A Lawyer s Blog Jon Michael Probstein Esq October 2010 from sample of appeal letter for disqualification , image source: jmpattorney.blogspot.com
Each week brings new jobs, emails, documents, and job lists. Just how much of this is different from the job you’ve done before? Odds are, not much. Many of our tasks are variations on something we have done countless times before.
Don’t reinvent the wheel every single time you start something new. Use templates–standardized files with formatting and text as starting point. Once you save a version of the template add, eliminate, or change any info for that document that is unique, and you are going to have the new work.
Programs work anywhere: in word processors, spreadsheets, project management programs, survey programs, and email. Here is how to create documents from a template — and the way to use templates from your favorite apps –so you can get your ordinary tasks quicker.
Templates take the time to build, and it’s easy to wonder whether they are worth the investment. The short answer: absolutely. Editing a template takes much less time than formatting something from scratch. It’s the difference between copying and pasting some text, or retyping it.
That is not the only benefit: Using a template means you are not as likely to leave out key info, too. For instance, if you want to send freelance authors a contributor arrangement, changing a standard contract template (instead of writing a new contract each time) ensures you won’t depart out that crucial clause regarding owning the content once you’ve paid for this.
Templates additionally guarantee consistency. Perhaps you send regular project updates to investors or clients. With a template, you understand the update will have the same formatting, design, and structure.
How to Create Fantastic Templates
Not all templates are created equal–and a few things do not require a template. Here are a few guidelines to follow.
First, templates should be comprehensive. It is more easy to delete info than add it in, so err on the side of adding also instead of too small.
Imagine you’re creating a template of your own resume. You would want to record in-depth details about your responsibilities and accomplishments, so you are going to have.
You always have the option to delete notes later on, but you might forget it if it is not from the template.
Some tools will automatically fill in all these variables for you (more on this in a bit). But if you need to fill in the data on your own, add some text that’s obvious and simple to look for so it is possible to find.