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A tweak to my labeling system thing

I was at work yesterday and organizing things as I do sometimes when I work saturday.  It's a little less crazy hectic than the regular work week so sometimes I can work on putting things back into at least a semi organized way for the room that I'm in.  I also use the time to catch up on things and as well try to think of faster better newer ways to do what I already do.  This is especially true for anything that I do over and over again.

Well, I noticed that we were running low on masking tape.  This is one of the key components of my labeling system.  We did have some more on order but I needed to conserve resources a little since it probably will be another few days before it comes in.  Oh speaking of things coming in... I'm still waiting for my order for the able to connect my camera to my TV so I can start working on my live action construction paper comedymation thing.  It should be soon though hopefully!  Anyways so yes running low need to conserve...

Well, I thought about what I do with the labels on the computers that I am preparing.  See, I really do label computers and laptops with 3 or 4 different stages of what type of work they need and all that.  Well, I realized I was writing the SAME things over and over again!  I thought well, that's a waste of tape and time... although it helps keep my penmanship all fancy pantcy looking.  But with lots of things to do I thought taking that time to write things over and over could be an extra little bit of time to get more stuff done!

So I thought about it and said to myself... I need a place to store pieces of saved tape with common things written on them that I can re-use over again.

After looking around I had it!  I took some paper from the printer.  I took clear packing tape and covered the piece of paper in packing tape.  Now I had a place to store sticky tape labels when they weren't in use!

And after I finish with a label I can take the label off the computer and then place it on the sheet and then stick the next status label on the top of the PC or laptop.

I saw a gain immediately in my workflow productivityness at work!  It's super cool because there's something about having to stop and find the pen and write a new label and pull off a new piece of tape and stick it on there that just disrupts my flow-jo-mo-jo of thinking and what I was doing.

If I have the labels already made up and just peel and stick and re-peel and re-stick... my flow of thoughts just keeps on flowing!

It's fantastic.

I'm super excited about the temporary label addition to my system.  If you have a workflow with anything where you need to label and re-label and constantly use the same stages of labels for things over and over again... try this out!

I think that it might be REALLY helpful!  So yea like one example of the new workflow is when people bring us laptops that have virus's on them.

Now I can label the laptops as they come in so I know if they are not worked on, currently having a scan done, which scan utility is being run... we use a few of them... and then if it's ready to be returned to the user and it's awaiting pick up.

This will also be useful when we replace existing machines and build configurations and transfer data from existing setups to new ones.

I'm trying to think of other places this could be very useful and for me at home I've thought about the various hot beverages that I order.  So, I don't always order the same teas, or the same type of coffee.  Sometimes I'll order one and then not re-order it the next order but then maybe 2 or 3 orders later or trips to the store I'll buy it again.  Well I could save the label and then just peel and stick when I do decide to get that again.

I think it might also be useful for keeping track of all my construction paper crafts and things that I'm going to be creating for these videos.  Since I'm going to be building different items and little stuff for the videos and then taking them apart and constantly reworking them for each video trying to re-use the same materials... Well I'll have to create various boxes and folders with different pieces and shapes that can be re-used.  So I think it's inevitable that I'll have to change labels.

I actually have thought of a LOT of places this labeling and re-using labeling system will be VERY useful is up at camp.  Especially with things like the various art or cooking or stained glass studios where sometimes items depending on availability and interest and to keep things fresh things will change but usually it's cyclical.

I think it could be useful as well where the same container is being used to store different items on a cycling basis... maybe monthly or yearly... So then the label can be saved and reused again as the cycle repeats.

I'm trying to think of a better way to make some more permenent labels where I can maybe print the labels and then laminate them and then use velcro or something.  I'm not sure yet exactly.  I don't know about lamination and velcro because then it starts to get more pricey and involved.  I'm just trying to keep it simple and sweet and neat and fun and useful.  RE-Useable labels but keep it cheap.

Anywho if anyone has a use that they think this might work for them feel free to try it out!  All you need is a sheet of paper and a pen or sharpie and masking tape and packing tape...

Put the packing tape on the paper and a piece of masking tape on top.  Write whatever you need on the masking tape and then peel it off and stick it on another piece of packing tape on the item that you are sticking it to for labeling.  Then when you feel like you need a change... take the old label off and place it back on the sheet!

Bam.  Eventually the sticky side becomes less sticky... but it seems to work for at least a good  10 sticks and peels... at least that was as far as my testing got yesterday.  Although that was just me peeling and sticking over and over again to see how it worked... I stopped at 10.  I don't know if maybe leaving it stuck for a few months changes the stick factor.  It probably does.

Anywho that's what I've got so far!  Hmmm... this is almost a marketable product!  Sort of.  I'm sure there are re-useable sticky labels out there somewhere.  But for now this is what I use.