Don’t Lose a Diamond in the Rough—Use a Grass-Catcher List No matter how skilled or thorough you are as a planner and organizer, small things are bound to get by you from time to time. Don’t fret—it happens to the best of us! Similarly, during the planning process, there always seem to be one or two items on your to-do list that just don’t belong. They can’t really be grouped or categorized with other items or topics, or they are simply minor in nature compared to your more highly prioritized items. Nevertheless, they still hold some importance to you and could be diamonds in the rough, so it’s not wise to totally discount them from your planning. How do you make sure you capture these things and avoid losing them into the void? Create a grass-catcher list. Much like the bag on your lawnmower, this grass-catcher list contains a little bit of everything. Just as the mower picks up grass trimmings, leaves, small rocks and anything else in the yard, this list is non-exclusive and a perfect place for your miscellaneous tasks or to-dos, as mentioned above. This grass-catcher list is by no means the end of the line for these items. Rather, it’s a temporary holding area for actions to be taken at a later time, as your schedule permits. And the benefits of having such a list are plenty. With a grass-catcher list, you can:

Capture passing or spontaneous ideas for later consideration

Reduce stress by organizing all your to-dos and actions, alleviating mental clutter

Help eliminate procrastination by assigning tasks that you’re not getting done to their own area, freeing time (and mind) to allow completion of priority tasks at hand

If you’ve never used a grass-catcher list, give it a try. And remember: Just because it’s on the list doesn’t mean it can’t be turned into compost! Select your tasks carefully and never lose a good idea again. About Day Runner At Day Runner, our mission is to assist people in “designing their day” with a touch of fashion and function. Many products can be configured for individual planning needs. Our loose-leaf day planners allow users the flexibility to easily select the page formats and style that they like and put them where they need those most. Our products are available from many office product retailers and dealers nationwide and can also be found in office supply catalogs. For more information or to order your planning and organizing tools, visit www.dayrunner.com. Photo by Combsy (http://www.flickr.com/photos/combsy/)