Productivity Tips: 5 Tips for Avoiding a Reading Backlog

Many people let their reading material build up into a backlog. You may collect piles of mail and other papers or folders full of website bookmarks. Over time, it feels like your reading backlog is a black hole that things never come out of.

Here are 5 tips to help you avoid a reading backlog or take control of one you already have, whether online or offline:

Bookmark Judiciously

Don't bookmark more website articles and blog posts than you intend to read. Similarly don't clip more articles from magazines, newspapers, or newsletters than you're likely to use. Limit what you save.

Set a Time Limit

Read bookmarked (or clipped) material within a set time frame. If you need help, create bookmark folders with dates in their names. Limit how long you save old bookmarks. If you still have them past that date, quickly check for anything critical and delete the rest.

Read Short Items Immediately

When possible, don't bookmark (or clip) items at all. Read shorter items immediately and move on. Don't let them reach the pile or folder.

Keep Up on Your Reading

Whenever possible, avoid falling behind. Schedule a block of time with yourself daily or weekly to keep up with required reading, especially professional reading. Don't let yourself run across items that were critical to read a month ago.

Save Text Sparingly

Try not to keep everything you read after you've read it. Whether you end up with dozens of folders of bookmarks for online reading or file cabinets of magazines and newsletters, the more you keep, the harder it becomes to locate information later. You're likely to waste time re-reading old material.

If you save snippets of information from your reading, consider using Personal Knowbase notes manager to make it easier to relocate information later.