Papers - Toss, File or Act On
Piles of paper can grow overnight. Handle paper as soon as it comes into the office. Decide immediately if it can be tossed, filed or if action is required.
Toss
As you handle paper, ask yourself, "What will happen if I throw this away?" Unfortunately, only 20% of all paper that's filed ever gets looked at again. You can feel comfortable tossing: product solicitations, old magazines, and duplicate documents. Open mail next to a trash can and throw away anything that is not important. Avoid jotting notes on any paper you can find, instead, keep a notebook of things to do, phone messages, etc.
File
Ideally, file paper that is needed for reference as soon as you receive it. Avoid having "to file" piles which can quickly get out of hand. Instead of using manila file folders, use colored files - one for each category. For example, "to do" files can be red, client folders blue, financial files green. Label files clearly, using computer-generated labels or a label maker. Tabs placed in the same spot on every colored folder are easier on the eye and makes it easier to add and delete files at any time. Specifically, all the red files would have the tab on the far left, the green folders would have the tabs in the center, and blue would have tabs to the far right. There are two products that I like to recommend: The Paper Tiger and the Freedom Filer. These systems are very different. The Paper Tiger is a filing software product that even allows you to find electronic files on your computer, and the Freedom Filer is a self-purging color-coded tab system.
Act
If action is required, do it immediately OR note it on your calendar or "to do" list. You can then toss the paper right away. Some people find "action files" to be helpful: "to pay," "to mail," "to read" - whatever actions you do frequently.
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