How to Reduce Paperwork
Papers can pile up quickly, leaving your desk cluttered and you feeling overwhelmed. Reduce paperwork in the office with the following tips.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Address Books
- Electronic Personal Organizers
- File Cabinets
- Garbage Cans
- Bulletin Boards
- Envelopes
- File Folders
- Folders
- Paper And Binder Clips
- Personal Organizers
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1
Try to handle incoming letters, memos and notes immediately; don't toss them to the side and assume you will look at them later.
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2
Deal with a piece of paper only once. Once you pick up a piece of paper, do something to help you get rid of it: Take the necessary action or copy information to the appropriate place, then throw the paper away. (For example, if the memo contains a meeting date, copy it into your planner.)
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3
File only what is essential. Review your files periodically and clean out the ones you no longer refer to.
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4
Cancel subscriptions to magazines or journals you no longer read.
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1
Tips & Warnings
"Paperwork" can include virtual paperwork, such as e-mail messages. As with notes and memos, deal with the e-mail message right away. Copy down dates or numbers, then delete it.
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Comments
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ultra360
Sep 23, 2009
This is an interesting article. Thanks for the advice. -
Nov 22, 2005
An hour before the end of the day, go through your box, pull out the "Must Do Now" work and complete.
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Nov 22, 2005
My organization and time-saver tip consists of Post-it notes. I write down important/urgent items on 3x3 sticky notes, address each one when I have time, complete it and throw it away - or "file" it by typing in the info on the appropriate data file.
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Nov 22, 2005
My organization and time-saver tip consists of Post-it notes. I write down important/urgent items on 3x3 sticky notes, address each one when I have time, complete it and throw it away - or "file" it by typing in the info on the appropriate data file.
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Nov 22, 2005
Create a database file (i.e., Filemaker). Cut and paste the e-mail joke into a record in the database. Each record can show date, subject and joke/thought fields.
