Time Management Tip #8: Cure “I Need to See It” Syndrome

As 2012 draws to a close, you might be thinking about productivity,“time management”and what you can do to improve inthe new year, so here is my final time management tip for 2012: Get rid of “Ineed to see it” syndrome. 

What is “I need to see it” syndrome? It’s that habit –common to many lawyers – of keeping files, paperwork, etc. in piles on theirdesk, floor, office chairs, etc. as a ‘reminder’ that they need to accomplish aparticular task or work on a particular file. 

The problem is that once the pile, file, or note stays inone place for too long, it no longer serves as a good reminder. Instead, itbecomes part of the furniture – you become so used to seeing it in the sameplace day after day that you stop noticing it. Once that happens, it just becomes clutter. Clutter obscures what is mostimportant by making it difficult to distinguish the truly important from theunimportant.

Clutter piles up because you’re afraid that without aphysical reminder of what you need to do, it won’t get done. But sometimesusing the thing itself (like the file, or the CLE flyer) actually reduces,rather than increasing, your efficiency and effectiveness. It’s more difficultto focus on the task at hand with those reminders physically looming over yourhead – you’re literally getting buried under your ‘to-dos!’

Break the habit by putting good systems in place to ensurethat important tasks get done. If you are keeping that file in your officebecause there is important work that needs to be done, look at your calendarand schedule an appointment with yourself to do the work. Then put the fileaway until the appointment date and time arrives.

If the task is something that needs to be done ‘eventually,’but is not urgent and you can’t fit it into your calendar now, schedule areminder for a specific period of time in the future and put the reminder onyour calendar with the name of the file or task and a short description of whatneeds to be done. When the reminder date arrives, you’ll decide whether it isimportant enough to schedule or whether you should push the reminder into thefuture.

Ifyou really can’t do without the physical reminder, consider using David Allen’s system of foldersor lists grouped by category. Instead of keeping a big bulky file in youroffice, you’ll have only an item on your list or one piece of paper noting whatyou need to do. Use a ‘tickler’ system with folders for each month and numbered1-31 to diary items for follow up and put the file back in the file room.

Resolve to cure yourself of “I need to see it” syndrome in 2013 and start by clearing out the clutter now – my next time management post will tackle how to do it.