Miscellaneous is a word that almost everyone can say they’ve used to describe a file in their office, a box in their house, or an email folder. The definition of miscellaneous is “consisting of diverse things or members” (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary).

The shortened version that many of us use on labels or to refer to piles we have is MISC. From here on out please think of this as the worst 4-letter word in your organizing vocabulary. When you give a drawer, file, or pile the label of MISC it means you have no intention of sorting or categorizing and thus are putting files or items in a place that you’re guarenteed not to find them again.

Labeling a file, drawer, etc as MISC is a direct reflection of our delay to correctly categorize the items. Or perhaps is a reflection of us being overwhelmed by decision making in our days and wanting to put something “there” gives you one less decision to make. But just think about all the time we are wasting when we have to find something later and we can’t find it “there” in the MISC pile.

Taking the split second to make a decision upfront to file or categorize each item where it belongs can save us all precious time later on!

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