Monday, June 14, 2010

PAPER AGAIN

Now let's get down to the nitty gritty with paper.

I am sharing with you the "secrets" that I share in seminars and with one-on-one clients. And these secrets WORK.

1. Copy the following text into a word document and print it out:

TO DO

TO FILE

TO PAY

TO READ

PENDING

OUT

--TRASH

--SHRED

--RECYCLE

--DELEGATE


2. Collect the following items in one area, within easy reach of a comfortable chair:

flat, clear surface to sort on (kitchen table works great, or set up a long folding table)

trash can

recycle bin

cross cut paper shredder (line it with a trash bag, plug it in, and set it right next to your chair)

box of 100 manilla file folders (third cut, cheapest you can find)

file cabinet

pencil and eraser

large, bold marker

your stacks, boxes, or bags of paper


3. Take six file folders, and on the front cover AND on the tab, write the following in bold marker (one phrase per folder): "to do, to file, to pay, to read, pending, delegate."


4. Arrange your six folders in front of you on your table. These will be where you start sorting your stacks of paper.


5. Take a small stack of paper (couple inches high), and start with the top paper. Ask yourself the following questions:

Is this paper necessary to keep me and my family warm, sheltered, safe, or employed?

Do I need to keep this paper for legal, tax, or financial reasons?

Is this paper precious to me?


6. Once you determine the answers to these questions, it will become glaringly obvious whether or not to keep it. If you decide to keep it, then put it in one of the six folders. If you decide NOT to keep it, then trash, shred, or recycle it.


7. Repeat until your little stack of papers is gone.

8. Repeat with another stack of paper, at another time. Don't spend all day processing an office-full of paper. You'll burn yourself out. Moderation in all things, including paper processing.

YOU ARE ON YOUR WAY TO PAPER HANDLING NIRVANA. Keep at it over the next few weeks until all your old papers have a file folder (make more as necessary).

I'll help you with how to file in another post (i.e. what categories to write on those little tabs).

Blessings on you!