Johnny•Decimal

Summary

A system to organise projects.

Highlights

A system to
organise projects ([View Highlight] (https://read.readwise.io/read/01gydvjcr86y8hbs146phn7x85))

Thousands of emails. Hundreds of files. File structures created on a whim and six layers deep. Duplicated content, lost content. We thought search would save us from this nightmare, but we were wrong. ([View Highlight] (https://read.readwise.io/read/01gydvjs9n3av56fkv4avqm0v9))

Step 1: Divide everything in to ten things ([View Highlight] (https://read.readwise.io/read/01gydvk0t8pg23z7qb2a7h12g3))

• Take everything you need to organise and sort it in to, at most, ten large buckets.
• Make sure the buckets are unambiguously different.
• Put a label on each bucket. ([View Highlight] (https://read.readwise.io/read/01gydvk3ysr9m19ycw9f0jq7rx))

We call these buckets your areas. An area might be Finance. ([View Highlight] (https://read.readwise.io/read/01gydvk752tbph3p2b9awnmxm4))

Step 2: In each area, divide in ten again ([View Highlight] (https://read.readwise.io/read/01gydvkaqbjptebsmhy2nrk318))

A category within the Finance area might be Tax Returns. ([View Highlight] (https://read.readwise.io/read/01gydvkcm8hdypjgg17s2vn53p))

We give each category a number ([View Highlight] (https://read.readwise.io/read/01gydvkx1h4yp1w4b0cbdbqqpv))

Let’s say 10-19 is our Finance area. Category 11 might be Tax returns, 12 Payroll, and so on. ([View Highlight] (https://read.readwise.io/read/01gydvm18yvhtgj1d633qp2kjy))

A Johnny.Decimal number looks like this:
They’re short, memorable, and can be spoken out loud. They’re always two digits, a decimal point, and two more digits.
Say it like “forty-two eighteen” or “twelve dot oh-three”. ([View Highlight] (https://read.readwise.io/read/01gydvkrxp2gtpfaychp7b3evk))

The number after the decimal is just a counter. We call it the ID: it starts at .01 and increases with each thing you create. ([View Highlight] (https://read.readwise.io/read/01gydvm9e8hceqrcsnkr0pa0pm))

The 3rd thing you’ve saved in your 12 Payroll category might be 12.03 Payroll schedule 2018. ([View Highlight] (https://read.readwise.io/read/01gydvmdc0evrmnyxvqk127w34))

“Hey Kristy, where can I find the payroll schedule?”
“Twelve dot oh-three.”
Thanks, Kristy. ([View Highlight] (https://read.readwise.io/read/01gydvmrkhw0547xrkyhy8v028))