I could spend days writing about conquering paper pile ups. And I will continue to share bits and pieces in future posts. I did want to share a few more techniques now that you have your incoming mail under control.
In order to stay on top of paper and prevent it from piling up:
- When handling a piece of paper decide what action needs to be taken and place it in the desginated spot.
- Do it now. This would support the suggestion of handling paper once. This is not always possible, but if the action needed would take less than five minutes, now may be a good time to handle it.
- Make time for paperwork. Schedule time in your calendar and keep the appointment with yourself. This includes time for regular paperwork such as bill paying and maintenance such as files.
- Request electronic documents (investment annual reports) versus hard copies.
- Don’t be a copycat.
By implementing this techniues you can stay on top of the paper that comes into your life.