Saturday Surprise Box

TOPIC: To-Do Lists, Files, and Piles of Paperwork

Okay, I asked what you wanted to organize, and hands down, it was taking care of the piles of paperwork and reducing the TO-DO Lists! So, if this sounds like you, check out this post!

To-Do List will be one of the LAST items we address. No worries, we will get there and take care of it all.

PILES OF PAPERWORK:

Let’s start with the paperwork piles. These are household and personal items only (if you have work-related items, set them aside). We are beginning with personal items first.

You may want to collect these items before you get started.

1. A collection bucket (just for today)
2. A pretty box that you can put in a central location, big enough for full-sized papers and cards. We are going to call this your “Weekly Surprise Box.”
3. 3 x 5 cards, stickies, paper clips, clips, rubber bands, and pens

Now, go get your personal and household paperwork, and put it in the bucket. Yep, just stack it in the bucket—plan at least 1.5 hours per bucket for this first round. Yes, per bucket, I have no idea how much paperwork you have. But, if it is more than three buckets, you should break this up into two days.

Here we go!

• Take each piece of paper out of the bucket.
• Decide on one of three things

Is it a KEEP, FILE, OR FIX ITEM?

Start a stack for each! I put sticky notes on mine if specific actions need to be taken, but keep it moving fast. Try not to get distracted. If it is not any of these three, then can it be recycled?

If it is one of these, can it be done fast? If so, start a “do fast” list on a single piece of paper and add it to the list to be done today. If not, put it in your Saturday Surprise box.

Once you have sorted the first box into the three stacks or recycle, now is the time to take action. ASAP.take action on the things that can be done fast (in just a few minutes), and when completed, then file the paper or recycle it if no longer needed.

1. Fix – Please, please, please do any and all fast things first, and then you can move that completed items to the paper to the file stack or the recycle stack if the completed task is no longer needed.
2. File – Go ahead and file any and all things that need to be filed. Try to keep up the pace and not get stuck on filing decisions. If you need a new folder, make one, and keep going.

That leaves you with a few things that…

• need more time to take action on
• you want to keep for later to read or reference
• it has no home

So, let’s address these three things now.

A. If you need more time to take action, can it wait until you are ready to address your weekly Surprise box?

• If not, do it now.
• If so, put your first thing in the weekly Surprise box to be addressed the next day you work on the box this week.

B. Can you add it to a file? If so, do it now. If not, can you snap a photo of it and add it to a digital system like DropBox, Evernote, or something else? That way, you will have it when you are ready to use it, and it is not in a pile on your desk. I will be covering the digital system next week; stay tuned.

If not, start a single file for “to read” and file it! Now, add that folder to the surprise box, so each week, you will read at least one item in that “to read” folder. Once it is read, file it, take a photo for reference later, or recycle. Warning – You do not want this box to become a catch-all box. The goal of the Saturday Surprise Box is to empty it each week in one relatively fast sitting. This weekly box review keeps you from doing drips and dabs each day and stressing that you have so much to do.

C. If you just have a piece of paper you want to keep for reference, then create a home for it to live. It can be a file folder, digital file, or a binder for warranty and reference (stay tuned for that class). Again, if it needs action goes back to the solution “A.”

Whew! Your bucket should be empty! Either you are done or ready for bucket two.

Either way, WAY to GO!

TO-DO LISTS:

Now, go and get ALL of your personal, household (not work) To-Do Lists (yes, all those scraps paper, post-it notes, or anything that you jotted stuff down on that you need to do) and get ready to knock them out. Note- This first round takes longer, but in the future, this will be faster and easier; stay with me; you will be GLAD that you did.

Here we go, now follow these steps with each of the lists.

• If it can be completed in just a few minutes, do it now. If not, and it can wait for your weekly surprise day continue to the next bullet
• grab a 3×5 card and write each item down on the card with any details or steps you need to remember and add it to the surprise box (yes, you could have just thrown the note in the box, but we are starting a new habit, so use the 3 x 5 card)
• Then throw away the piles of lists, notes, and slips of paper floating around.

Moving forward, when something you need to do comes up, and it can wait, grab a 3 x 5 card and write down the details, and add it to the Saturday Surprise Box immediately. It is fantastic not to have the same seven lists written seventeen different ways floating around in piles making you feel bad because it never gets done.

When you finish sorting, take out all the 3 x 5 cards and take one minute to order them based on urgency—the most important on the top. I use a rubber band or clip (depending on the size) to keep them together, but feel free to do this however you want. Replace them in the box to be addressed on the next Surprise Day.

Note: Special holidays and events may need a different holiday box because they may follow a strict timeline to complete some items. So, a timeline or calendar in your holiday box might be required with the cards. I also add any deadlines or dates as reminders on my phone, so I am not worried I will miss them.

I have some free event planning pages in the “FREE” tab on this site if you need planning help. But, add that list to the weekly holiday surprise box, don’t pile up more To-Dos.

MAIL:

During the week, each day take about five minutes to open all the mail and do one of these three things right then. Yes, right then!

• Trash
• Address it right now (only for things that can’t wait)
• Add to the Surprise box to address later in the week. But, you may want to keep post-it notes nearby to add a message to yourself, so you remember what needs to be done.

If you do not have time to stop and look at the mail right that minute, put it in the surprise box and pray that there are no time-sensitive issues in the mail. Yes, at least opening it and sorting it is best.

SATURDAY SURPRISE DAY:

In the near future…

Plan at least one hour (on Saturday or whatever day of the week you want) to clear out the Saturday Surprise box. That will be your set weekly day. I do mine Saturday morning unless I know that many of my action items involve calling someone or a business closed on the weekend. Then I do the Surprise box on Friday or hold the cards and only the cards on my desk until first thing Monday morning.

You can start any way you want, but I open all of the mail that I have not addressed and decided on the action. Also, I hate filing, so I start there most days that I don’t have mail. Surprisingly, (See why I named it the Saturday Surprise Box), it can sometimes pile up during the week. It feels good to get rid of the mail and filing.

Next comes the ACTION CARDS. I take a quick look and start with the most urgent and most challenging. I act right then and there. Also, I add any notes or information that I learned during the action. When I finish the card, I mark it with a red “X.” If it is complete, I add it to a recipe box I keep in my office cabinet. If I think it needs to be filed, I file it. If I will not need it again, it goes in the recycle.

Here is an example of two 3 x5 action cards and the process.

When you finish with the Saturday Surprise Box, you should have NO ugly piles of paper and NO long To-Do Lists. From this day forward, you should be adding things to the Surprise Box rather than allowing them to hang around and stress you out or make you worry.

Next Steps:

• Big Project Planning
• Filing Systems (Yes, you need two)
• Using Technology to Get Organized
• Warranties and Important Files
• Organizing your Email
• Other 😉

FREE EVENT PLANNING GUIDE