Tags Require Too Much Thinking

It seems every app under the sun has tried using tags. Many still use them. Tags do not work with my brain. They don’t make sense to me and only seem to complicate things.

You Have To Remember To Tag

Tags are only effective if you remember to tag everything that needs to be tagged. If you forget one item, your organizational system falls flat on its face. Good search is better.

Natural Organic Search is Better

It’s better to have a system that utilizes good search. If the search is powerful, you can spit out what’s on your mind and get organic natural results at that very moment. Nothing to think about. Nothing to plan.

Google is wonderful at this. If you have every used Google Drive or Gmail, you know the true power of those apps is the search. You can archive or file away anything without worrying about how you’re going to find it later.

This search power frees your mind to focus on the task at hand. It frees your mind to be more productive. It is one less thing you have to think about and that is a good thing.

I Like Broad Categories

I put my stuff in broad categories. It doesn’t matter if it’s a website category or folder in a file system. Let your organizational structure mature over time naturally. If you find one category is getting too large, then you can create another category. If not, leave it be.

Don’t Worry About Stuff Until You Need It

Stop worrying about your organizational structure in the software you are using. Use the software and the structure will fall into place naturally over time. The system will never be perfect and will always be evolving. You need to accept that.

Don’t Spend All Your Time Organizing

If you spend all your time organizing systems, then you most likely are not getting anything accomplished. If you are not getting anything done, you will stagnate and start to decay.

We as humans are wired to accomplish. Every accomplishment is a stepping stone to the next chapter. Unless you’re a professional organizer that teaches people how to organize, try creating or fixing something. Try creating or fixing something every day.

Remove Everything That Is Not Needed

By removing what is not needed, you are freeing up space to concentrate on what needs to be done. Any time you can remove physical or virtual clutter, your brain becomes more focused.

It’s ok to throw something away that has monetary value if it has no value to you. It will set you free you in a way you never imagined.

There Is No Right App For Everyone

Find a handful of apps that work for you and get rid of the rest. Remove as much as you can so your focus is clear. If apps with a tagging system work for you, awesome. Tag away.

If not, find something that uses basic folder structures and use that. There is no right way or wrong way.

You will read online the right way to do this and that. But, you need to remember that many of these websites are looking for traffic. The sooner you realize this, the better off you will be.