If you’re like me you’ve tried many different approaches to organizing your work. As a solo bankruptcy attorney, without support staff, I needed to find a way to organize the fire hose of documents, emails, appointments ; phone calls that are a part of my busy practice.
I typically carry a workload of 50 clients each of whom bring with them 150 to 500 pages of documents to support their bankruptcy petition. Each case has over 60 distinct steps. So, I typically organize between 7,500 and 25,000 pages of documents and have 3,400 steps to complete for my current clients.
Using Software and Hardware tools to Manage Tasks
I’ve learned to use a number of software programs in a systematic way so I can find information nearly instantly and can tell at a glance the progress made with each case. Unfortunately, there is no single program that does everything I need to do.
I’ve tried many practice management software programs designed for attorneys, but they have fallen short of my practice needs.
In this website, I will share with you the process I use to organize my work. This process has at its essence flexibility. If I need to make a change to the process, or if a case or project has an unusual twist, I can quickly make modifications.
Hardware such as Dymo Label Maker and the Livescribe Echo Smart Pen both save time and keep things organized. Livescribe has a great software recognition program that lets me search for a handwritten term, retrieving all pages that contain the term. Looking for all your handwritten notes containing a particular client’s name–it’s not problem.
Printing postage at the office and invoicing clients with email are great timesavers.
Nuts and Bolts Approach
This website is about the nuts and bolts of getting your work organized and completed in an orderly fashion. For a more theoretical discussion of getting things done, read Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen. It helps provides an framework for putting your life and work in perspective and for establishing priorities. A new book that should be read by anyone interested in bringing order to their work–and their lives, is 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done . I review 18 minutes here.
Mindmanager
The centerpiece of my system is Mindmanager which is a program designed for brainstorming, but also for organizing tasks, documents and calendar. I use Nozbe to create extensive to-do lists for client projects. I’ve found that Mindmanager is best for seeing the big picture and Nozbe works well for managing all the details.
Nozbe is integrated with Dropbox and Evernote, so any files you put in those two programs will appear under the appropriate Nozbe project.
Microsoft OneNote
As I will explain, Microsoft OneNote is a better program for document organization than Nozbe. I use Evernote as a capture program—I use it to capture every document I receive or generate.
However, I’ve found Evernote’s search feature doesn’t match OneNote’s, and it lacks a system for coherently organizing a massive number of documents.
Organization beats Procrastination
Getting organized, after procrastination, has got to be one of the greatest impediments to success in any field. If you work in any field where paper comes across your desk and projects have to be completed, you’re found the right website. OrganizingYourWork (OYW) shows you the tools you need to get your job done. But, more importantly, OYW, shows you how to actually use those tools.
NEXT: Clear Your Desk–Clear Your Mind
