Paper!This is a big one for lots of us and
it's one area where clutter not only causes mess,but can actually cost you money
and time. Keeping on top of bills and being able to find important documents
when you need them reduces the possibility of mishaps like late fees and
getting a routine set stream like the paperwork process.
An informal survey was conducted with
office workers and small business owners.They were asked what
"admin"task they keep putting off.Most of them said that it was
paper-mail,faxes,printing,filing and official documentation.
Am not surprised about that because am
also not a fan of paper.
How much paper do you have sitting on your
desk right now?How much paper in your drawers?How much of it is waiting to be attended to?To be filed?To be taken out
of the envelope?Just when are you going to take the time to get all that
paperwork sorted.
There is a hard truth i need to tell
you:your paperwork isn't going away until you do something with it.But you
already know that,right?
I hate having paper mess up my
work space,but i absolutely love having paper in their right spots,Neat
piles,sometimes in color-coded folders,sometime clipped together with
colorful paperclip.
The real issue is we keep stacking this
paper and postponing when we could sort,arrange and file them.Avoiding the
pile,makes the paper grow bigger and bigger.
Three easy tips to bring less mess and
stress to you-
1. A simple system you can set up is the
numbers method.Set up folders and label them in numbers,you could also color
code them. The numbers/colors indicate the urgency with which i need to
process the paperwork in each folder.This way i am able to know what paper work
needs urgent attention.
2.Setting aside a set time everyday or
week to deal with your paperwork.Set a goal for yourself to get to the bottom
of the pile before you move to the next one.
3.Having a great filing system can make
you more efficient,but don't waste time
filing paper in which you can get the information somewhere else and it's not
of importance.Don't file it for the sake of it.Bin or Shred it.
Paperwork doesn't always have to be messy
and stressful. Keeping tabs on it,it'll never get the better of you.
Tell us your messy paperwork story, we would love to learn from you.
No matter how much i try to organise the papers, they still get messy. I hate paper work but in my line of work, i cannot avoid it.
ReplyDeleteMy suggestion: "do the paper work immediately". The more you procrastinate, the messier your table is.
ReplyDelete