Think out of the box with your in box. It really can be a table, or a corner of your desk or kitchen counter. The important thing is that you label it, at least mentally, your one-and-only in box and use it faithfully. Everything that comes into your office that you don’t immediately put away needs to go in here so that you can find it when you’re ready to deal with it.
We all have the best intentions about our stuff. We set something down for a moment, just long enough to answer the phone or open the door. And just like that, the thing is forgotten. It’s become part of the background. And it probably won’t be where you think it is when you go to look for it. But if you had an in box, well, it would be in there.
Actually, Claire, I advise my clients against using anything that is horizontal for storing things, even "temporarily". I have found that for most people who have clutter issues, horizontal storage makes things visually and mentally disappear. That is why people have HUGE piles of "to do's" that they never quite get to. They toss everything in one pile and soon that pile becomes so intimidating that it "disappears" visually, even though it is screaming at the person on the energetic level.
The only exception to this non-horizontal rule would be storage of items that are identical, such as different written forms that you would send out in a packet, different types, colors or sizes of paper that you would use for printing, etc.
Just my two cents!
Also, I wanted to say thank you so much for your email Inbox tip! I went from well over 500 emails to about 75 last night. I so much appreciate your advice!
I would love it if your readers would come on over and take my survey about email inbox volume: http://www.its-not-about-your-stuff.com/2006/08/i_did_it.html
warmly,
Jessica Duquette
Posted by: Jessica Duquette | August 4, 2006 9:57 AM | Permalink to Comment