For instance, I still need to do my taxes. Normally I have them done by February, but I still have some sorting and data entry to do. It’s been harder to fit it in than I thought it would be. So it’s on my to-do list: do taxes. But that’s a lot to think about isn’t it?

That’s because it’s more of a project than a to-do item. What’s the anatomy of a to-do item? According to Merlin at 43folders, it’s this:

• It’s a physical action
• It can be accomplished at a sitting
• It supports valuable progress toward a recognized goal
• It’s something for which you are the most appropriate person for the job

If your list contains items bigger or more complicated than that, then those items may not actually belong on your to-do list, but on a project list. As David Allen notes in Getting Things Done, a small project requires more than one activity in order to be completed.

Filing taxes is definitely a small project – or maybe even a large one! Here are the steps I still need to take:

• Go through the last of my receipts for business expenses
• Log the expenses
• Review the entries to make sure items have categories and are categorized properly
• Add up expense categories (my accounting software will do this, but I still need to prompt it to add up everything for just 2008)
• Enter the totals into my tax software
• Pay my tax bill or get a refund (I think we’ll be pretty close to even, so at this point it could go either way)
• Monitor my filing to make sure it is accepted by the IRS

You see, doing my taxes is more than just a single item. And when I stop to do just one pieces, like going through my receipts, it suddenly doesn’t seem to intimidating.

Take a close look at your to-do list. Think about what your next action should be. Is that really reflected on your list?

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As I’m working, I tend to think of something else that I need to do. If I don’t do it right then, it’s easy to forget. But by doing that task right then I lose the momentum on the current task.

Enter the notes. I jot down the idea I had or the to-do item for later. It keeps me from veering off in another direction, suddenly realizing I’m ten minutes into a completely different task. Because then I’ve lost track of what I was originally doing. So the notes actually help keep me focused. That’s a good thing!

Unfortunately, I’m starting to get a stack of little papers in front of my monitor. And with a child who is almost tall enough to reach them and who has a penchant for ripping and shredding paper, I risk losing track of those ideas.

I need to bring back my notebook. I have plenty of blank notebooks, so it’s time to return to a better system. I can capture all of my ideas, notes and lists all in one place, refer back to it when needed, and even take it with me. As long as I don’t lose the notebook (or let the child get ahold of it) I’ll have my ideas with me. And it beats searching my desk for that ‘one’ piece of paper I just know I have there somewhere. Or leaving said piece of paper in the office when I really needed it on the road.

I’ll still keep the tear-off calendar. I like having the day’s date right in front of me. And the pieces of paper are great for quick calculations on something that I won’t need to save for later. But if it’s anything I think I’ll need later, it’s best to capture it somewhere else.

Do you need to grab an idea before it disappears? Do you find yourself getting distracted by those ideas, losing momentum on what you should be doing? What’s working for you?

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So many of us suffer from the clutter affliction. We have too much paper, too many gadgets, and basically just too much stuff crammed into our offices. What are we to do?

Some people live with the clutter, never quite able to find what they need. Others upgrade their space, thinking that just a little more room will help. And many of us buy more containers to better organize all that stuff.

It’s all too much! That’s precisely the point of Walsh’s book. We have too much stuff. We don’t need all of it. We’re too attached to things.

While the book is geared toward homeowners, there are good points for business owners as well.

Take a look at your office. Define the purpose of the space. Everything that does not fit that space needs to go. It does not belong there. Create zones in the office to help increase your efficiency. Try to keep your horizontal spaces as clear as possible. And notice how a clean desk does wonders for making your office feel calmer and more efficient.

File regularly and get rid of paper clutter. We keep way more paper than we’ll ever need. Be ruthless. If you haven’t looked at something in a year, you probably don’t need it. (Tax returns and other important documents excluded.)

All in all, I found Walsh’s book easy to read and packed with a lot of great information. I was immediately inspired to start purging things I know I don’t need, but had been putting off getting rid of. It’s still a work in progress, but it was just the push I needed.

