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Power Tools for Time Management
we use to shape time is decidedly low-tech. A stunning yet mod-
est example: the 3 x 5 index card. Cards can be used to ask
questions, underscore problems, and pass along information. 151
In planning large troop movements, the U.S. Armed
Forces—as high-tech as they have become—still often use
index cards rather than e-mail. Why?
• Their size encourages concision.
• They’re supremely portable.
• They’re more emphatic and action-provoking than a
screen full of letters and numbers.
• Since they’re handwritten, they underscore open commu-
nication and commitment.
Paper-based communication, of course, can too easily
encourage excess. Indeed, electronic communication is often
lauded as the way to eliminate paper and all its inherent draw-
backs. Still, “hard copy” will always be around. Here are a few
ways to save “paper time” and curb the proliferation of paper:
• Rely on paperless management computer programs and
be frugal in generating hard copy.
• Write your reply to a memo directly on the memo.
• Photocopy only essential items, but do photocopy and file
elsewhere any item that would cause you problems if it
were lost. This applies to e-mail printouts, too.
• Use Post-it® notes instead of full-page notes.
• Create labels preprinted with common addresses to save
typing time.
• Imprint your most-used forms (such as invoices) with all
the standard rules and regulations. Why type “Due and
payable within 30 days” each time you send a bill, when
this could be printed on the standard billing form?
• Use carbonless forms to save photocopy or printout time.
• Recycle paper whenever possible.
Paper-Based Personal Organizers
Nowhere is user-friendliness more critical—and more often