Clients consistently tell me one of their
greatest challenges to keeping a well-organized workspace is PAPER!
Correspondence, invoices, catalogs, mail-order offers, reading material, and
emails they've printed out wind up in piles or files all over their offices.
Paper can turn into clutter faster than you can imagine, so don't create any,
or keep any, you don't truly need. Here are two easy tips to keep paper under
control.
Tip
#1: Don't Print Emails
Why do people feel the need to print emails?
Often it's because an email requires action and we are fearful we will forget
about it if we don't see it on our desk or in a tickler file. Perhaps
there is information we think will be useful in the future. We're afraid we
won't be able to find it again because we won't remember where on the
computer we filed it. But if we could keep track of the information without converting it to paper, that's really what we
need, right? It's easier than you might think.
If you keep an electronic calendar, on
Outlook or Google, for example, simply drag an email that requires action
straight to the calendar function and drop it on the day you will take that
action. You needn't think about it again! When you open the calendar for that
day, you'll be able to see that email, complete with all the information you
need.
If the information in the email is not
date-specific, you can copy the relevant portion and paste it into a Word
document; then file that document in a folder on your computer with other related information.
This tends to work best if your computer files parallel the paper files in your
office. Then you are likely to file your electronic documents along the same
conventions you use for hard copies, making them easy to find.
You can also install my favorite FREE
search application on your computer, Google Desktop Search, www.desktop.google.com. This clever
application will find every email saved on your computer (actually every document of any kind)
that contains whatever key words or phrases you search for.
Tip
#2: Have a System for Deciding What Other Papers Are Worth Keeping
Some incoming
paper you can immediately identify as not worth your time or space. Don't be tempted
to save catalogs of seminars and training sessions you know you won't
attend. Don't keep advertising pieces you have no intention of acting on.
Discontinue subscriptions to magazines and trade journals that rarely have
useful articles. Most of this information is online anyway, and will be more
current when and if you decide you need it than some piece of paper that's been
in your files for months.
For the rest, use
the acronym "A-SORT" to remember the following guidelines. You should toss any item that doesn't meet
at least one of the following criteria:
A There is some action
required of you.
-
S You envision doing
something specific with it within six months.
O If would be
difficult to obtain the information elsewhere if you needed it.
R The information
is recent and relevant to something you're working on.
T There are tax,
legal or financial reasons to keep it.
The last consideration to apply is, "What is the worst possible thing
that could happen if I needed this and didn't have it?" If you can live with
the answer, then out it goes! When in doubt, throw it out.
Elaine Quinn is a Certified Professional Organizer specializing in helping individuals and small business owners get more done in their workspace and workday.
Google Desktop Search This free application finds documents on your own computer's hard drive just like a search engine finds information on the web.
Collectorz Intuitive, inexpensive and easy-to-use database programs that create catalogues of your personal collection of books, reference manuals, audiovisual media or digital photo files.
Roboform Log into your password-protected websites automatically with this inexpensive and secure software that memorizes your login IDs and passwords. It also fills in online forms with just one click.
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Prevent Paper Clutter – Two Easy Tips
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