Those vacuum bags on TV

Not stuff, but I have a couple ideas on organizing work that have helped me. First, I do things in first-in-first-out order. It comes in and it lands in the "in" box. When my desk is clear I dump the in-box upside down on my desk and work my way through it in the order it came in. It seems that my subconscious mind makes most of the decisions without effort on my part. Second, I used to have work in many parts of the house and my office. I identified those points at which I actually finished projects, and concentrated on keeping those workplaces clear. When they were clear I would work my way backwards to the place where projects started--the telephone, my computer printouts, the daily mail. By concentrating on finishing things I found I got a lot more done. But take heart. The New York Times recently published an article compiling a lot of research that indicates that people with messy (not dirty) offices and closets are more productive, get higher salaries and can be better parents. Although messy people spend 150 hours a year looking for stuff, it seems that neatnicks spend more than that orgnizing their stuff so it doesn't get lost in the first place. And it probably takes both kinds.