, that's almost what you're doing when you move everything out of the inbox and into a Backlog folder. You're giving yourself the chance to start over from scratch, and to “do it right” this time around.

Which brings us to the next step of the Backlog Method.

Step 2: Get a System in Place for Handling New Emails

You email inbox is empty for now, but it won't be for long. After all, new email messages will keep coming in. And if you don't have a system for dealing with those new emails, your inbox will be out of control again in no time.

Search online and you'll find dozens of systems for keeping your inbox organized. One that's pretty well known is Inbox Zero, created by writer and productivity hacker Merlin Mann. Check it out. But check out some other systems too, to see if there's another one out there that you like even more.

What matters most is that you choose a system that you find simple and easy to maintain. The simpler the system, the more likely you are to keep using it.

No matter what system you use, keeping your inbox under control will be easier if you lower the amount of email you have coming in every day. One way to do this is to unsubscribe from some of the mailing lists you're on, especially if you rarely (if ever) read the messages they send you.

The next time you receive a message or newsletter from one of those lists, open the message, click the unsubscribe link (which you'll usually find near the bottom), and then delete the message.

Step 3: Clean Out the Backlog….Or Not

The next step in the Backlog Method is to clean out the Backlog. But I think it's okay for you to skip this step for now. Or possibly forever.

 If the thought of cleaning out your Backlog fills you with dread, just forget about it. If you ever need something in your Backlog folder, you can always use the search function to find it.

However, if you do want to deal with your Backlog, set aside some time every day to clean it out. And it doesn't have to be a lot of time either. Just ten minutes a day will slowly but surely chip away at those old, mostly obsolete, email messages.

Try to pick a specific time for clearing out your Backlog, otherwise you'll never get around to it. For example, you can work on it every night at 7:30. Or you can make it a rule that you can't get on Twitter until you spend ten minutes on your Backlog.

One way to quickly decrease the size of your Backlog is to do a mass delete of old newsletters and mailing list messages. Just search for every email you've received from each sender, select all of those messages, and hit delete.


When your email inbox is overflowing with old messages, trying to clean it out can seem like a lost cause. But, with the Backlog Method, you can get the chaos under control in three simple steps.

So how out of control is your email inbox? Or do you have some great tips for keeping your email organized? Comment below and let us know.