43 Folders

Back to Work

Merlin’s weekly podcast with Dan Benjamin. We talk about creativity, independence, and making things you love.

Join us via RSS, iTunes, or at 5by5.tv.

”What’s 43 Folders?”
43Folders.com is Merlin Mann’s website about finding the time and attention to do your best creative work.

What's On The White Board?

I have this dry-erase board I use for quick notes -- dashing off phone numbers, little reminders, that kind of thing. I've found it much easier than searching for something to write on/with when I'm on the phone, and I can't stand typing notes while I'm talking.

Thing is, a lot of the items on the board are short-lived, especially the phone numbers; I need them when I need them, but they don't make the cut when it comes to inputing them into Address Book or whatever.Obviously, I erase the white board fairly regularly.

In doing so, I've found an easy little task that has saved me more than once: I created a file in Together (the digital junk drawer - they'll all work for this) and I routinely add dated (with TextExpander) "WWOTB (What Was On The Board)?" notes, onto which I transcribe the whiteboard entries before I erase them.

It's just a quick way to save me from having to look up a number, remember a dumb little statistic, etc.

It also prevents that phantom phone number thing -- where you have a number in your notes that's been there so long you've forgotten who it calls. By regularly dumping the white board into a file, I can clean it up, attribute phone numbers, and define the things that need to be defined.

Anyway, just a thought.

About Sean Coffee

 
EXPLORE 43Folders THE GOOD STUFF

Popular
Today

Popular
Classics

An Oblique Strategy:
Honor thy error as a hidden intention


STAY IN THE LOOP:

Subscribe with Google Reader

Subscribe on Netvibes

Add to Technorati Favorites

Subscribe on Pageflakes

Add RSS feed

The Podcast Feed

Cranking

Merlin used to crank. He’s not cranking any more.

This is an essay about family, priorities, and Shakey’s Pizza, and it’s probably the best thing he’s written. »

Scared Shitless

Merlin’s scared. You’re scared. Everybody is scared.

This is the video of Merlin’s keynote at Webstock 2011. The one where he cried. You should watch it. »