Stickies: my anti-distraction

I’m easily distracted. In fact, this very post started as an offshoot to another post I was just writing just 10 seconds ago. (Did I mention I’m easily distracted?) On the one hand, it’s nice, because I haven’t been bored since I was… Oh, let’s see… not as long as I can remember. On the other hand, when I’m trying to hunker down and get stuff done, distractions are the enemy of my productivity. (I believe 37Signals said that at one point.)

Stickies save the day!

When I’m distracted with something I shouldn’t be doing right now, I open up Stickies.app or grab a paper sticky note and jot it down. Here’s how I decide which to use and when to use them.

Short term: paper

If the task in question needs completed very soon, I’ll use a paper sticky. For instance, making a grocery list or reminding myself to email a colleague about a silly question.

Long term: Stickies.app

If the task will need completed eventually, but not in the immediate future, I’ll put it in Stickies.app. A few reasons for using digital stickies: I’m more likely to throw away paper stickies. Paper stickies contribute to cluttering my physical desktop. Digital stickies are easier to read, and don’t get lost in the whirlwind that is my desk.

Use spaces for organization

I keep all my stickies isolated on 1 of 6 possible Spaces. (Spaces is a native Mac feature for multiple desktops.) This means I can switch to my Stickies space if I’m thinking about what I’m going to do next, or when I have an epiphany of some sort that needs recorded. Then, boom, back to my work. Instant distraction dissipation.

Space #3, the space for sticky notes only.

Categorize & build a queue

Within the Stickies.app itself, I’ve got several categories: Home, Work, Design ideas, Tech tasks, Misc. etc.. Some of these categories come and go, but the first 3 are generally permanent.

Within each of those categories I’ve got a queue. I use a horizontal rule (5 equal signs), to show what I’m going to accomplish in the very near future. And beneath that I have a queue of the next big tasks to complete. I prioritize the top 5 tasks or so, and everything beneath those is just a brain dump of ideas and to-do’s.

So far, this has helped me stay organized and prioritize everything I need to do in my perpetually distracted life. It’s true what they say, organization creates capacity. (Hmm, I should jot that down, and write more about it some time.)