At tax time people always want to know how to get organized with paper. Of course paper organization should be an ongoing thing and you should be paying attention to it all through the year NOT just at tax time.
This means that you have to have places to put your paper information through out the year so that it is there waiting for you when you need it.
You have to pay attention to paper organization in small bites every day. Simply ignoring the information that arrives on paper through your mail slot will only make things worse.

Here is how to get organized with paper in less than five minutes every day.

1. Open your mail at the same time every day.  It doesn’t have to be when you get home from work but do it at the same time everyday so you can develop a system and stick to it.
2. Once you pick up the mail DO NOT put it down until it is sorted and all the decisions are made about what to do with each piece of mail.  One of the best paper organization skills you can develop is making timely decisions about what is to be done with each piece of paper.
3. Most of the paper will go into the recycle box so keep that close by where you sort the mail.
4. Complete an action for each piece of mail that will take less than 2 minutes.
5. If it requires an action that will take longer then write the date when the action must be completed on the envelope and  place it in a file for attention at a later date.
6. File anything  that needs to be kept for reference in its proper place..  Do not file anything that needs to have an action - this should go into a special file sometimes called an action file so that you know it is awaiting attention.

Either of these filing solutions can make a great action file.

Magnetic Wall File Organizer

This handy file organizer attaches to your refrigerator or filing cabinet with powerful magnets on the back. There is no mounting hardware needed.
Just take the whole thing down when you are ready to do your paper work take it to your desk and get everything done in one sitting.
When it is empty put it back up on the fridge again!

Desktop File Organizer

This attractive file organizer can sit on a desk top or just inside a cupboard. File your papers here than need attention or some sort of action.
Once the action is completed the paper should go into its storage file.

And that is how to get organized with paper in less than 5 minute per day!

February 28th, 2010 Organization Tips, how to get organized, paper organization Comments ( 0 )