In a perfect world, everything would be paperless. In one of my first blog posts, I wrote about why going paperless is so awesome. I could sing the benefits of going paperless a thousand different ways, and since doing so, I’ve made the argument to anyone willing to listen (and many who weren’t). RELATED: Preparing to Be Paper Free: First Steps The reality, though, is that paper is still going around. And while I set up a system to go paperless and stay that way, and my incoming paper has dramatically decreased, it hasn’t disappeared. There are some things that you just have to hold on to. One of the first things I ever pinned and was the idea to use an accordion file to organize paper. I did this for three years - every January, I would buy a thirteen-folder accordion file, label each folder for the month, and as I got paper, would file it by the month received. I also had a planner and did a decent job of keeping it updated; it also housed a lot of incoming mail until I could attack it. Now, I don’t need an accordion file. I don’t get enough paper to justify keeping one. And I solely rely on my online calendar to track all appointments, meetings, birthdays, etc. I did, however, need to design a system based on my previous practices, a scaled down version. Even if I am paperless, the world isn’t - I still have to handle some paper. To start, I took a look at the paper I do get and have to keep: #1 - The Important Things Birth certificates. Social security cards. Voter registration cards. Insurance policies. Marriage licenses and divorce paperwork. #2 - Reference Things/Files 95% of my reference materials are digital. But, some things, I do keep hard copies. I don’t need this information often, but I do need to have it. This includes reward cards, packets from charities I support, receipts for big purchases, etc. #3 - Paper In Motion This is the meat of my system. If you’ve followed all of my steps, you know that your incoming paper has dramatically decreased, but you’ll still get mail. And while I scan all that mail, sometimes I need to hold on to it (for a variety of reasons). Examples:
I try to deal with paper once I get it, but I don’t always get to it immediately. This is why cutting down the incoming paper is so important. #4 Mementos As a former pack-rat, I used to keep ticket stubs and graduation programs and wedding invites. I may not be a packrat anymore, but I am still sentimental when it comes to big events in my life. Most of these things get scanned and/or tossed, but I do want to keep some of them. So, four categories. Now, I needed to decide how I wanted to store these items. In any organizing system, when you put it together, I ask what I are my “must haves” and my “nice to haves.” For paper control, here are mine: MUSTs:
NICE:
For my system, I store paper like this: —Emergency Binder: I keep an emergency binder under lock and key. This has all my important documents, and if I were to experience an emergency I can grab my binder and have everything I would need at my fingertips. This doesn’t contain things that I need regularly, so keeping it at arm’s reach isn’t necessary (and, since it’s sensitive, I need to keep under lock and key). —Reference Binder: I keep another binder that doesn’t have to be kept under lock and key, but holds all those reference things. I don’t need it often. It has reward cards, receipts for big purchases, etc. —Portfolio: This is what I keep for work paperwork. It holds client paperwork, financial stuff, business cards, as well as some tools I may need (legal pad, pencil, the keyboard for my iPad, etc). My portfolio is also large enough to hold my MacBook or iPad in the interior pocket, so I can throw one of them in there, carry the portfolio, and essentially have a mobile office. When I work from home, I can keep it put away until it’s needed. —Planner: I made my own (more on that in a bit), and it holds all my personal “paper in motion.” Anything in here either hasn’t made it to my computer, or my reference binder. It lives here until I can get it sorted and handled. —Journal: Just a simple composition notebook that serves more as a scrapbook. Those invites and programs I want to keep? I go old school, and paste them into here. I can keep them and they don’t take up space. So, did I meet my requirements? Let’s take a look… It was a MUST that my system be portable. Because I use binders and not a filing cabinet, it is. It was a MUST that my system be easy to use. I created five different “containers” to hold paper, and each piece of paper I encounter can be clearly identified and put in the right place. Work papers go in my portfolio. Personal papers go in my planner. Once they’re done, they can be moved into the right binder and stored properly. It was a MUST that my system be secure. I store my binders under lock and key. I know, and my clients know, that I’m the only person with that key and their personal data isn’t sitting on my desk or in my work bag for the world to see. As far as my nice to haves, my system is easy on the eyes. And it’s able to be divided: I use zippered pouches for client files, so I can take those out as needed. If I’m working, I only need my portfolio. If I’m not, I can grab my planner and have everything I need. It all provides focus. Other perks? Because I made my own planner (small binder + dividers + page protectors) I didn’t buy a planner with a ton of sections I won’t use. There are systems out there you can design your own, but I spent $10 at Target on my planner, and it works for me and is customizable - buy a pretty binder and colorful dividers! Do not, by any means, get me wrong: my personal approach is to be paperless, but I don't think there is any one person who can claim to be 100% paper-free (just keeping your birth certificate alone means you've got paper!). My system means I keep the paper the world told me I have to, and do so in a way that's secure, easy, and mobile. You can subscribe to my mailing list here. You can also follow me on Twitter or Pinterest. If you’re in need of a virtual operations manager, check out my FAQs or available services, then head over to my consultation page so we can connect.
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