Receipt Control

By |2012-11-08T19:31:24-05:00February 27th, 2011|Categories: Paper Management, Systems|Tags: , , , |

One of the most familiar items to go homeless in any work environment is the receipt. You may be frustrated with how messy they look everywhere, but the solution is never as easy as throwing them all out, because they DO matter. Not ALL of them matter, but without a clear plan, one tends to keep them all, just in case.

Paper Drain Or Paper Trap?

By |2012-11-09T08:18:54-05:00February 1st, 2011|Categories: Paper Management|Tags: , , , , |

Would you say there is more of a paper drain or paper trap in your work environment? In other words, does paper circulate easily, like water down a drain, or does it accumulate, like water in a plugged sink? If a sink is overflowing with water, we want the plumber to fix what is plugging up the drain IMMEDIATELY!

Shred-iquette

By |2012-11-09T08:26:18-05:00August 5th, 2010|Categories: Paper Management|Tags: |

Nothing keeps me busier than paper management. Computer advocates once promised a “paperless society,” but in an age when we are printing out our emails, paper is here to stay for a while. Before I can get to my best advice on paper management, however, I must first stop and have a conversation about SHREDDING. “Why bother?” You may ask. “Shouldn’t you just shred EVERYTHING to be on the safe side?”

Where Should I Put the Mail?

By |2014-04-14T18:48:39-04:00July 21st, 2010|Categories: Paper Management|Tags: , |

It’s a common question but it has an uncommon answer. Mail doesn’t go anywhere. That’s because it stops being mail the second it comes out of your mailbox. Bills-to-pay need a home, material-to-read need a home, and statements-to-file need a home, but it’s a mistake to allow the daily collection to take up residence ANYWHERE.

17 Minute File Diet

By |2012-11-09T08:35:13-05:00May 17th, 2010|Categories: Paper Management|Tags: , |

A couple weeks ago in my May Tip of the Month I recommended transferring your old taxes, old statements, and old tax supporting material from your file cabinet to a more remote location. I said that it should only take 15-20 minutes if you had a user-friendly file system set up. This weekend, I followed my own advise and I’m happy to report that I clocked in at just under 17 minutes.

May Tip of the Month

By |2012-11-09T08:39:29-05:00May 3rd, 2010|Categories: Paper Management|Tags: , , |

The most important annual organizing habit is to PURGE YOUR FILE CABINET AFTER TAX SEASON. You’ve accessed all the tax-supporting material you need for 2009 and yes, you will still want to keep it, but there’s no reason it needs to occupy the valuable real estate of your desk file drawer. Last year’s statements fall under what I call Sleeping Files, files you are keeping just-in-case. I recommend transferring these to 2 inch file jackets inside remote file cabinets or banker boxes (or plastic file boxes in a damp basement).

The End of the Mail Trail

By |2013-03-22T19:05:47-04:00April 14th, 2010|Categories: Paper Management|Tags: , , , |

When does mail stop being mail? The second it comes out of your mailbox. That stuff piled up on your dining table is not mail. It’s bills to pay, solicitations to toss, statements to file, magazines to read, and material to review. Each envelope contains paper that requires action. Because those actions are hidden inside those envelopes, one fears the worst, but expose them to the light of day and you realize that your necessary actions are either a. easy or b. unnecessary (for now).

Tickle Your Memory

By |2012-11-10T16:50:29-05:00March 29th, 2010|Categories: Paper Management|Tags: , , |

Ever wonder what a “tickler file” is? It’s a collection of 43 labeled folders, 31 days and 12 months, that helps you organize time-sensitive documents. It has been around in various formats since the early 20th century, but has probably been most notably covered in David Allen’s 2001 classic, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress Free Productivity. To me the most valuable message from Allen’s book was,

“Out Where I Can See It.”

By |2012-11-10T16:57:12-05:00March 25th, 2010|Categories: Paper Management|Tags: , , |

“Out Where I Can See It” is an understandable need, but the problem is if everything is important, then nothing is important. If the front page of a newspaper appeared solid gray with unbroken text, you probably wouldn’t bother with it. It’s too overwhelming. Not only would it take time to prioritize the most important articles, it would take time just to see them!

What Your Dining Table Has In Common With a Runway In Memphis

By |2023-09-04T08:35:49-04:00March 2nd, 2010|Categories: Paper Management|Tags: , , , , |

Want to make your home more inviting? The dining table is usually a great place to start. If it’s piled with mail, schoolwork, and crafts then it’s not very welcoming. To keep your table clear and inviting, it helps to think of it as a runway at the FedEx “Super Hub” at Memphis International Airport. The most valuable organizing tool is a clear surface for processing.

Receipt Deceipt

By |2023-09-04T08:36:15-04:00January 29th, 2010|Categories: Paper Management|Tags: , |

One of the most insidious pieces of paper that regularly litters my clients’ homes is the receipt. Alone it may look small and harmless, but it can be powerful in its importance or unimportance. Let me explain the latter. One piece of tax advice I hear is “keep everything!” Really? This 2004 receipt for “Beggin Strips” from Petco is going to help me save money on taxes? Unless you run a kennel, this piece of paper is probably not going to help you.

Don’t Apha-bet On It!

By |2023-09-04T08:39:22-04:00January 18th, 2010|Categories: Paper Management|Tags: |

An associate of mine joked the other day about how I was so organized that I had my sock drawer alphabetized. Naturally I took the joke in the spirit of good-natured ribbing it was intended, but for many organizing systems I believe alphabetizing can do more harm than good. Now don’t get me wrong,if you have items like old client files or CDs that are all the same type of thing, filing alphabetically makes the most sense, but...

Envel-nope!

By |2013-03-22T18:20:43-04:00October 27th, 2009|Categories: Paper Management|Tags: , , |

Envelopes are necessary to help deliver mail, but mail stops being mail the second it comes out of your mailbox. At this moment envelopes are not only unnecessary, they are a natural enemy to staying organized. Envelopes help in the sending of paper information in three ways. First, they conceal the information from outside eyes.

“Important” is Not a Category

By |2023-09-04T08:34:33-04:00August 18th, 2009|Categories: Paper Management|Tags: , , |

Effective organizing begins with assigning basic categories, but "important" is NOT a category. It may be tempting to think, "I'll just keep all my 'important stuff' together in one safe place and take my chances with the rest of it." This is not a safe practice. Here are 5 reasons why. 1. "Important" changes with time. If this is the one system that makes you feel safe then the odds are very good that you don't have a system for disposing of once-important items

Daily Mail Daily

By |2012-11-10T17:45:25-05:00August 11th, 2009|Categories: Paper Management|Tags: , , , , |

The number one habit to stay organized is to sort the daily mail DAILY. If your clutter is so overwhelming you don't know where to begin, start with the daily mail. This may seem insignificant next to more monstrous organizing challenges, but the act of sorting your daily mail EVERY day encompasses some of the most fundamental organizing principles. 1. CIRCULATION PREVENTS ACCUMULATION.

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