The Productivity System (Part 2)

STEP 1: CAPTURE + ORGANIZE
// the first step in your planning system

A. CAPTURE

Do you have designated inboxes for incoming tasks and information?

The purpose of an inbox is to have a collection point for everything we need to get to later; everything that you can’t work on immediately will have to be written down and kept in your inbox to be organized later.

You’ll need more than one inbox due to the different forms that information will be coming in.

1. PHYSICAL INBOX

- For paper bills, school papers etc.

- Example: document tray, letter sorter

2. DIGITAL INBOX

- For when you are on the go or when you do not have access to your physical planner

- For information in digital format, like an online article you want to read later on, a breath-taking picture of a sunset or a screenshot of an inspirational quote.

- 2 types of digital inboxes needed:

(a) To Do/Tasks

Examples of apps:

• Todoist
• Google Tasks
• Apple Notes

(b) Notes (set up an inbox notebook)

Examples of apps:

• Notion
• Evernote
• Milanote

*A digital inbox for all kinds of information from appointments, articles, photos, emails etc.

*These apps also have web clipper extensions you can install on your browser to clip webpages or pictures that can be sent to the inbox you’ve set up in the app.

3. PLANNER/NOTEPAD INBOX

For when you are at your desk or at home where you have access to your planner or inbox notepad.

Whatever it is, decide on the inboxes you will be using and commit yourself to them. Resist the urge to write things down on random scraps of paper or have post-it notes all over the place.

B. ORGANIZE

Take 10 min at the end of EVERY DAY to process your inboxes. Without fail. Decide what you want to do with them and where they should go, so that nothing falls through the cracks and the information won’t pile up in your inbox and become overwhelming.

For example:
- Events go on your calendar.
- Quotes get transferred to your assigned quotes digital notebook in the app.
- Transfer tasks to your master to-do list
- File your paperwork
- Decide if you are still interested to read that online article. Send it to your To Read folder/notebook in the app, or delete it if you’ve lost interest.

Make capturing and organizing the incoming information in this way a habit and you will have peace because you knowing nothing’s forgotten and you know where everything is.

See Capture + Do Collection here.

Read Part 3: Schedule + Do