I still tend to keep too many books and notebooks. But I’m learning what paper to throw away and will hopefully be able to start scanning more receipts for taxes and getting rid of even more paper.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? Did it help you?

Image: Amazon.com

(For a link to this book, please see the Author Links page.)

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So how do you decide what to use? There are binders, magazine files, stacking trays, vertical desktop organizers, file cabinets, shoe boxes, regular boxes.

First, you need to look at your needs. What types of items do you plan to store? For how long?

What items do you have on hand? Will they work for your storage needs? Just because a magazine file is made for magazines doesn’t mean you have to use it that way. I use some of mine to store paper and printer supplies because they fit nicely on the shelf above my desk.

I use a small, upright stacker for stamps and address labels. You could use yours for bills that need to be paid. What about binders? You can use them for long-term storage or items that you refer to frequently. Or both.

File boxes are generally suited to longer-term storage, since they’re not as easy to access as other types of storage. Evaluate how often you need to retrieve things and where you’ll store them.

The key is to adapt items to suit your style. There’s nothing wrong with changing things up and inventing a new way of using your storage. What items have you adapted from their original use? Do you only use something for its “designated” use? How do you decide which items to use, and for what?

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For instance, put the things you need most closest to you. Only keep today’s “to do” items on your desk. Get rid of the ten notebooks you have strewn around and write everything down in one place. And clear your desk every day. Watch the video, from AsktheDecorator.com:

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And when I want to access it from a variety of computers, I turn to Delicious (formerly del.icio.us). I can easily save a site to my bookmarks, tag it, and return to it later. Also, it’s linked to my Friend Feed so others can see what I’m bookmarking as well.

You can use a bookmarklet to save your pages, or you can try the Delicious Firefox add-on. I really like the add-on because it saves a little time. I can add notes, tag it, and hit enter. Done. It doesn’t take me off of the page and back again like the Delicious bookmarklet does.

It just helps speed things up. I can quickly save a site for later reference. And when I’m doing a lot of research, it can be a great time-saver. Not to mention that I can get to my bookmarks from my computer, my husband’s or anyone’s, really.

The plugin isn’t perfect. It doesn’t work the same way on my Mac as it does on Windows. On my Mac, I don’t see previous bookmarks and tags in my list (that’s especially important when you’re sharing an account) so it’s easy to wipe out any previous references. From my Windows-using buddies, I hear that the previous tags show up with no problem.

While it’s imperfect, it has many great points. Easily tag pages. See what you’ve recently bookmarked. Quickly jump to your Delicious page. It can be a great time-saver. Have you tried it yet?

What other add-ons and plug-ins do you find indispensable for your productivity?

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You can brainstorm the beginnings of a project, to help you figure out what resources you’ll need or what general steps to take. It gives you a solid starting point, something to help you flesh out a larger plan.

Try planning your day this way. Think about everything you need – or think you need – to accomplish that day. And then you can choose the most important items and go from there.

Sometimes, mind mapping is a great way to throw out ideas. Don’t think too long and hard about it – the point is just to get ideas on paper. And don’t judge. You can qualify the pieces later.

Lifehacker’s recent featured download is called PersonalBrain. And there’s a free version! It works on Mac, Windows, or Linux, so there’s a version for almost everyone. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’ll be checking it out. I could use a little inspiration. How about you?

Do you use mind mapping? Does it work for you? What other idea-generating exercises do you engage in?

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It’s so easy to get distracted by busy work. When I’m waiting on a particular email, I find myself jumping over to look every time a couple of new messages arrive. It’s counterproductive. So I’m working on it.

Over at Zen Habits, there’s a post about defeating that urge to do useless tasks. Leo lists 20 ways to help you fight that tendency. Take a look at the entire list for some great tips.

Here are some of my favorites:

Know what’s important
He suggests marking down your top three priorities for the day. Hmm, where have I heard that before? (Yes, I said five, but it’s still listing your top tasks.)

Be accountable
It definitely helps if you have a friend who can hold you accountable.

Reward yourself
It’s important to give yourself a pat on the back for doing what you set out to do.

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