Beginner concepts

The system's user manual.

  • Introduction

    Johnny.Decimal is a system to organise your information, at home, work, or anywhere else.

  • Areas and categories

    Johnny.Decimal areas and categories, the two digits before the decimal, define a system's structure.

  • IDs

    Johnny.Decimal IDs, the two-digit counter after the decimal, are where content is stored.

  • Headers

    Headers break a category into labelled sections so you can jump to the right group of IDs at a glance.

  • Philosophy

    The philosophy behind Johnny.Decimal is simple. To help you find things, quickly, with more confidence, and less stress.

  • The JDex

    A Johnny.Decimal index (or JDex) is the master record of a system's IDs. It keeps you even more organised and transforms how you work.

  • Saving files

    Learn how to save files to save your sanity. Your new superpower is naming files and/or subfolders by using the date correctly.

  • Keeping notes

    Note-keeping is a great use of Johnny.Decimal. See how to do it more effectively with the JDex. Now they're all in one findable place.

  • The Librarian

    A Johnny.Decimal Librarian oversees the system. At home or work, their effort to keep it neat and up to date is repaid many times.

  • Don't be afraid of the numbers

    The numbers aren't maths ā€“ they're a simple shorthand that helps you find things faster and tell anyone where anything is.

Further reading

Once you're comfortable with everything above, here's an alphabetical list of further reading if you want to learn more. There's also the blog for working ideas and Johnny.Decimal-adjacent topics.

  • AC.ID notation

    Johnny.Decimal numbers are made up of the area-category combo before the decimal, then the ID after. We call this AC.ID notation.

  • JDex: Two other methods

    Here's two more ways to keep your index ā€“ as a single note or a database. And some advantages and disadvantages for each method.

  • Managing email

    FWIW, I outline some top-line strategies for dealing with email at home and work. Including my endangered Microsoft Outlook trick.

  • Naming files and subfolders

    A few ruthlessly consistent naming habits ā€“ like year-month-day dates ā€“ will keep your files sorted and findable forever.

  • Subfolder patterns

    Well-defined subfolder patterns keep your IDs neat inside, whether you sort by date, name, or a simple numbered template.

  • The standard zeros

    The standard zeros are a handy set of 'buckets' that can store information in the unused space at the top of areas and categories.

  • Using the Inbox and Archive

    The inbox gives you a place to stash things quickly; the archive is one step from the trash for stuff you might never need again.

  • Work packages

    A place to do work.

  • Working at the command line

    For green screen nerds, the structured nature of the Johnny.Decimal numbering system makes working at the command line a joy.

System expansion

Ways to grow your system beyond the standard structure.

  • System expansion: Introduction

    Johnny.Decimal is simple by design. But life doesn't always fit in a neat box. Here are three options for system expansion.

  • Multiple systems: Overview

    To manage multiple Johnny.Decimal systems, assign an identifier to the front of each one. We refer to this as SYS.AC.ID.

  • Multiple systems: Guidelines

    Guidelines for assigning identifiers to multiple Johnny.Decimal systems.

  • Expand an area: Overview

    Some things don't fit in a standard Johnny.Decimal structure. By expanding an area, more depth can be created where we need it.

  • Expand an area: Guidelines

    Guidelines for expanding one area of a Johnny.Decimal system ā€“ mix and match the rules and principles to suit the situation.

  • Extend the end: Overview

    To manage more than 100 Johnny.Decimal IDs in a category, or an ID that 'repeats' in some way, assign an identifier to the end.

  • Extend the end: Guidelines

    Guidelines for assigning identifiers to the end of an ID in a Johnny.Decimal system.

Utilities

Free (MIT-licensed) utilities to make using the system easier.