Ending the Paperwork Nightmare
by Maria Gracia |
| Maria Gracia, founder of Get Organized Now!, specializes in helping people get
better organized to live the kind of stress-free life they've always dreamed of.
Visit her website at
GetOrganizedNow.com |
With
all of the paperwork flowing into our lives day after day, it’s
easy for it to get out-of-control. Forms, memos, letters, catalogs,
mail, flyers and advertising offers are stacked in our In Box. Leave
that In Box untouched for a day, and you’ve got yourself a
paperwork pile. Leave it untouched for a week or more, and you’ve
got yourself a paperwork nightmare!
Here are a few simple ideas to help
end the nightmare and get all of your paperwork under control:
1. BREAK IT DOWN.
Break the job, of reducing your paperwork, into smaller pieces.
Instead of trying to organize ALL of your paperwork at once, set a
series of mini goals instead. For example, Day 1, go through one
pile; Day 2, go through your In-Box, and so on.
2. THE 4 D'S OF EFFECTIVE PAPER
MANAGEMENT.
Over 80% of the paper most people have in their homes and
offices is either out-of-date or will be of no further use to them.
There are only 4 things to do with a piece of paper:
A) Do it
B) Delay it (File it in an action file or archive file)
C) Delegate it
D) Dump it
The Dump it solution should not be
taken lightly. A large percentage of the papers in your office
(except for legal or tax related documents), especially the ones in
boxes that haven't been looked at for years or months, can probably
be trashed.
3. OPEN MAIL OVER THE WASTEBASKET.
When you get your mail each day, quickly open it right over the
wastebasket, or recycling container. Immediately get rid of mail you
don't need, such as catalogs or advertising offers you're not
interested in, or unnecessary inserts that come with your bills.
Then, sort the rest of your mail immediately, so it doesn't have a
chance to pile up.
4. FILE EVERY DAY.
If you hate filing, I'm guessing that one of the primary reasons
is because you are overwhelmed with your current filing situation.
If you only had 1 or 2 pieces of paper to file, you likely wouldn't
see the task as so daunting. Once your paperwork is organized and an
effective filing system is in place, filing will become an easier
task. That is, as long as you file on a daily, or at the bare
minimum, a weekly basis.
5. USE E-MAIL.
Rather than using snail mail, or interoffice mail that must be
delivered by a mail person, communicate and share information via
e-mail. And whatever you do, don't print out every single e-mail you
get. Most e-mail, and file attachments can be stored on your
computer, rather than being printed out. Just beware of virtual
clutter! The same rules for avoiding paper pileups apply to the
files on your computer, otherwise you're bound to have a digital
document nightmare.
6. DON'T MAKE EXTRA COPIES.
Many people make lots of extra copies of documents, just in case
they're needed later. Very often, this results in tons of copies
that never get used. Don't make copies until you truly need them.
And don't add to other peoples' paperwork nightmares by making them copies
of something they don't need.
7. BE REALISTIC WITH YOUR READING
GOALS.
Many people temporarily store magazine articles, newspaper
articles, newsletters, magazines and other reading material in a To
Read basket. Unfortunately, for most people, there's generally more
papers in their To Read pile then they would be able to read in a
lifetime. Be realistic. When you see the papers in your To Read
basket flowing over the rim, it's time to weed it out. By the way,
the only way you'll get through that To Read basket is by scheduling
a reading hour each day, and using that hour to read when the time
rolls around.
| Want
to get organized? Get your FREE Get Organized Now! Idea-Pak,
filled with tips and ideas to help you organize your home,
your office and your life, at the Get Organized Now! Web site http://www.getorganizednow.com |
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