It's fall break at Seton Hill U, which means that students are given an extended weekend to recharge their batteries and teachers are given a little extra time to finish marking papers so they can turn in midterm grades. I find that if I have a little time leftover, I often declutter my office, which is usually littered with the traces of my whirling dervish of activity getting ready for the first month or two of classes. I apply a few "rules of two" that help me get organized, which I thought I'd post here:

• Two Year Rule: if you haven't read that magazine or article you were saving for a future class for two years of teaching the class, then -- like a suit you haven't worn for two years -- it's clutter and you probably should get rid of it. (Marlynn K. Clayton with Mary Beth Forton, Classroom Spaces that Work)
  
• Two Inch Rule: if a stack of paper on your desk is taller than two inches, it's time to sort, file, defer to someone else, or toss in the trash. (Clayton and Forton)
  
• Two minute Rule: when you go through items in your inbox, ask yourself if you can finish each item in two minutes or less. If the answer is yes, then do it immediately. If not, schedule it for later, defer it to someone else, or throw it away. (David Allen, Getting Things Done)
  

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