You switch laptops. New machine, no bookmarks, no muscle memory for the folder structure you spent a year building. Two weeks of awkward setup later, you're finally back to speed.
A one-page personal cheatsheet prevents that. Write it once; carry it forever.
Section 1: Your top five tools
List the five PDF tools you use most and their bookmarks. For most professionals: merge, sign, compress, edit, redact. Include the URL of each.
When you switch devices, you bookmark these five and you're 90% of the way back to productive.
Section 2: Your folder structure
Document the folders you use: `/Inbox/PDFs`, `/Working/<project>/`, `/Archive/<year>/<category>/`, `/Templates/`. One line per folder with its purpose.
Includes any cloud sync setup. When you set up a new device, recreating the structure takes 5 minutes from this list.
Section 3: Your naming convention
`YYYY-MM-DD_<context>_<doc-type>.pdf` (or whatever yours is). Plus the type vocabulary — `NDA`, `MSA`, `Invoice`, `Statement`, etc. Documented so you stay consistent.
This is the most-easily-forgotten part of a personal system. The cheatsheet keeps it anchored.
Section 4: Your routines
Daily inbox processing window. Friday close-out. Monthly receipt merge. Quarterly archive review. Brief, like a checklist. Each routine in one or two lines.
When you fall off your routines, the cheatsheet is the easiest restart. Twenty seconds to remember what you used to do.
FAQ
Where should the cheatsheet live?
A PDF in `/Templates/` is convenient. Also keep it on your phone (Notes, Obsidian, etc.) for quick reference when away from your main machine.
How often should I update it?
Quarterly review, alongside the rest of your workflow audit. Workflows drift; the cheatsheet should match current reality.
Is one page enough?
Yes. If it's two pages, you've over-documented. The cheatsheet is the quick reference; the underlying habits are in your head.
Should I share it with my team?
Adapt it as a team cheatsheet — the structure works, the specifics differ. See the team cheatsheet article for the variant.
Document your workflow once; thank yourself every device switch. Create yours in Flint and keep it somewhere you can find it.